Athanasius CONTRA MUNDUM Athanasius against the world

1
Lecture V
Athanasius CONTRA MUNDUM (Athanasius against the
world) ????
2
The Challenges Right after the Persecution??????

• Schism of the Donatist in North Africa ??????????
  
• Heresy of Arius in eastern part of the Roman
  Empire????

3
Donatism, in the Church of 4th Century????????

• Settings ??
• Appeared in the Dioclesian persecution, on the
  issue of church discipline and martyrdom.
• Formal broke out in 311 on the bishopric election
  at Carthage.
• Before Council of Nicaea ?????????
• Decision of Roman Bishop and other five Gallican
  Bishops
• Decision of Council of Arles in 314
• Appealed to Constantine and emperors judgment at
  Milan in 316.
• Followed persecution and the toleration granted
  by an edict in 321.
• Consequence ??
• African Church was divided for a whole century
• Persecutions and bitterness among both parties.

4
Arianism ????

• 313 AD, made a Presbyter of Alexandria?????????
• Positions ????
• Denies the full deity of Jesus Christ that the
  Son has the same substance as the Father.
• Taught that the Son has a beginning in time that
  made the Son subordinate in substance to the
  Father.
• The Son was created before all the rest of
  creations, before angels, and before anything
  else but he had a beginning.
• Arianism was the most formidable threat to early
  Church. ?????????
• 325AD, excommunicated at the Council of
  Nicaea.???????????????
• 335 AD, the Synod of Jerusalem readmitted Arius
  to communion ??????????
• 336 AD, Died in Constantinople. ???????

Arius 256-336AD
5
Controversy Before the Council of
Nicaea??????????

• 318 -320 AD, the contest between Arius and Bishop
  Alexander of Alexandria. ??????????????
• 321 AD, Arius teaching first was condemned by
  local council at Alexandria called by Bishop of
  Alexander of Alexandria.????????????
• Arius gained support from Eusebius of Caesarea
  and Eusebius Bishop of Nicomedia
  afterwards.???????????????
• The Greek episcopate was split into two parties.
  ????????????
• The Involvement of Constantine, by sending his
  ecclesiastical adviser, Spanish Bishop Hosius to
  inquiry this dispute and decided to call an
  ecumenical council. ??????

6
Temporary Victory at Council of Nicaea
???????????

• 6/14/325-7/25/325 AD, 318 (220) Bishops attended.
  ???
• Three parties, ????
• Orthodoxy party, lead by Alexander, Hosius and
  Athanasius
• Arians party, lead by Arius and Eusebius of
  Nicomedia
• Mediocrities, lead by Eusebius of Caesarea
• Key Word Homoousios Homoiousios ???
• Key Decision Nicene Creed ????

7
The Arian and semi-Arian Reaction 325-361
AD???????????

• 328 AD, Athanasius became the Bishop of
  Alexander.
• 335 AD Arius was acquitted of the charge of
  heresy under the influence of Eusebius of
  Caesarea.
• 336 AD, Athanasius was exiled to Treves in Gaul
  by Constantine.
• 338 AD Athanasius returned under Constantine II
  in West.
• 339 AD, Athanasius was deposed by Arian Emperor,
  Constantius in East under the influence of
  Eusebius of Nicomedia (Constantinople), the new
  leader of Arians.
• 346 AD, Athanasius was restored by Constantius
  under the influence of Constannus in West.
• 350 AD, Constanus in West died.
• 356 AD, Athanasius was drove out of cathedral by
  the army of Constantius. Orthodoxy Bishops were
  persecuted and Nicene party was put down.
• 357-361, Arian party separated into Eusebians and
  decided Arians.

8
The Final Victory at Council of Constantinople
?????????????

• 361AD, Constantius died and Julian the Apostate
  recalled all the banished bishops and Athanasius
  returned.
• Athanasius was soon exiled under Julian the
  Apostate.
• 362 AD Athanasius was recalled by Jovian.
• 367 AD, Athanasius fifth time was exiled by Arian
  Emperor Valens. 4 months later, he returned.
• 373 AD, Athanasius died.
• 373-380 AD, Nicene party was regained momentum
  under the leadership of three Cappadocia fathers,
  Basil, Gregory of Nyssa and Gregory of Nazianzen.
• 379 AD, Theodosius I became Emperor.
• 381 AD, Council of Constantinople reaffirmed
  Nicene Creed with some unessential changes and an
  important addition respecting the deity of Holy
  Spirit.

9
Athanasius Theology???????

• Major concern Salvation of humankind. ????
• Essential teaching The deity of Christ. ????
• The salvation has to be completed in the sense of
  we are united with God and our salvation depends
  on the deity of Christ as well as his humanity.
• In Christs crucifixion, death is spent its force
  against human nature so that the corruption of
  mankind may be spent in Christs body. Life
  comes to us through Christs death and
  resurrection, and through our union with Him we
  are deified. (See 2 Pet. 112)
• Sin, corruption, and mortality all are defeated
  through our union with Christ who has risen and
  he must not be merely a man who has been raised
  from dead but actually God.
• For Athanasius, if Jesus was not God then we
  could not be deified. Hence, the deity of Christ
  was not some irrelevant or abstract idea, but
  practical.

10
Athanasius Contribution???????

• The theologicall and ecclesiastical center during
  Nicene period.????????
• A man of one issue, the deity of Christ, as Paul,
  Luther and Calvin. ??????
• 20 years (five times) exile during his 45 years
  service as Bishop.
• Fearless independence and immovable fidelity to
  his convictions. Being called the father of
  Orthodoxy????
• Trust in Gods providence and detained to degrade
  himself as an imperial courtier as his
  antagonists did.
• Inflexible against Arians but indulgent to
  unessential errors of good men. His maxim
  Orthodoxy should persuade faith not force
  it.???????
• His life provides us an example of victory
  through courageous patience??
• Introduced monasticism to West and being greatly
  admired in Western Church. ?????????