Story of Christianity: Volume 1: The Early Church to the Reformation (The Story of Christianity)

by Justo L. González

They soon began to

take steps to assure his downfall, circulating rumors that he dabbled in magic, and that he was a tyrant over the Christian flock in Egypt.

Free from the accusations made before the synod of Tyre, Athanasius decided to go on to Constantinople in order to present his case before the emperor.

One day when Constantine was out for a ride, the tiny bishop of Alexandria simply jumped in front of the emperor’s horse, grabbed its bridle, and did not let it go until he had been granted an audience.

Since Athanasius was not willing to give him the church buildings, Gregory decided to take them by force, and the result was a series of disorders of such magnitude that Athanasius decided that, in order to avoid further violence, it was best for him to leave the city.

Eventually, a synod gathered in the ancient capital declared that Athanasius was the legitimate bishop of Alexandria, and that Gregory was a usurper.

The mismanagement of Gregory in Alexandria had been such that the people received Athanasius as a hero or a liberator.

Athanasius was the man of the people.

Through threats and the use of force, an increasing number of bishops accepted Arianism.

somehow the clergy carried him to safety. From that moment, Athanasius seemed to have become a ghost. He was sought everywhere, but the authorities could not find him. He had taken refuge among the monks of the desert, his faithful allies.

These monks had means of communication among themselves, and whenever the officers of the Empire approached the bishop’s hideout, he was simply transfered to a safer place.

Eventually, even Hosius of Cordova and Liberius of Rome, both well advanced in years, were forced to sign Arian confessions of faith.

The high point for Arianism came when a council gathered in Sirmium openly rejected the decisions of Nicea. This was what orthodox leaders called the “Blasphemy of Sirmium.”

Unexpectedly, Constantius died and was succeeded by his cousin Julian. Since the new emperor had no interest in supporting either side of the controversy, he simply canceled all orders of exile against all bishops.

One of the consequences of this action was that Athanasius was able to return to Alexandria, where he undertook a much-needed campaign of theological diplomacy.

Athanasius had come to the conclusion that many opposed the Nicene Creed because they feared that the assertion that the Son was of the same substance as the Father could be understood as meaning that there is no distinction between the Father and the Son.

At an earlier time, Athanasius had insisted on the Nicene formula declaring that those who said “of a similar substance” were as heretical as the Arians. But now the elderly bishop of Alexandria was ready to see the legitimate concern of those Christians who, while refusing Arianism, were not ready to give up the distinction between the Father and the Son.

362, Athanasius and his followers declared that it was acceptable to refer to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as “one substance” as long as this was not understood as obliterating the distinction among the three, and that it was also legitimate to speak of “three substances” as long as this was not understood as if there were three gods.

But Athanasius would not live to see the final victory of the cause to which he devoted most of his life.

As we have seen, Julian’s reign did not last long. He was succeeded by Jovian, who was an admirer of Athanasius.

It soon became evident, however, that Valens was not eager to tangle with the bishop who had bested both Constantius and Julian.

“the Great Cappadocians.”

Basil of Caesarea,

Gregory of...

Gregory of Na...

Macrina, the sister of Basil and Gregory of Nyssa.

True happiness is not found in the glories of the world, but in the service of God.

Since Basil eventually became the great teacher of monasticism in the Greek-speaking church, and since it was Macrina who awakened his interest in it, it could be said that she was the founder of

Greek monasticism.

He believed that community life was essential, for one who lives alone has no one to serve, and the core of monastic life is service to others.

He himself made it a point to undertake the most disagreeable tasks in the community. He also wrote rules to be followed in the monastic life. Since all the legislation in the Greek church regarding monastic life is based on the teachings of Basil, he is usually regarded as the father of Eastern monasticism.

He remained there until Valens became emperor. Since the new emperor was Arian, the bishop of Caesarea decided to set aside his differences with Basil and call on the holy monk to assist him in the struggle against Arianism.

The new bishop of Caesarea knew that his election would lead to conflicts with the emperor, who was Arian. Soon Valens announced his intention to visit Caesarea. The Nicene party knew from bitter experience in other cities that Valens used such visits in order to strengthen Arianism.

Finally, in a heated encounter, the praetorian prefect lost his patience and threatened Basil with confiscating his goods, with exile, torture, and even death. Basil responded, “All that I have that you can confiscate are these rags and a few books. Nor can you exile me, for wherever you send me, I shall be God’s guest. As to tortures you should know that my body is already dead in Christ. And death would be a great boon to me, leading me sooner to God.” Taken aback, the prefect said that no one had ever spoken to him thus. Basil answered, “Perhaps that is because you have never met a true bishop.”

But, like Athanasius, he was unable to see that final victory, for he died a few months before the Council of Constantinople confirmed the Nicene doctrine in 381.

Basil’s younger brother, Gregory of Nyssa, was of a completely different temperament. While Basil was tempestous, inflexible, and even arrogant, Gregory preferred silence, solitude, and anonymity.

But the struggles of the time were too urgent and too bitter to pass by a person such as Gregory. His brother Basil forced him to become bishop of Nyssa, which was little more than a village.

As such he was received by the Council of Constantinople in 381.

Finally, being assured that the Nicene cause was firmly established, Gregory returned to the monastic life, hoping that the world would leave him alone. In this he was so successful that the date and circumstances of his death are not known.

Gregory was the son of the bishop of Nazianzus, also called Gregory, and his wife Nona—for at that time bishops were often married.

In A.D. 379, he appeared in Constantinople. At that time Arianism enjoyed the total support of the state, and in the entire city there was not a single orthodox church.

He was an orthodox general, who soon expelled all Arians from the high positions that they had used to further their cause.

The obscure monk from Nazianzus was now patriarch of Constantinople.

The Council of Constantinople reaffirmed the doctrine of Nicea regarding the divinity of the Son, and added that the same ought to be said about the Holy Spirit.

Thus, it was this council that definitively proclaimed the doctrine of the Trinity.

Its decisions, and the theology reflected in them, were in large measure the result of the wor...

When he heard that Theodosius planned to call another council and ask him to preside over it, he flatly refused. He lived away from all civil and ecclesiastical pomp until he died when he was some sixty years old.

God ordered all things to be produced so that there would be common food for all, and so that the earth would be the common inheritance of all. Thus, nature has produced a common right, but greed has made it the right of a few. AMBROSE OF MILAN

Such an election was not part of Ambrose’s plans for his career, and therefore he had recourse to various devices in order to dissuade the people. When that strategy failed, he repeatedly attempted to escape from the city, but was unsuccessful.

Since he was only a catechumen, and therefore was not even baptized, it was necessary to perform that rite, and then to raise him through the various levels of ministerial orders.