NationStates Jolt Archive


Ask an Arian Christian

Jever Pilsener
03-10-2004, 19:23
Ok. So, I'm not an Arian Christian. I was just wondering if there are any left out there. So, anyone?
CSW
03-10-2004, 19:25
Those ones that the Germans were way back in the good ol' days of the 800's?
Jever Pilsener
03-10-2004, 19:27
Those ones that the Germans were way back in the good ol' days of the 800's?
Yep. Although it was before the 800's. And since old religions seem to make a comeback these days, I was wondering if it's the same with this branch of Christianity.
Von Witzleben
03-10-2004, 20:36
You might want to spell Aryan like this...Aryan
No he doesn't.
Devout Catholics
03-10-2004, 20:39
I'm a dork...

www.xmission.com/~bob/lote13/Nations/ArianChurch.html
Von Witzleben
03-10-2004, 20:46
"Arianism" has been commonly applied since, to several modern nontrinitarian groups. Despite the frequency with which this name is used, groups so labelled typically do not follow Arian beliefs, and reject the name for their self-description, although they all deny the trinitarian formulations.

For example, the modern Jehovah's Witnesses have similar beliefs. However, Jehovah's Witnesses, unlike Arians, deny belief in a disembodied soul after death, eternal punishment of the unrepentantly wicked, and episcopacy: doctrines to which the Arians did not obviously object. In some respects, there is a closer analogy to Socinianism, than to Arianism, in Jehovah's Witness theology (Socinians similarly were called "Arians" by their detractors See also: Unitarianism). Jehovah's Witnesses, unlike Arians, do not direct prayers to Jesus.

The doctrine of the Godhead, according to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is similar to Arianism. The LDS doctrine of the unity of the Godhead is reminiscent of the Arian explanation of the unity of the Son with the Father: Jesus is seen as subordinate to God the Father, in that Jesus acts only according to his Father's will. They are "one" in the sense that there is no possibility of a disagreement between them, and they are both perfected and sinless. The LDS also believe, similar to the Arians, that the Christ is a separate being, but "co-eternal" with God the Father, and yet that there is only one (capital "G") God. However, the LDS is unique in believing that there are many exalted beings, or gods; and in their belief that three distinct beings comprise the Godhead. This agreement and close intimacy of three distinct beings according to LDS doctrine, is properly labelled tritheism compared to Trinitarian definitions of monotheism, which the LDS disputes. LDS themselves do not object to their Godhead being referred to as a kind of Trinity, but assert that it's merely a very different idea of the Trinity as compared to most of the rest of the Christian world.

Archbishop Dmitri of the Orthodox Church in America has identified Islam as the largest descendant of Arianism today. There is some superficial similarity in Islam's teaching that Jesus was a great prophet, but very distinct from God, although Islam sees Jesus as a human messenger of God without the divine properties that Arianism attributes to the Christ. There is also a plausible historical connection given Arianism's persistent survival up to the time of Mohammad and beyond.
These are modern day parallels to Arianism according to this site:
http://www.wordiq.com/definition/Arianism
I wonder if there any true Arian X-tians today.