When Jesus Became God: The Epic Fight over Christ’s Divinity in the Last Days of Rome (review)

Abstract

When Jesus Became God: The Epic Fight over Christ's Divinity in Last Days of Rome. By Richard E. Rubenstein. (New York: Harcourt Brace & Company 1999. Pp. xix, 267. $26.00.) The theological debates and political maneuvering that took place in fourth century concerning development of Christian doctrine of Trinity are related in dramatic, provocative, and eminently readable fashion by Richard Rubenstein. Although Rubenstein himself is neither theologian nor an historian, he is generally well read in pertinent recent literature in English. A professor of conflict resolution and public affairs at George Mason University, Rubenstein applies his skills at analyzing social and religious conflict to produce vivid and engaging account of dispute between priest Arius and his bishop Alexander which quickly spread beyond Alexandria in Egypt to embroil Mediterranean world from east to west in this controversy. Commendable in this book are: vivid portrayals of major personalities involved, imperial and ecclesiastical, interactions described between and among them, presentation of soteriological beliefs of both Arians and Nicenes that made each side so passionate in defending own views and in vigorously rejecting views of adversary, generally successful attempt at making very technical theological terms in this debate accessible for nonspecialists, and theological conclusion that what Cappadocian Fathers contributed and Creed of Constantinople enshrined in 381 was that Christian doctrine of God as Trinity was radically distinctive when compared with Greco-Roman Neoplatonism and Judaism. At least three general themes are apparent in Rubenstein's work. First, Council of Nicaea in 325 marked the last point at which Christians with strongly opposed theological views acted civilly toward each (p. 87). Craving to acrimony of Arian controversy in next fifty-six years and imperial coercion throughout, but especially by Theodosius in demanding conformity with Constantinopolitan formulation of 381 > in end adversaries were vilified as unrepentent sinners: corrupt, malicious, even satanic individuals (p. 88). A major reason for Nicene Christianity's victory was support of powerful Emperor Theodosius in enforcing Trinitarian doctrine in Roman world. This, in turn, says Rubenstein, led to other forms of repression against non-Christians, namely pagans and Jews. While there are elements of truth in these claims, period before Nicaea was not as pacific among Christians as Rubenstein implies: fierce and ad hominem disputes between Christians such as Irenaeus and Terullian, on one side, and Gnostics, on other, are but one example. Also, what Rubenstein downplays in acceptance of Trinitarian doctrine of Constantinople in 381 is role of people's liturgical and devotional life in affirming equality of divinity of Son and Holy Spirit with Father, as exemplified in Basil of Caesarea's work On Holy Spirit. Second, Rubenstein interprets split between Nicene and Arian Christians as reflecting a rough division between those more in need of powerful, just ruler [Nicenes] and those more in need of loving advocate and friend [Arians] (p. 146). Certainly, in general at onset of controversy, as Gregg and Groh's work Early Arianism indicates, such an assertion is accurate. But Rubenstein goes on to say that Nicene Christianity's faith in majestic Christ incorporated into Godhead as articulated in Council of Constantinople, was grounded at least in part in its pessimistic view of human nature (p. …