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Revision as of 08:53, 26 July 2005
The Council of Sirmium is the name primarily given to the third Council of Sirmium which marked a temporary compromise between Arianism and the Western bishops of the Christian church. In all, there were four councils held at Sirmium (now Sremska Mitrovica in the Vojvodina province of Serbia and Montenegro) between 347 AD and 359 AD of which at least three dealt primarily with the Arian issue. All of these councils were held under the rule of Constantius II who was sympathetic to the Arians.
Background
Arianism was first put forward early in the fourth century by the Alexandrian presbyter Arius. It held that God was uniquely self-existent and immutable: consequently, Christ could not be God. The opponents of Arianism led by Athanasius of Alexandria claimed that the doctrine reduced Jesus to a demigod thus restoring polytheism as Jesus would still be worshipped. Further, it appeared to undermine the concept of redemption as only one who was truly God could reconcile man and God.
The First Council of Nicaea in 325 appeared to have settled the issue with Arius and his theology condemned and the Nicene Creed issued stating the Son was "of one substance with the father" (homoousion to Patri). However, Arians made a sustained effort to return to the church and to restore thir beliefs after 325 with a prolonged theological dispute ensuing.
The First and Second Councils of Sirmium
Constantine the Great died in 337 leaving Constantius II as Emperor in the East and Constans, a supporter of Christianity in the West. A church council held at Antioch in 341 issued an affirmation of faith that excluded the homoousion clause followed by another council held at 342 at Sardica (now Sofia) which achieved little.
The first Council of Sirmium was convened in 347 against Photinus who was the bishop of Sirmium and was an outspoken advocate of Arianism. He claimed that Christ was merely a man rather than the Son of God The council or synod was convened by Constantius who had a residence in Sirmium.
The second Council of Sirmium was convened in 351, Basil, the Bishop of Ancyra (now Ankara) the leader of the semi-Arians succeeded in having Photinos deposed from his Bishopric. It also drafted the sixth Arian Confession, which was an expanded version of the Fourth Arian Confession and was consistent with the strength of the Semi-Arians. The Semi-Arians held that the Son was "of similar substance" (homoiousios) to the Father.
Third and Fourth Councils
In 350, Constantius became the sole Emperor of both East and West leading to a temporary strengthening of Arianism. Councils were held in Arles in 353 and Milan in 355 with Athanasius being condemned at both. In 356, Athanasias began his third exile with George being appointed as Bishop of Alexandria.
The Third Council was convened at Sirmium in the summer of 357. This resulted in a temporary triumph for Arianism. The Seventh Arian Confession (Second Sirmium Confession) held that both homoousios (of one substance) and homoiousious and similar substance were unbiblical and that the Father was greater than the Son. This Confession has also been dubbed as the blasphemy.
The Third Council marked the high point of Arianism. A council chaired by Basil at Ancyra in 358 releases a statement using the term homoousios. The Fourth Council of Sirmium proposes a compromise solution which tried to please everyone and ended up pleasing nobody.
Triumph of the Nicene Creed
Constantinus eventually became influenced by Acacius and the homoeans who held that the son was "like" the father. This doctrine found approval in Constantinople in a council held in 361 which rejected the previous positions and the term ousia (meaning substance or stuff) repudiated with a statement being issued that the Son was "like the Father who begot him".
The death of Constantinus led to the orthodox position in the West consolidating its position and the Semi-Arians of the East led by Basil of Caesarea, Gregory of Nyssa and Gregory Nazianzus reaslised that they fundamentally agreed with the Nicene Party in the west. This culminated in the First Council of Constantinople which upheld the Nicene Creed.