Archetypal Heresy: Arianism through the Centuries

by Maurice Wiles

Arians in the third century AD maintained that Jesus was less divine than God. Regarded as the archetypal Christian heresy, Arianism was condemned in the Nicene Creed and apparently squashed by the early church. Less well known is the fact that fifteen centuries later, Arianism was alive and well, championed by Isaac Newton and other scientists of the eighteenth-century Enlightenment. This book asks how and why Arianism endured.

214 pages, Paperback

First published September 26, 1996

Reviews

[Nikki · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book chronicles the Arian debate throughout the ages--from Arius to Newton and later. I found Wiles' perspective to be very even. He shows that "Arianism" (which contains a spectrum of beliefs) became synonymous with heresy and, thus, has deterred any further discussion on the topic.

This is a very esoteric but informative book for those interested in this topic.