Are you an Arian?

 

Thoughts for 'In our Time', with Melvin Bragg.

Theodoric , aged 7 or 8, was was taken to Constantinople as collateral.  His father was a vassal Ostrogoth ruler in Austria. (I read that the only link here is that Austria comes from the word 'Eastern', as does Ostro-.  The Ostrogoth's had moved on before the state of Österreich was created.  Interestingly I also read that the Arabic for Austria is an-Namsā, which comes from the Slavic word for 'Germanic', picked up during the time of the crusades.    

Theodoric was able to mix freely in the court of Constantine, and with the Visigoths of the city.  The Visigoths were Arian, and because of this, were forced to build their churches beyond the city walls.  Later, with the emperor's blessing, Theodoric invaded Ravenna, and became it's vassal ruler.  He introduced Arianism to the city.  

The so called Arian Baptistery in Ravenna

At Christmas time we celebrate the meek vulnerability of the baby Jesus;  Jesus the 'son' of God.  Most Christians acknowledge that Jesus is the Son of God.

Arias said the order goes God>Jesus>Holy Spirit.  Nicaea says God=Jesus=Holy Spirit=God (etc).

 What was Arias' point?  He was trying the square the circle. Surrounded by monotheistic Judaism, and polytheistic pagan greco-roman religion, Arias was emphasising a Unitarian religion, in sync with its Jewish neighbours.  Arias appreciated the clarity offered by the family hierarchy.      

And today, you wouldn't want to make it up.  The Christian story presents a paradox that has been challenged by so many as ridiculous.  An all powerful creator comes as a human baby through a chosen female virgin. Jesus is recorded in the gospels as being the servant of God.  If you read Jesus, you could be excused for thinking that he was an Arian.  I understand Arias.  Jehovah's witnesses are Arians.   

The Roman Arian sympathisers saw the advantage of having an Emperor God, who send his top general out into the wild territories.  A great general sure, but still beholden to the all powerful Emperor.  

I thought of a similar analogy but from the modern age.  What about NASA sending out an astronaut to meet with a strange race on a distant planet?  The astronaut and NASA are one- co-dependent.  Neither is greater than the other.  The astronaut came from NASA, and returns to NASA.  NASA and the astronaut are one.

I also learned along the way:-

Orfilas (or Wulfila)  decided not to translate the two books of Kings into Gothic because they were so violent and apparently supportive of violence.  Orfilas felt that his people were too aggressive and warlike and some books were not helpful.

The Nestorians who fought with Ghegis Khan were Arian, and helmets with crosses can be found in Japanese museums.

The Yuan Stone from the Nestorian Monastery-
Approx 1300 AD, Beijing.