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christian-theology-properfeatured in 30 works

Consubstantiality (Homoousios)

One word that anchored the Creed: the Son is of the very same being as the Father

Homoousios affirms that the Son is of the same essence or substance as the Father, fully and equally God. Enshrined in the Nicene Creed and defended by Athanasius, the term was initially controversial because it was not biblical wording, yet it was universally received as orthodox after Nicaea and Constantinople. It safeguards the full divinity of Christ against any teaching that would make the Son a lesser or created being.

How it traveled

  1. John
    Ephesus · 100
    explains
  2. Against Praxeas.
    — · 220
    explains
  3. A Treatise of Novatian Concerning the Trinity.
    Rome · 258
    explains
  4. The First Ecumenical Council: The First Council of Nice
    Nicaea · 325
    explains
  5. The Church History of Eusebius
    Caesarea · 339
    explains
  6. Against the Arians. (Orationes contra Arianos IV.)
    Alexandria · 373
    explains
  7. On the Councils of Ariminum and Seleucia. (De Synodis.)
    Alexandria · 373
    explains
  8. Defence of the Nicene Definition. (De Decretis.)
    Alexandria · 373
    explains
  9. Letters of Athanasius with Two Ancient Chronicles of His Life
    Alexandria · 373
    explains
  10. Defence of Dionysius. (De Sententia Dionysii.)
    Alexandria · 373
    explains
  11. On Luke x. 22. (Illud Omnia, &c.)
    Alexandria · 373
    explains
  12. Letter of Eusebius. (Epistola Eusebii.)
    Alexandria · 373
    explains
  13. Synodal Letter to the Bishops of Africa. (Ad Afros Epistola Synodica.)
    Alexandria · 373
    explains
  14. Synodal Letter to the People of Antioch. (Tomus ad Antiochenos.)
    Alexandria · 373
    explains
  15. The Letters
    Caesarea (Cappadocia) · 379
    explains
  16. De Spiritu Sancto
    Caesarea (Cappadocia) · 379
    explains
  17. The Second Ecumenical Council: The First Council of Constantinople
    Constantinople (Istanbul) · 381
    explains
  18. The Catechetical Lectures of S. Cyril
    Jerusalem · 386
    explains
  19. Select Orations of Saint Gregory Nazianzen
    Nazianzus · 390
    explains
  20. Against Eunomius
    Nyssa · 395
    explains
  21. Answer to Eunomius' Second Book
    Nyssa · 395
    explains
  22. On 'Not Three Gods.'
    Nyssa · 395
    explains
  23. The Great Catechism
    Nyssa · 395
    explains
  24. Exposition of the Christian Faith
    Milan · 397
    explains
  25. On the Holy Spirit
    Milan · 397
    explains
  26. The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on the Gospel of St. John
    Constantinople (Istanbul) · 407
    explains
  27. The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom
    Constantinople (Istanbul) · 407
    explains
  28. The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on Philippians, Colossians, and Thessalonians
    Constantinople (Istanbul) · 407
    explains
  29. The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on the Epistle to the Hebrews
    Constantinople (Istanbul) · 407
    explains
  30. The Commentary and Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on Galatians and Ephesians
    Constantinople (Istanbul) · 407
    explains

Key passages(20)

Defence of the Nicene Definition. (De Decretis.) — De Decretis. (Defence of the Nicene Definition.) — Defence of the Council's Phrases, “from the essence,” And “one in essence.” Objection that the phrases are not scriptural; we ought to look at the sense more than the wording; evasion of the Arians as to the phrase “of God” which is in Scripture; their evasion of all explanations but those which the Council selected, which were intended to negative the Arian formulæ; protest against their conveying any material sense. — part 3↗explains

Defence of the Nicene Definition. (De Decretis.) · Athanasius of Alexandria

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Exposition of the Christian Faith — Book V. — part 2↗explains

Exposition of the Christian Faith · Ambrose of Milan

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On the Councils of Ariminum and Seleucia. (De Synodis.) — On the Councils of Ariminum and Seleucia. (De Synodis.) — On the Symbols 'Of the Essence' And 'Coessential.' — part 8↗explains

On the Councils of Ariminum and Seleucia. (De Synodis.) · Athanasius of Alexandria

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Sermons on Selected Lessons of the New Testament — On the words of the Gospel, John x. 30, ‘I and the Father are one.’↗explains

Sermons on Selected Lessons of the New Testament · Augustine of Hippo

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The Fifth Ecumenical Council. The Second Council of Constantinople — The Capitula of the Council. — part 1↗explains

The Fifth Ecumenical Council. The Second Council of Constantinople · The Ecumenical Councils

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The First Ecumenical Council: The First Council of Nice — The Nicene Creed.↗explains

The First Ecumenical Council: The First Council of Nice · The Ecumenical Councils

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The Ecclesiastical History of Socrates Scholasticus — Book I — Of the Synod which was held at Nicæa in Bithynia, and the Creed there put forth. — part 2↗explains

The Ecclesiastical History of Socrates Scholasticus · Socrates Scholasticus

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The Ecclesiastical History, Dialogues, and Letters of Theodoret — The Ecclesiastical History of Theodoret. — Book IV — part 11↗explains

The Ecclesiastical History, Dialogues, and Letters of Theodoret · Theodoret of Cyrus

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Against the Arians. (Orationes contra Arianos IV.) — Against the Arians. (Orationes contra Arianos IV.) — Discourse III — part 1↗explains

Against the Arians. (Orationes contra Arianos IV.) · Athanasius of Alexandria

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Exposition of the Christian Faith — Book III. — part 10↗explains

Exposition of the Christian Faith · Ambrose of Milan

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On the Holy Trinity — In reply to the argument alleged against the equality of the Son from the apostle’s words, saying that Christ is the ‘power of God and the wisdom of God,’ he propounds the question whether the Father Himself is not wisdom. But deferring for a while the answer to this, he adduces further proof of the unity and equality of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; and that God ought to be said and believed to be a Trinity, not triple (triplicem). And he adds an explanation of the saying of Hilary—Eternity in the Father, Appearance in the Image, and Use in the Gift. — part 2↗explains

On the Holy Trinity · Augustine of Hippo

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On the Holy Trinity — The unity and equality of the Trinity are demonstrated out of the Scriptures; and the true interpretation is given of those texts which are wrongly alleged against the equality of the Son. — part 2↗explains

On the Holy Trinity · Augustine of Hippo

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On the Holy Trinity — The unity and equality of the Trinity are demonstrated out of the Scriptures; and the true interpretation is given of those texts which are wrongly alleged against the equality of the Son. — part 3↗explains

On the Holy Trinity · Augustine of Hippo

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Treatise on The Most Holy Trinity (QQ[27-43]) — Question. 39 - OF THE PERSONS IN RELATION TO THE ESSENCE (EIGHT ARTICLES) — part 2↗explains

Treatise on The Most Holy Trinity (QQ[27-43]) · Thomas Aquinas

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Against Eunomius — Book I — part 11↗explains

Against Eunomius · Gregory of Nyssa

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Against Eunomius — Book I — part 9↗applies

Against Eunomius · Gregory of Nyssa

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Book First. of the Knowledge of God the Creator — CHAPTER 13. - THE UNITY OF THE DIVINE ESSENCE IN THREE PERSONS TAUGHT, IN SCRIPTURE, FROM THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD. — part 11↗explains

Book First. of the Knowledge of God the Creator · John Calvin

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Book First. of the Knowledge of God the Creator — CHAPTER 13. - THE UNITY OF THE DIVINE ESSENCE IN THREE PERSONS TAUGHT, IN SCRIPTURE, FROM THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD. — part 14↗explains

Book First. of the Knowledge of God the Creator · John Calvin

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Defence of the Nicene Definition. (De Decretis.) — De Decretis. (Defence of the Nicene Definition.) — Defence of the Council's Phrases, “from the essence,” And “one in essence.” Objection that the phrases are not scriptural; we ought to look at the sense more than the wording; evasion of the Arians as to the phrase “of God” which is in Scripture; their evasion of all explanations but those which the Council selected, which were intended to negative the Arian formulæ; protest against their conveying any material sense. — part 4↗explains

Defence of the Nicene Definition. (De Decretis.) · Athanasius of Alexandria

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Defence of the Nicene Definition. (De Decretis.) — De Decretis. (Defence of the Nicene Definition.) — On the Arian Symbol “Unoriginate.” This term afterwards adopted by them; and why; three senses of it. A fourth sense. Unoriginate denotes God in contrast to His creatures, not to His Son; Father the scriptural title instead; Conclusion. — part 3↗explains

Defence of the Nicene Definition. (De Decretis.) · Athanasius of Alexandria

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