Eunomians

Eunomians were a faction within Arianism that emerged in the 4th century AD. They are named after Eunomius of Cyzicus, a disciple of Aetius of Antioch, who became their most prominent theologian and leader. Eunomians held a radical interpretation of Arian beliefs, emphasizing the absolute uncreatedness of God the Father and the absolute createdness of the Son. They famously argued that the Father was alone in His essence, and that the Son was brought into existence by a single act of the Father's will, making Him fundamentally unlike the Father.

This doctrine distinguished them from other Arians, who might have held that the Son was of similar substance to the Father. The Eunomians asserted that the Son was not only unlike the Father in essence but also incomprehensible to Him. They believed that only the Father knew His own essence, and that this knowledge was not imparted to the Son. This strong emphasis on the Father's sole divinity and the Son's complete subordination led to their condemnation by mainstream Christian councils, including the First Council of Constantinople in 381 AD.

Eunomian theology also had implications for their understanding of salvation and baptism. They believed that true salvation came through understanding and confessing their specific theological doctrines. Their baptismal rites were also distinct, often involving a single immersion and requiring explicit renunciation of Nicene orthodoxy. Despite periods of imperial favor, Eunomianism gradually declined and eventually faded into obscurity, largely due to opposition from Nicene Christians and internal theological disputes.