Academia.eduAcademia.edu

Ursacius und Valens und die Glaubensformel von Sirmium

2011, Diacovensia

The article refl ects upon the role of two bishops, Ursacius and Valens, in defi ning the 'Dated Creed' denomination. First we can fi nd the explanation of various historical sources mentioning and interpreting the assembly of the bishops in Syrmium, in 359 AD. Then there is the analysis of the historical context: emperor Constantius' politics and the infl uence of the two bishops on the emperor. The Creed of the Dated Synod is interpreted as a compromise reached between different theological trends: it disassociates itself from Arius and comprises the elements of the Antiochian creed and Syrian infl uence. The prevailing character of the entire Creed is essentially Homoean. The contribution of the two bishops to the Synod was indisputably not insignifi cant, but their role is still a mystery. The appearance of Ursacius and Valens at the Council of Ariminum ended up as a disaster possibly because of the very compromise formula of the Dated Synod and the cancellation of the annexes κατα πάντα, which distanced the Creed from the general Western viewpoint of the majority.