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What disagreement divided Athanasius and Arius in Alexandria?
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Alexandria
The mosque of Abū al-ʿAbbās al-Mursī, Alexandria, Egypt.
The disagreement between Arius and Athanasius in Alexandria centered on the nature of the relationship between God the Father and the Son, Jesus, specifically regarding their divinity and essence.1
- Arius’s Position: Arius argued that the Son was a created being who had a beginning and was not eternal. He maintained that the Father and Son were not of the same essence, as God the Father is unique, immutable, and self-existent. To Arius, the Son was a creature brought into existence by the will of the Father.12
- Athanasius’s Position: Athanasius insisted that the Son was fully divine and shared the same substance (homoousios) as the Father. He believed this unity was essential for the Christian doctrine of redemption, arguing that only one who was truly God could reconcile humanity to the Godhead.12
This dispute, known as the Arian controversy, led to the First Council of Nicaea in 325, which ultimately affirmed the Athanasian position and rejected the view that the Son was a created or mutable being.12