Arius, << AIR ee uhs or uh RY uhs >> (A.D. 256?-336), was a priest of Alexandria, Egypt, who gave his name to a movement that challenged the Christian doctrine of the Holy Trinity. The movement became known as Arianism. Orthodox Christianity believed that the three Persons of the Holy Trinity—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit—are all equal and eternal. Arius argued that the Father is a being superior to the Son (Jesus Christ), and that both the Father and the Son are superior to the Holy Spirit. Arius’s doctrine rejected the divinity of Jesus.
About A.D. 318, Alexander, bishop of Alexandria, condemned the teachings of Arius as heresy and excommunicated him. Arius continued to promote his views and gathered many followers. Constantine the Great, the first Christian emperor, sought to settle the dispute. In A.D. 325, he convened a general church council in Nicaea in present-day Turkey. The council condemned the teachings of Arius and issued a statement of orthodox belief now known as the Nicene Creed.
See also Arianism ; Nicene Councils ; Trinity .
