The early history of the controversy must be pieced together from about 35 documents found in various sources. The Trinitarian historian Socrates of Constantinople reports that Arius first became controversial under the bishop Alexander of Alexandria, when Arius formulated the following syllogism:
Bishop Alexander of Alexandria was criticised for his slow reaction against Arius. Like his predecessor, Dionysius, he has been charged with vacillation. According to Eusebius's work, The Life of Constantine, the controversy had spread from Alexandria into almost all the African regions, and was considered a disturbance of the public order by the Roman Empire. Constantine the Great (Constantine I) sent two letters to Arius and Bishop Alexander, asking the religious leaders to stop the controversy. The ongoing controversy led to Constantine's oversight of the First Council of Nicaea.
The Church was now a powerful force in the Roman world, with Constantine I having legalized it in 313 through the Edict of Milan. "Constantine desired that the church should contribute to the social and moral strength of the empire, religious dissension was a menace to the public welfare." Consequently, the emperor had taken a personal interest in several ecumenical issues, including the Donatist controversy in 316. He also wanted to bring an end to the Arian dispute.
Those who upheld the notion that Christ was co-eternal and con-substantial with the Father were led by the young archdeacon Athanasius. Those who instead insisted that the Son of God came after God the Father in time and substance, were led by Arius the presbyter. For about two months, the two sides argued and debated, with each appealing to Scripture to justify their respective positions. Arius maintained that the Son of God was a Creature, made from nothing; and that he was God's First Production, before all ages. And he argued that everything else was created through the Son. Thus, said Arius, only the Son was directly created and begotten of God; furthermore, there was a time that He had no existence. He was capable of His own free will, said Arius, and thus "were He in the truest sense a son, He must have come after the Father, therefore the time obviously was when He was not, and hence He was a finite being."
Constantius did not accept this outcome and requested a third council, at Constantinople (359), of both the eastern and western bishops, to resolve the split at Seleucia. Acacius and Basil of Ancyra, respectively, again proposed the "like the Father" and "similar substance" views, as were explained at Seleucia. However, Maris of Chalcedon, Eudoxius of Antioch, and the deacons Aëtius of Antioch and Eunomius of Cyzicus proposed a third view which was similar to Arius' teachings, namely that the Son was of "a dissimilar substance" from the Father. The Heteroousians ("dissimilar substance") won the victory over the other two views in an initial debate. However, Constantius was not willing to accept this outcome either. He intervened and banished Aëtius; one of the leading proponents of the "dissimilar substance" view. After this, the council, including Maris and Eudoxius, agreed to a fourth view, namely the homoian ("like the Father") view that was already agreed to at Ariminum. They made only minor modifications to the Ariminum creed.
After the Council of Constantinople, the homoian bishop Acacius deposed and banished several homoiousian bishops, including Macedonius I of Constantinople, Basil, Eustathius, Eleusius of Cyzicus, Dracontius of Pergamum, Neonas of Seleucia, Sophronius of Pompeiopolis, Elpidius of Satala and Cyril of Jerusalem. At the same time, Acacius also deposed and banished the Anomoean deacon Aëtius.
The Homoousians taught that the Son is of the same substance as the Father, i.e. both uncreated. The Sabellian form had been condemned as heresy in the 3rd century by Pope Calixtus. The Athanasian form would be declared orthodox at the Council of Constantinople in 383, and has become the basis of most of modern trinitarianism.
The Homoiousian school taught that the Son is of a similar substance to the Father but not the same.
The Homoians taught that the Son is similar to the Father, either "in all things" or "according to the scriptures," without speaking of substance. Several members of the other schools, such as Hosius of Cordoba and Aëtius, also accepted certain Homoian formulae.
The Heteroousians taught that the Son is of a different substance from the Father, i.e. created. Arius had taught this early in the controversy, and Aëtius would teach the later Anomoean form.
Many critics of the "Nicene" Creed cannot be clearly associated with one school, often due to lack of sources, or due to contradictions between sources.
Papandrea, James Leonard (2012). Reading the Early Church Fathers: From the Didache to Nicaea. p. 177. ISBN 9780809147519. 9780809147519
Smither, Edward L., ed. (2014-02-14). Rethinking Constantine: History, Theology, and Legacy. pp. 65–66. ISBN 9781630873851. 9781630873851
Ehler, Sidney Zdeneck; Morrall, John B (1967). Church and State Through the Centuries: A Collection of Historic Documents with Commentaries. p. 6-7. ISBN 9780819601896. Archived /wiki/ISBN_(identifier)
Dunner, Joseph (1967). Handbook of world history: concepts and issues. p. 70.
Campbell, Ted (1996). Christian Confessions: A Historical Introduction. p. 41. ISBN 9780664256500. 9780664256500
Bettenson, Henry, ed. (1963). Documents of the Christian Church (2nd ed.). New York: Oxford University Press. p. 40.
Noll, Mark A. (2012). Turning Points: Decisive Moments in the History of Christianity (3rd ed.). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic. p. 45. ISBN 978-0-8010-3996-6.. 978-0-8010-3996-6
Eusebius, of Caesarea, Bishop of Caesarea, approximately 260-approximately 340. (1999). Life of Constantine. Cameron, Averil., Hall, Stuart George. Oxford: Clarendon Press. ISBN 1423767667. OCLC 67703212.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) 1423767667
Boyd, William Kenneth (1905). The Ecclesiastical Edicts of the Theodosian Code. Harvard University. Columbia University Press. http://archive.org/details/ecclesiasticale00kenngoog
Vasiliev, Al (1928). "The empire from Constantine the Great to Justinian". History of the Byzantine Empire. Retrieved 2 May 2012. http://www.ellopos.net/elpenor/vasilief/arianism-council-nicaea.asp
Gwynn, David M. (2021-01-07), Kim, Young Richard (ed.), "Reconstructing the Council of Nicaea", The Cambridge Companion to the Council of Nicaea (1 ed.), Cambridge University Press, pp. 90–110, doi:10.1017/9781108613200.005, ISBN 978-1-108-61320-0, retrieved 2021-09-28 978-1-108-61320-0
Gwynn, David M. (2021-01-07), Kim, Young Richard (ed.), "Reconstructing the Council of Nicaea", The Cambridge Companion to the Council of Nicaea (1 ed.), Cambridge University Press, pp. 90–110, doi:10.1017/9781108613200.005, ISBN 978-1-108-61320-0, retrieved 2021-09-28 978-1-108-61320-0
Photius. "Epitome of Chapter VII". Epitome of Book I. Retrieved 2 May 2012. /wiki/Photios_I_of_Constantinople
Vasiliev, Al (1928). "The empire from Constantine the Great to Justinian". History of the Byzantine Empire. Retrieved 2 May 2012. http://www.ellopos.net/elpenor/vasilief/arianism-council-nicaea.asp
"Babylon the Great Has Fallen". God's Kingdom Rules!. Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc.: 447 1963. https://archive.org/details/babylongreathasf00watc
M'Clintock, John; James Strong. Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature. Vol. 7. p. 45.
"St. Nicholas Center ::: Bishop Nicholas Loses His Cool". www.stnicholascenter.org. Retrieved 2019-06-14. https://www.stnicholascenter.org/pages/bishop-nicholas-loses-his-cool/
"homoousios | Definition, History, & Importance". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 2021-09-04. https://www.britannica.com/topic/homoousios
"What is the meaning of homoousious?". GotQuestions.org. Retrieved 2021-09-04. https://www.gotquestions.org/homoousious.html
Carroll, A. History of Christendom, Volume II. p. 12.
Carroll, A. History of Christendom, Volume II. p. 12.
Philostorgius, in Photius, Epitome of the Ecclesiastical History of Philostorgius, book 4, chapter 10.
Socrates of Constantinople, Church History, book 2, chapter 37.
Philostorgius, in Photius, Epitome of the Ecclesiastical History of Philostorgius, book 4, chapter 10.
Socrates of Constantinople, Church History, book 2, chapter 37.
Socrates of Constantinople, Church History, book 2, chapter 40.
Socrates of Constantinople, Church History, book 2, chapter 40.
Philostorgius, in Photius, Epitome of the Ecclesiastical History of Philostorgius, book 4, chapter 11.
Philostorgius, in Photius, Epitome of the Ecclesiastical History of Philostorgius, book 4, chapter 12 and book 5, chapter 1.
Socrates of Constantinople, Church History, book 2, chapter 41.
Philostorgius, in Photius, Epitome of the Ecclesiastical History of Philostorgius, book 4, chapter 12 and book 5, chapter 1.
Socrates of Constantinople, Church History, book 2, chapter 41.
Philostorgius, in Photius, Epitome of the Ecclesiastical History of Philostorgius, book 4, chapter 12 and book 5, chapter 1.
Socrates of Constantinople, Church History, book 2, chapter 41.
Philostorgius, in Photius, Epitome of the Ecclesiastical History of Philostorgius, book 5, chapter 1.
Socrates of Constantinople, Church History, book 2, chapter 42.
Philostorgius, in Photius, Epitome of the Ecclesiastical History of Philostorgius, book 5, chapter 1.
Philostorgius, in Photius, Epitome of the Ecclesiastical History of Philostorgius, book 5, chapter 1.
Henry Chadwick, History of the Early Church, chapter 9
Philostorgius, in Photius, Epitome of the Ecclesiastical History of Philostorgius, book 7, chapter 2.
"Sabellianism | Christianity". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 2020-03-03. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Sabellianism
Bernhard Lohse, A Short History of Christian Doctrine, pp. 56-59 & 63.Peter Heather & John Matthews, Goths in the Fourth Century, pp. 127-128. This mainly discusses the later controversy and only mentions Athanasius' form.
Socrates of Constantinople, Church History, book 1, chapters 5 & 6.
Socrates of Constantintinople, Church History, book 1, chapter 7 and book 2, chapter 31.
Socrates of Constantinople, Church History, book 2, chapter 21.
Socrates of Constantinople, Church History, book 1, chapter 25.
Socrates of Constantinople, Church History, book 1, chapter 25.
Socrates of Constantinople, Church History, book 1, chapters 23, 27-32 & 34-35.
Socrates of Constantinople, Church History, book 2, chapters 6-7, 12 & 16.
Socrates of Constantinople, Church History, book 2, chapter 15.
Socrates of Constantinople, Church History, book 2, chapter 23.
Socrates of Constantinople, Church History, book 2, chapters 23 & 26.
Socrates of Constantinople, Church History, book 2, chapters 24 & 38.
Socrates of Constantinople, Church History, book 2, chapter 36.
Socrates of Constantinople, Church History, book 2, chapter 36.
Socrates of Constantinople, Church History, book 2, chapter 36.
Socrates of Constantinople, Church History, book 2, chapter 38.
Socrates of Constantinople, Church History, book 1, chapter 36 and book 2, chapter 20Socrates, book 1, chapter 36, states that Marcellus "dared to say, as the Samosatene had done, that Christ was a mere man" and book 2, chapter 18, states that Photinus "asserted that the Son of God was a mere man."
Socrates of Constantinople, Church History, book 1, chapter 36 and book 2, chapter 29.Sozomen, Church History, book 4, chapter 6.Besides these histories, Eunomius' First Apology associates Marcellus' and Photinus' doctrines with Sabellius, and condemns these doctrines.'
Socrates of Constantinople, Church History, book 1, chapter 36 and book 2, chapter 20.
Socrates of Constantinople, Church History, book 2, chapters 18 & 29.Sozomen, Church History, book 4, chapter 6.
Socrates of Constantinople, Church History, book 1, chapter 36.Sozomen, Church History, book 2, chapter 33.
Socrates of Constantinople, Church History, book 2, chapter 15.
Socrates of Constantinople, Church History, book 2, chapter 20.Sozomen, Church History, book 3, chapters 11-12.
Socrates of Constantinople, Church History, book 2, chapters 23 & 26.Sozomen, Church History, book 4, chapter 2.
Socrates of Constantinople, Church History, book 2, chapters 29-30.Sozomen, Church History, book 4, chapter 6.
Socrates of Constantinople, Church History, book 2, chapter 19.
Philostorgius, in Photius, Epitome of the Ecclesiastical History of Philostorgius, book 4, chapter 9.
Peter Heather & John Matthews, Goths in the Fourth Century, p. 128. This mainly discusses the later controversy.
Philostorgius, in Photius, Epitome of the Ecclesiastical History of Philostorgius, book 8, chapter 17.
Socrates of Constantinople, Church History, book 1, chapter 36 & book 2, chapter 42.
Philostorgius, in Photius, Epitome of the Ecclesiastical History of Philostorgius, book 4, chapter 9 & book 8, chapter 17.
Socrates if Constantinople, Church History, book 2, chapters 16, 27, 38 & 42.
Philostorgius, in Photius, Epitome of the Ecclesiastical History of Philostorgius, book 8, chapter 17.
Socrates of Constantinople, Church History, book 1, chapters 24 & 40.
Philostorgius, in Photius, Epitome of the Ecclesiastical History of Philostorgius, book 4, chapters 4 & 12.
Socrates of Constantinople, Church History, book 2, chapters 19, 37 & 40.
Socrates of Constantinople, Church History, book 2, chapter 19.
Socrates of Constantinople, Church History, book 2, chapter 19.
Socrates of Constantinople, Church History, book 2, chapter 30.
Socrates of Constantinople, Church History, book 2, chapters 38 & 42.
Socrates of Constantinople, Church History, book 2, chapters 38 & 45.
Philostorgius, in Photius, Epitome of the Ecclesiastical History of Philostorgius, book 8, chapter 17.
Socrates of Constantinople, Church History, book 2, chapters 38, 42 & 45.
Socrates of Constantinople, Church History, book 2, chapters 39, 40, 42 & 45.
Socrates of Constantinople, Church History, book 2, chapter 42.
Socrates of Constantinople, Church History, book 2, chapter 42.
Socrates of Constantinople, Church History, book 2, chapter 42.
Philostorgius, in Photius, Epitome of the Ecclesiastical History of Philostorgius, book 8, chapter 17.
Socrates of Connstantinople, Church History, book 2, chapter 45.
Philostorgius, in Photius, Epitome of the Ecclesiastical History of Philostorgius, book 4, chapter 11.
Socrates of Constantinople, Church History, book 1, chapter 8 and book 2, chapter 15.
Peter Heather & John Matthews, Goths in the Fourth Century, p. 128. This mainly discusses the later controversy.
Philostorgius, in Photius, Epitome of the Ecclesiastical History of Philostorgius, book 4, chapter 3 for Hosius and chapter 8 for Aëtius.
Socrates of Constantinople, Church History, book 1, chapter 27 and book 2, chapters 12 & 37.
Socrates of Constantinople, Church History, book 1, chapter 27 and book 2, chapters 12 & 37.
Socrates of Constantinople, Church History, book 2, chapter 37.
Socrates of Constantinople, Church History, book 2, chapter 37.
Philostorgius, in Photius, Epitome of the Ecclesiastical History of Philostorgius, book 9, chapter 19.
Socrates of Constantinople, Church History, book 2, chapter 37.
Socrates of Constantinople, Church History, book 2, chapter 37.
Socrates of Constantinople, Church History, book 2, chapters 4, 39 & 40.
Philostorgius, in Photius, Epitome of the Ecclesiastical History of Philostorgius, book 3, chapter 5, book 4, chapter 12 and book 6, chapter 5 refer to "different substance," book 4, chapter 12 refers to "dissimilarity of substance," and book 4, chapters 4 & 12 and book 5, chapter 1 refer to "unlike in substance" or "unlikeness in substance."
Peter Heather & John Matthews, Goths in the Fourth Century, pp. 127-128. This mainly discusses the later controversy and only mentions Anomoeanism, without using the term Heteroousian.
Socrates of Constantinople, Church History, book 1, chapters 5-6.
Philostorgius, in Photius, Epitome of the Ecclesiastical History of Philostorgius, book 3, chapter 5 and book 8, chapter 2.
Philostorgius, in Photius, Epitome of the Ecclesiastical History of Philostorgius, book 7, chapter 6.
Socrates of Constantinople, Church History, book 2, chapter 35.
Socrates of Constantinople, Church History, book 2, chapter 40.
Philostorgius, in Photius, Epitome of the Ecclesiastical History of Philostorgius, book 8, chapter 2 and book 9, chapter 18.
Socrates of Constantinople, Church History, book 2, chapter 35.
Philostorgius, in Photius, Epitome of the Ecclesiastical History of Philostorgius, book 5, chapter 3 and book 6, chapters 1-3.
Philostorgius, in Photius, Epitome of the Ecclesiastical History of Philostorgius, book 8, chapter 2.
Philostorgius, in Photius, Epitome of the Ecclesiastical History of Philostorgius, book 8, chapter 2.
Philostorgius, in Photius, Epitome of the Ecclesiastical History of Philostorgius, book 8, chapter 2.
Philostorgius, in Photius, Epitome of the Ecclesiastical History of Philostorgius, book 8, chapter 2.
Philostorgius, in Photius, Epitome of the Ecclesiastical History of Philostorgius, book 8, chapter 2.
Philostorgius, in Photius, Epitome of the Ecclesiastical History of Philostorgius, book 8, chapter 2.
Philostorgius, in Photius, Epitome of the Ecclesiastical History of Philostorgius, book 8, chapter 2.
Philostorgius, in Photius, Epitome of the Ecclesiastical History of Philostorgius, book 8, chapter 2.
Socrates of Constantinople, Church History, book 1, chapter 8.
Philostorgius, in Photius, Epitome of the Ecclesiastical History of Philostorgius, book 1, chapter 9.
Condemned by Alexander of Alexandria, see Socrates, Church History, book 1, chapter 6. /wiki/Pope_Alexander_I_of_Alexandria
Socrates of Constantinople, Church History, book 1, chapter 8.
Philostorgius, in Photius, Epitome of the Ecclesiastical History of Philostorgius, book 1, chapter 9.
Condemned by Alexander of Alexandria, see Socrates, Church History, book 1, chapter 6. /wiki/Pope_Alexander_I_of_Alexandria
Philostorgius, in Photius, Epitome of the Ecclesiastical History of Philostorgius, book 1, chapter 9.
Socrates of Constantinople, Church History, book 1, chapters 6, 8 & 14, and book 2, chapter 7.
Philostorgius, in Photius, Epitome of the Ecclesiastical History of Philostorgius, book 1, chapter 9.
Socrates of Constantinople, Church History, book 1, chapters 6, 8 & 14.
Socrates of Constantinople, Church History, book 1, chapter 8.
Philostorgius, in Photius, Epitome of the Ecclesiastical History of Philostorgius, book 1, chapter 9 and book 4, chapter 12.
Socrates of Constantinople, Church History, book 2, chapter 9.
Socrates of Constantinople, Church History, book 2, chapters 10-11.
Socrates of Constantinople, Church History, book 2, chapter 26.
Socrates of Constantinople, Church History, book 2, chapter 26.
Philostorgius, in Photius, Epitome of the Ecclesiastical History of Philostorgius, book 3, chapter 17.
Socrates of Constantinople, Church History, book 2, chapters 26 & 35.
Socrates of Constantinople, Church History, book 2, chapter 38.
Socrates of Constantinople, Church History, book 1, chapter 36.
Philostorgius, in Photius, Epitome of the Ecclesiastical History of Philostorgius, book 4, chapter 4.
Philostorgius, in Photius, Epitome of the Ecclesiastical History of Philostorgius, book 3, chapter 15.
Socrates of Constantinople, Church History, book 2, chapter 41.
Philostorgius, in Photius, Epitome of the Ecclesiastical History of Philostorgius, book 2, chapter 5.
Heather and Matthews, Goths in the Fourth Century, pp. 135-136.
Heather and Matthews, Goths in the Fourth Century, pp. 135-136.
Heather and Matthews, Goths in the Fourth Century, pp. 135-136.
Condemned by Alexander of Alexandria, see Socrates, Church History, book 1, chapter 6. /wiki/Pope_Alexander_I_of_Alexandria
Philostorgius, in Photius, Epitome of the Ecclesiastical History of Philostorgius, book 5, chapter 5, book 8, chapter 2 and book 9, chapter 4.
Philostorgius, in Photius, Epitome of the Ecclesiastical History of Philostorgius, book 8, chapter 17 and book 9, chapter 14.
Socrates of Constantinople, Church History, book 2, chapter 12.
Socrates of Constantinople, Church History, book 2, chapters 39 & 40.
Philostorgius, in Photius, Epitome of the Ecclesiastical History of Philostorgius, book 5, chapter 1.
Philostorgius, in Photius, Epitome of the Ecclesiastical History of Philostorgius, book 5, chapter 1.
Philostorgius, in Photius, Epitome of the Ecclesiastical History of Philostorgius, book 5, chapter 1.
Socrates of Constantinople, Church History, book 2, chapter 39.
Philostorgius, in Photius, Epitome of the Ecclesiastical History of Philostorgius, book 9, chapter 19.
Socrates of Constantinople, Church History, book 2, chapter 40.
Philostorgius, in Photius, Epitome of the Ecclesiastical History of Philostorgius, book 7, chapter 6.
Socrates of Constantinople, Church History, book 2, chapter 40.
Philostorgius, in Photius, Epitome of the Ecclesiastical History of Philostorgius, book 8, chapter 3.
Philostorgius, in Photius, Epitome of the Ecclesiastical History of Philostorgius, book 9, chapter 18.
Socrates of Constantinople, Church History, book 2, chapter 40.
Socrates of Constantinople, Church History, book 2, chapter 40.
Philostorgius, in Photius, Epitome of the Ecclesiastical History of Philostorgius, book 10, chapter 1.