Name of Faculty Sponsor
Clint Johnson
Faculty Sponsor Email
djohn151@kennesaw.edu
Publication Date
2024
Abstract
Arian heresy, a Trinitarian heresy that suggests the members of the Trinity differ in essence, function, and rank, has existed in Christianity for centuries but hasn't often recaptured the mainstream discussion of orthodoxy. That is, until the 1970s. Since then, the available literature surrounding the subjects of complementarianism, eternal subordination, the Holy Trinity, and Arian philosophy has grown, and the overlap between these factors cumulated into what was arguably one of the most divisive theological debates within modern Evangelicalism. What factors contributed to the reemergence of this centuries-long debate in modern times? The overarching goal of this work is to investigate Arianism’s origins, outline the crucial events that contributed to this religious shift, and propose possible theories for why this shift happened when it did. When the latter objectives are accomplished, readers can perceive the Arian reemergence not as a blip in religious history, but instead, a methodical chain of events that reveals certain instabilities within Evangelical Christianity. The re-emergence of Arian heresy can be largely attributed to the lax doctrinal structure of American Evangelicalism since its origins in the late nineteenth century, which cumulated in the reconsideration of Arian ideas as theologians scrambled to find adequate theological backing for women’s subordination in the face of the Women’s Movement.
