The Search for the Christian Doctrine of God: The Arian Controversy 318-381 AD

Richard Patrick Crosland Hanson, R. P. Hanson

A&C Black, Jan 1, 2005 - Religion - 960 pages

First published in 1988, The Search for the Christian Doctrine of God is still considered by many scholars to be the finest work on the Arian Controversy. Examining scholarly works on the Controversy and many original texts, Professor Hanson, provides a clear understanding of how the traditional and historic doctrine of God as the Holy Trinity reached its most mature and enduring form. The author is not primarily concerned to defend the orthodox position itself, but rather to discover and examine the formation of that orthodoxy. The history of the events - the Councils, the interventions of the Emperor, the rivalries of sees, the behaviour of bishops, the varying fortunes of the different schools of thought and their leaders - is interwoven with the progression of thought and doctrine during the sixty years of the Controversy. Professor Hanson sees the problem of the reconciliation of two concepts which were both part of the very fabric of Christianity - monotheism and the worship of Jesus Christ as divine.

Contents

• What did Arius Teach?: 3
• The Early Sur rters of Arius: 19
• The Antecedents of Arius: 61
• Philosophical Background: 84
• The Rationale of Arianism: 99
• Events Leading to Nicaea: 129
• The Council of Nicaea: 152
• Semantic Confusion: 181
• Eustathius and Marcellus: 208
• The Behaviour of Athanasius: 239
• Attempts at Creedmaking Phase One 341349: 274
• Attempts at Creedmaking Phase Two 350357: 315
• 27: 332
• Attempts at Creedmaking Phase Three 357361: 348
• Eusebius of Emesa and Cyril of Jerusalem: 387
• The Doctrine of Athanasius: 417
• The Western ProNicenes I Hilary of Poitiers: 459
• The Western ProNicenes II: 507
• The Western ProNicenes III Marius Victorinus: 531
• Homoian Arianism: 557
• The NeoArians: 598
• Athanasius and his Heirs: 639
• The Cappadocian Theologians: 676
• The Doctrine of the Spirit: 738
• The Council of Constantinople: 791
• The Development of Doctrine: 824
• Bibliography: 878
• General Index: 901
• Index of Modern Authors: 922

Bibliographic information

• Title: The Search for the Christian Doctrine of God: The Arian Controversy 318-381 AD
• Authors: Richard Patrick Crosland Hanson, R. P. Hanson
• Edition: reprint, revised
• Publisher: A&C Black, 2005
• ISBN: 056703092X, 9780567030924
• Length: 960 pages
• Subjects: Religion / Christian Theology / General; Religion / General