Vladimir Latinovic: Arius Conservativus? The Question of Positioning of Arius Theology

In this short communication I would like to present a chapter from my recently defended dissertation “Christology And Communion: Emergence of homoousian Christology and its Repercussions for the Reception of Eucharist” (University of Tübingen 2014). My intention is to give a brief overview of scholarship on the question of whether Arius belonged to the so called Alexandrian or Antiochian “school” (I am aware their existence is disputed) as well as briefly discuss other philosophical and religious influences on his theology. The question of positioning Arius’ theology within a broader context is very important because we are able to partially compensate for the lack of Arius’ original writings by answering it. As can be deduced from the title, which is an allusion to the studies conducted by Bruns (Arius hellenizans) and Lorenz (Arius judaizans), my intention is to postulate that Arius himself was rather a conservative theologian (traditionalist) and that as such he belonged to the older Alexandrian theological tradition, which would explain why he had a dispute with Alexander and Athanasius, who are seen as representatives of the modern (progressive) Alexandrian school of thought (party). This view provides the solution for many questions regarding the so called “Arianism”, such as the rapid spread of the movement throughout the entire known world in less than a few decades as well as the refusal of a majority of those labeled “Arian” to accept this label both for their person and their theology.