In the fourth century, the Christian world was violently divided over the issue of Christ’s divinity. Is Christ coeternal with the Father--of the same substance as the Almighty God? Or is Christ an instrument--created for our redemption-the first born of God’s works? At one point, not only the emperor, but most of the Christian world believed that “there once was a time when he [Christ] was not.” In this seminar, we uncover the reasoning behind this heresy--the Arian heresy--and we look at the response from the fiery, red-haired, very short, Bishop Athanasius, who almost single-handedly defeated the tidal wave of Arian belief. Dr. James DeMasi, Associate Director of Beatrice Institute, will lead this seminar.

Reading: Athanasius, Against the Arians, Discourse 1.