The First Thousand Years: A Global History of Christianity

by Robert L. Wilken

Almost immediately after the condemnation of Arius, bishops in the Greek-speaking cities of the eastern Mediterranean began to take sides, some coming to Arius’s defense, others championing Alexander or staking out another position. Some wrote letters to other bishops to muster support for their views. And so began one of the most historic epochs in Christianity, a time when leading bishops of the Church disagreed profoundly on central matters of Christian teaching. Ecclesiastical councils publicly debated deep theological issues, with the aim of reaching consensus on language to express central Christian beliefs in formal statements of faith. The disagreements ran deep, and the disputes were often bitter and sometimes violent. From the beginning of the fourth century to the middle of the sixth century, more than 250 councils dealt with a wide range of topics.

arian controversy an eastern event