Justo Gonzalez, Ph.D.: "The Story of Christianity:" Ch. 17-Arianism/Nice...

1.     The Arian Controversy and the Council of Nicea, 181-192. Gnosticism and Montanism in the second centuries with Donatism in the third and fourth centuries see the advent of Arianism, Arius, Alexander of Alexandria, Eusebius of Nicomedia, Eusebius of Caesarea, Constantine, the eastern discussion of the Person of Christ in two natures as one Person, Bishop Hosius of Cordoba, 318 catholic bishops at Nicaea, and the 325 Council of Nicaea appear on the historical scene. Constantine’s three sons: Constantine II, Constans, and Constantius II will influence fourth century developments leading to the 381 Council of Chalcedon. Rather than a ecclesiastical resolution, one sees an Imperial intervention that will characterize church history until the separation of church and state in the American experiment. One result for Churchmen: we are united and trace our ties back to the Eastern conflict. Hence, one of the several values of church history, including the inspirational story of an “Iron-Willed” Bishop of Alexandria (at times), Athanasius. Furthermore, with the Nicene Christology, the church fights the desiccated, dehydrated, devalued, and deadly Christologies of the 20th century. Goodbye, Rudolph Bultmann and Bart Erhman...er…Erringman.