Page "Arianism" Paragraph 36

The term “ Arian ” bestowed by Athanasius upon his opponents in the Christological debate was polemical.

Even in Athanasius ’ Orations against the Arians, Arius hardly emerges consistently as the creative individual originator of the heresy that bears his name, even though it would have greatly strengthened Athanasius ’ case to present him in that light.

Arius was not really very important to general Arianism after his exile at Nicaea.

The efforts to get Arius brought out of exile on the parts of Eusebius of Nicomedia were chiefly political concerns and there is little evidence that any of Arius ’ writings were used as doctrinal norms even in the East.

Labels such as ‘ semi-Arian ’ or ‘ neo-Arian ’ are misleading, for those labelled so would have disavowed the importance of their relation to Arius.