In videos like this one and this one, trinitarian apologists continue to push false narratives about the history of mainstream Christian theologies, like these (ordered from least to most plausible):

In this historical presentation, focusing on passages from Tertullian, Origen, and Novatian, I explain the actual early history of mainstream Christian theologies. Each of these three authors is a logos theorist, and I explain how they think God and the Logos (aka “the second god”) differ. “Subordinationism” is a feature, not a bug of these theologies; it is how they stay monotheistic despite positing multiple “divine” beings–only one “god” is strictly speaking a god. Each writer implies that logos theory was in their day a minority view; it seems that logos theories were at first popular among the “elite” and were widely rejected by other Christians. Each of these writers describes Christians who disagree with their Logos speculations. Since Harnack historians have called these Dynamic Monarchians and Modalistic Monarchians. Using the stick figures first deployed here, I explain the differences between these three mainstream Christian theologies, and between each of them and the trinitarian theology that was demanded by the mainstream starting in 381. Finally, I take a stab out outlining the actual early history of Christian theologies, starting with Dynamic Monarchianism and ending with the hegemony of trinitarianism.

Because of the many slides (and stick figures) I recommend the video version:

Thanks to Brandon Duke for editing the video and to Mark Cain for expertly cleaning up the lecture audio! Finally, my sincerest thanks to the tireless UK International Conference committee whose hard work made this encouraging meeting possible. Watch the UCA blog for an announcement of the next UK international conference!

Links for this episode:

Thomas Gaston, Dynamic Monarchianism: the Earliest Christology?

Unitarian Christian Alliance

podcast 281 – Introducing the Unitarian Christian Alliance

Clarifying Catholic Christologies

podcast 270 – Origen’s “one God”

von Harnack on logos theories and mystery

Evolution of the Trinity – with Bill Schlegel

podcast 262 – The Trinity before Nicea?

Hurtado on the early worship of Jesus

Craig: how Nicene orthodoxy rules out the full deity of Christ

Origen on the Challenge to Jesus is God Apologists

trinitarian or unitarian? 7 – Origen uncensored

Origen, Paul, and Peter: Christians worship the Jews’ god

Rufinus’s corruption of Origen’s On First Principles – Part 1

Rufinus’s corruption of Origen’s On First Principles – Part 2

podcast 24 – How to be a Monotheistic Trinitarian

This week’s thinking music is “Blood (Instrumental)” by Anthem of Rain.