Judaizing
Athanasius regularly compares the Arians to Jews and Judaizers.  This is not merely name-calling.  The obvious comparison is that both Jews and Arians deny that Jesus is the eternal Son.
But something more subtle is going on here too, perhaps: If the Son is not eternal and equal to the Father, then the incarnation was no real incarnation, no real appearance of God.  If that’s true, then God has not appeared, not made Himself tangible and visible in the world.  And if that’s true, what exactly is the difference between Israel and the church, old and new?
Peter Leithart
Peter J. Leithart is President of Theopolis Institute. He is the author of numerous books on theology, literature, and culture, including Theopolitan, Defending Constantine, and Baptized Body.
In Medias Res
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