When Jesus became God: religious history and development

Religion

The history of religion is replete with tales of violence and bitter theological dispute. Christianity has been one of the most contentious religions, and was so from the time of its birth and codification. As Richard E. Rubenstein points out in his book When Jesus Became God, the theological debates that characterize Christianity reached an early head during the Roman Empire.

Schisms between the Western and Eastern churches and later, the Reformation posed serious problems for Christian culture and society. Issues such as the triune nature of God and the value of sacraments have confounded theologians and pitted Christian against Christian. However, the Arian crisis may have been fundamental to all the other conflicts that succeeded it.

The Arian crisis is rooted in the metaphysics and theology of Christianity. During the fourth century of the common era, Rome was well on its way towards becoming the Holy Roman Empire. During the transition phase from pagan Rome to monotheistic Christian Rome, Christian priests hotly debated the nature of Christ. Arius of Alexandria called into question the divine nature of Christ. Christ is God's son, and because Jesus was incarnate as a human being, Christ is not equal to God. Athanasius refuted Arius's claim as being heretical if not outright demonic. Jesus is God, according to Athanasius. Jesus is an extension of the Holy Spirit incarnate in the world to save human beings. Alexander the Bishop of Alexandria was called upon to mitigate the crisis and retain Christianity as the unifying faith of the Roman Empire. The Arian crisis begs the question that is at the heart of Christianity: Is Christ human, divine, or both?

Rubenstein's presentation and evaluation of the Arian crisis are remarkably helpful in the study of religion. For one, the book spells out the theological nature of the crisis in clear terms. Without an understanding of the Arian crisis, it is difficult to understand why later theological debates ensued and tore apart people who essentially believe in the same basic religion. Some Christians might take for granted that Christ is divine, whereas others view Jesus more as a human messenger of God. The Romans were debating this very issue several thousand years ago.

Second, the story of Arius and Athanasius shows that Christianity was not founded by Jesus Christ. Christianity was founded by those who came after Jesus. Christianity was also formed over time, and as the result of crises as bloody and violent as the one that Rubenstein describes in When Jesus Became God. Jesus set in motion a chain of events that would lead to the formation of a new religion, even though Jesus himself might only have been trying to reform Judaism. Jesus may have preached of a new faith and covenant with God, but probably did not anticipate or desire the ugly clashes that emerged when followers disagreed about who Jesus was and what he represented for the human race.