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When Jesus Became God: The Epic Fight over Christ's Divinity in the Last Days of Rome - Richard E. Rubenstein
When Jesus Became God: The Epic Fight over Christ's Divinity in the Last Days of Rome
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We all know the story of Jesus' life, his death, his resurrection, and the persecution of his early followers. Less well known is the struggle the early Christians had in deciding whether Jesus was God Himself or the holiest of men, adopted by God and raised to divine rank. This controversy was... show more
We all know the story of Jesus' life, his death, his resurrection, and the persecution of his early followers. Less well known is the struggle the early Christians had in deciding whether Jesus was God Himself or the holiest of men, adopted by God and raised to divine rank. This controversy was at the heart of the most fateful conflict in Christendom until the Reformation. It was characterized by fervent debate, riots, a series of ecumenical councils, and civil strife. The key players were two priests, Arius and Athanasius, brothers in Christ, ideological opponents, and mortal enemies. Arius, a firebrand bishop, intelligent and eloquent, preached that Jesus was less than God. Athanasius, a brilliant and violent deacon, ardently opposed Arius's subversive preaching. Between them stood Alexander, the powerful bishop of Alexandria, the man on whose shoulders lay the need for a speedy resolution, which was essential both to keeping the empire united and to the continuation of the Church. Richard Rubenstein presents a vibrant portrait of the thriving Roman Empire in the centuries after the birth of Jesus Christ, as he brings to life the ideas of the most influential leaders and shows us a major religion at the crossroads of its faith.
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Format: hardcover
ISBN: 9780151003686 (0151003688)
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Pages no: 368
Edition language: English
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Community Reviews
Tower of Iron Will
Tower of Iron Will rated it
5.0
One of the fundamental Christological questions is whether Jesus is entirely God and equal to the Father or as the Son of God is a lesser being than God. The third century theologian Arius came out on the loosing side of that debate at the Council of Nicaea. Rubenstein provides an excellent histor...
EricCWelch
EricCWelch rated it
Read this with The Subversion of Christianity by Jacques Ellul. Rubenstein describes the battle between the Arians and the Athanasians, a dispute finally resolved by Constantine in the 4th century. The alliance with Constantine's political force then made orthodoxy and heresy possible. Levy's book...
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