Arius: Heresy and Tradition

by Rowan Williams

Overview

Arius is widely considered to be Rowan Williams's magnum opus. Long out of print and never before available in paperback, it has been newly revised. This expanded and updated edition marks a major publishing event. Arianism has been called the "archetypal Christian heresy" because it denies the divinity of Christ. In his masterly examination of Arianism, Rowan Williams argues that Arius himself was actually a dedicated theological conservative whose concern was to defend the free and personal character of the Christian God. His "heresy" grew out of an attempt to unite traditional biblical language with radical philosophical ideas and techniques and was, from the start, involved with issues of authority in the church. Thus, the crisis of the early fourth century was not only about the doctrine of God but also about the relations between emperors, bishops, and "charismatic" teachers in the church's decision-making. In the course of his discussion, Williams raises the vital wider questions of how heresy is defined and how certain kinds of traditionalism transform themselves into heresy. Augmented with a new appendix in which Williams interacts with significant scholarship since 1987, this book provides fascinating reading for anyone interested in church history and the development of Christian doctrine.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780802849694
Publisher:	Eerdmans, William B. Publishing Company
Publication date:	01/24/2002
Edition description:	REVISED
Pages:	392
Sales rank:	1,020,641
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.95(d)

About the Author

Rowan Williams served as the 104th Archbishop of Canterbury from 2002 to 2012 and is now Master of Magdalene College, University of Cambridge. A Fellow of the British Academy and an internationally recognized theologian, he was previously Lady Margaret Professor of Divinity at the University of Oxford, Bishop of Monmouth, and Archbishop of Wales.

Table of Contents

	Preface	ix
	Preface to the Second Edition	xiii
	Introduction: Images of a Heresy	1
Part I	Arius and the Nicene Crisis
A	Arius before Arianism	29
1	Origins	29
2	The Troubles of the Alexandrian Church I: The Melitian Schism	32
3	The Troubles of the Alexandrian Church II: Bishops and Presbyters	41
B	The Nicene Crisis: Documents and Dating	48
1	The Controversy to 325	48
2	The Thalia	62
3	Nicaea and After	67
C	Conclusion	82
Part II	Arius and Theology
A	The Theology of Arius	95
B	Alexandria and the Legacy of Origen	117
1	Philo	117
2	Clement	124
3	Origen	131
4	Alexandria after Origen	149
C	Theology Outside Egypt	158
1	Antioch	158
2	Methodius and Eusebius	167
D	Conclusion	175
Part III	Arius and Philosophy
A	Creation and Beginning	181
B	Intellect and Beyond	199
C	Analogy and Participation	215
D	Conclusion	230
	Postscript (Theological)	233
Appendix 1	Arius since 1987	247
Appendix 2	Credal Documents	269
	Notes	281
	Abbreviations	353
	Bibliography	355
	Index of Names	371