When Jesus Became God: The Struggle to Define Christianity during the Last Days of Rome

A panoramic view of early Christianity as it developed against the backdrop of the Roman Empire of the fourth century. While the story of Jesus and Christian persecutions under Rome are well known, the history of fervent debate, civil strife, and bloody riots within the Christian community as it formed is rarely described. Richard E. Rubenstein takes readers to the streets of the fourth-century Roman Empire during a fateful debate over the divinity of Jesus Christ. Under a Christian emperor, followers of Jesus no longer fear for their faith's survival. However, they split into two camps over worship's direction: Is Jesus the son of God and therefore distinct from God, or is Jesus precisely God on earth and therefore equal to Him? Two charismatic priests lead the vicious debate. Arius, an Alexandrian priest and poet, preaches that Jesus, though holy, is less than God. Athanasius, a brilliant and violent bishop, views any diminution of Jesus's godhead as the devil's work. Between them stands Alexander, the powerful Bishop of Alexandria, who must find a resolution to keep the empire united and the Christian faith alive. Through thorough historical, religious, and social research, Rubenstein recreates one of the most critical moments in religious history.