In 4th-century Christianity, the Anomoeans[also spelled " Anomeans"] , also known as Heterousians , Aetians , or Eunomians , were a sect that held to a form of Arianism: that Jesus was neither of the same nature (homoousian) as God the Father nor a similar nature to God the Father (homoiousian)—the latter being maintained by the Semi-Arianism.[ Encyclopædia Britannica: "Anomoean"]
Overview
The word
anomoean comes from
Greek language ἀ(ν)- (
an-) 'not' and ὅμοιος (
homoios) 'similar', thus 'different; dissimilar'. In the 4th century, during the reign of
Constantius II, this was the name by which the followers of Aëtius and
Eunomius were described. The term
heterousian derives from
Greek language ἑτεροούσιος,
heterooúsios 'differing in substance' from ἕτερος,
héteros 'another' and οὐσία,
ousía 'substance, being'.
The semi-Arians condemned the Anomoeans in the Council of Seleucia, and the Anomoeans condemned the semi-Arians in their turn in the Councils of Constantinople and Antioch; erasing the word ὅμοιος ( homoios) from the formula of Rimini and that of Constantinople and protesting that the Word had not only a different substance but also a will different from that of the Father. From that, they were to be called ἀνόμοιοι ( anomoioi).
In the 5th century, the Anomoean presbyter Philostorgius wrote an Anomoean church history.[Philostorgius, Church History.]
Notable Anomoeans
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Aëtius, who founded the Anomoean tradition, later bishop (361–?).
[Philostorgius, in Photius, Epitome of the Ecclesiastical History of Philostorgius, book 7, chapter 6.][Socrates Scholasticus, Church History, book 2, chapter 35.]
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Theodulus, bishop of Chaeretapa (?–c. 363) and Palestine (c. 363–c. 379).
[Philostorgius, in Photius, Epitome of the Ecclesiastical History of Philostorgius, book 8, chapter 2 and book 9, chapter 18.][Socrates Scholasticus, Church History, book 2, chapter 40.]
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Eunomius, bishop of Cyzicus (360–361) and exiled bishop (361–c. 393).
[Philostorgius, in Photius, Epitome of the Ecclesiastical History of Philostorgius, book 5, chapter 3 and book 6, chapters 1–3.]
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Paemenius, bishop of Constantinople, (c. 363, at the same time as Eudoxius of Antioch).
[Philostorgius, in Photius, Epitome of the Ecclesiastical History of Philostorgius, book 8, chapter 2.]
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Candidus (Bishop of Lydia), (c. 363–?).
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Arrianus, bishop of Ionia, (c. 363–?).
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Florentius, bishop of Constantinople, (c. 363–?, at the same time as Eudoxius of Antioch).
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Thallus, bishop of Lesbos, (c. 363–?, at the same time as Eudoxius of Antioch).
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Euphronius, bishop of Galatia, the Black Sea and Cappadocia, (c. 363–?).
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Julian, bishop of Cilicia, (c. 363–?).
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Serras, Stephen, and Heliodorus, bishops of Egypt, (c. 363–?).
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Philostorgius, historian.
Notable opponents of Anomoeanism
See also
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Archbishop Nectarius of Constantinople
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, in contrast to the Anomoeans
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Arianism
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Arian controversy
Notes
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First edition Encyclopædia Britannica issued
