Photinus

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This article is about the 4th century bishop Photinus. For the firefly beetle genus, see Photinus (genus).

Photinus (d. 376) was the Christian bishop of Sirmium in Pannonia, a residence of the Emperor Constantius II. He was deposed on charges of heresy but his exact beliefs are unclear.

According to Socrates Scholasticus, Photinus followed the teachings of Marcellus of Ancyra. Socrates states that Marcellus and Photinus believed that Jesus was not divine and the Logos did not exist before Jesus' conception.[1] Socrates identifies Photinus' beliefs with those of Sabellius of Lybia and Paul of Samosata.[2] According to Sozomen, Photinus believed that the Logos did not exist before the conception of Jesus.[3]

Photinus was originally a deacon of Marcellus, metropolitan of Ancyra.[4] Marcellus was deposed by the Arians, but reinstated by the Synod of Serdica in 343.

In 344, the Synod of Antioch deposed Marcellus and drew up the Macrostich, a creed which listed their beliefs and objections to Marcellus' doctrines (among others). In 345, a rival synod in Milan deposed Photinus, but a 347 synod failed to depose Photinus, due to his popular support. A synod at Sirmium was held and Hilarius of Poitiers quotes some of its Arian propositions.

Photinus made an appeal to the emperor and another general synod was held at Sirmium in 351. Basil, Marcellus' successor and a semi-Arian, argued with Photinus, and Photinus was deposed on charges of Sabellianism and Adoptionism.[5][6] He was anathematised and exiled, and he wrote several theological works during his exile.[7][8]

In about 365, a letter from Liberius, bishop of Rome, to several Macedonian bishops lists Photinus among the latter.[9]

He returned to his see during the reign of Julian the Apostate, but was exiled by Valentinian II, according to Jerome. He settled in Galatia and his doctrines, Photinianism, died in the West. By the time of Augustine, a "Photinian" was anyone who believed Christ was a mere man.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Socrates Scholasticus, Church History, book 2, chapters 18 & 19.
  2. ^ Socrates Scholasticus, Church History, book 2, chapter 29.
  3. ^ Sozomen, Church History, book 4, chapter 6.
  4. ^ Socrates Scholasticus, Church History, book 2, chapter 18.
  5. ^ Socrates Scholasticus, Church History, book 2, chapter 29.
  6. ^ Sozomen, Church History, book 4, chapter 6.
  7. ^ Socrates Scholasticus, Church History, book 2, chapter 29.
  8. ^ Sozomen, Church History, book 4, chapter 6.
  9. ^ Socrates Scholasticus, Church History, book 4, chapter 12.

This article incorporates text from the entry Photinus in the public-domain Catholic Encyclopedia of 1913.

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