When Jesus Became God

The Epic Fight over Christ's Divinity in the Last Days of Rome

Richard E. Rubenstein

• Publisher: Mariner Books
• Year: 2013
• ISBN:
  9780547350967
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Systematic Theology & Ethics

"[A] panoramic view of early Christianity as it developed against the backdrop of the Roman Empire of the fourth century" ( Publishers Weekly ). The story of Jesus is well known, as is the story of Christian persecutions during the Roman Empire. The history of fervent debate, civil strife, and bloody riots within the Christian community as it was coming into being, however, is a side of ancient history rarely described. Richard E. Rubenstein takes the reader to the streets of the Roman Empire during the fourth century, when a fateful debate over the divinity of Jesus Christ is being fought. Ruled by a Christian emperor, followers of Jesus no longer fear for the survival of their monotheistic faith. But soon, they break into two camps regarding the direction of their worship: Is Jesus the son of God and therefore not the same as God? Or is Jesus precisely God on earth and therefore equal to Him? The vicious debate is led by two charismatic priests. Arius, an Alexandrian priest and poet, preaches that Jesus, though holy, is less than God. Athanasius, a brilliant and violent bishop, sees any diminution of Jesus's godhead as the work of the devil. Between them stands Alexander, the powerful Bishop of Alexandria, who must find a resolution that will keep the empire united and the Christian faith alive. With thorough historical, religious, and social research, Rubenstein vividly recreates one of the most critical moments in the history of religion. "A splendidly dramatic story... Rubenstein has turned one of the great fights of history into an engrossing story." —Jack Miles, The Boston Globe; author of God: A Biography

Index

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z

A

Achillas, Bishop, 52

adultery, 90–91, 93

Aetius, 188, 196, 199

Against the Christians (Porphyry), 32

Alavivus, King, 214–15

Albinus, Ceionius Rufius, 91

Alexander of Alexandria, Bishop, 46, 66

authority of, 50–51, 62

Constantine’s first letter to, 49–50

death of, 104

demonizing of Arians, 88

doctrinal split with Arius, 56–57, 60–61

Great Council and, 78, 80–81

reinstatement of Arians and, 103, 104

Alexander of Constantinople, Bishop, 132, 134–35

Alexander of Jerusalem, Bishop, 19

Alexander of Thessalonica, Bishop, 123

Alexander the Great, 4, 194

as model for Julian, 194, 195–96, 201

Alexandria, 4–5, 86

Arius’s defiant return to (in 321 or 322), 60–61

Christian community of, 2–6, 53, 125, 145, 167, 226 fighting and riots among, 1–4, 142–44, 186, 195, 221

Hosius’s mission to settle doctrinal division in, 47–52, 61–64

as hotbed of theological debate, 53

Alexandria, Council of (362), 199

Ambrose of Milan, Bishop, 80, 179, 217, 220, 221, 223, 225

Ammianus, 194

Ancyra, 68, 221

angels, 117, 199

Anthimus of Nicomedia, Bishop, 35

anti-Arians (Nicene Christians):

breaking away from ancient customs and values, 74

Cappadocian doctrine and, 204–10

core beliefs of, 8–9, 58, 66, 164–65

Great Council and (see Great Council)

plots against, 6, 163–64

seriousness of conflict with Arians, 9–10

Theodosius I and, 220–25

See also names of individuals

Antioch, 4, 6, 22–24, 86, 144, 162–64, 221

Persian threat to, 22, 23–24

rioting under Julian, 195

Antioch, Council of (325), 65–67, 76

Antioch, Council of (328), 138

Antioch, Council of (341), 138, 146...

Table of contents

• Title Page
• Contents
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Epigraph
• Map
• Preface
• Acknowledgments
• An Incident in Alexandria
• The Silence of Apollo
• A Quarrel in God’s House
• The Great and Holy Council
• Sins of the Body, Passions of the Mind
• The Broken Chalice
• Death in Constantinople
• East against West
• The Arian Empire
• Old Gods and New
• When Jesus Became God
• Principal Characters
• Selective Bibliography of Works in English
• Notes
• Index
• About the Author
• Connect with HMH