@slimboyfat
Your claim that Hanson’s assessment undermines a Trinitarian reading of pre-Nicene theology is misleading. Hanson acknowledges that pre-Nicene theology employed subordinationist language, but this was not synonymous with Arianism. The subordination found in figures like Origen or Justin Martyr pertains to relational roles within the Godhead rather than ontological inequality. Hanson himself explicitly rejects the notion that Origen's theology laid the groundwork for Arianism, as Origen affirmed the co-eternity and divine nature of the Son. Your attempt to equate Origen's subordinationism with that of Arius misinterprets Origen's work and ignores the distinction between relational and ontological subordination.
You argue that Origen described Christ as a "secondary god" and "a creation," suggesting that his views are incompatible with Trinitarian orthodoxy. However, this is a partial and selective representation of Origen's theology. While Origen occasionally used terms like ktisma ("creature") or genetos ("generated"), these terms must be understood within his broader theological framework. Origen explicitly rejected the idea that the Son was created ex nihilo (out of nothing), which is a hallmark of Arianism. Instead, he taught that the Son was eternally generated from the Father, sharing the Father's divine essence. Origen's use of "creature" reflects his attempt to describe the Son as the first expression of God’s creative activity, but always within the divine life itself, not as part of creation. This position is fundamentally different from Arius’ claim that the Son was created and thus ontologically distinct from the Father.
Indeed, Origen called the Son "κτίσμα", and "produced" (γενητός), however, it is undeniable that when Origen calls the Son κτίσμα, he always has in mind a certain expression of Wisdom in the LXX: "The Lord ἐκτισέ me (instead of ἐκτήσατο) as the beginning of His ways." Origen explains the meaning of this text in the following way:
"Since in this hypostasis of Wisdom (already) all the potential and representation of future creation was contained, and by the power of foreknowledge everything was predetermined and arranged – both what exists in the proper sense, and what pertains to the former as belonging to it: therefore, for the sake of these creatures, which were as it were outlined and prefigured in Wisdom itself, she calls herself created at the beginning of God's ways through Solomon, because she contains and prefigures in herself the beginnings, forms, or types of all creation."
Thus, the plan of the universe, preordained in its entirety and details in Wisdom, the world, potentially and ideally existing in Her, – this is the aspect by which the Son is called a "κτίσμα." Clearly, such a basis as the naming of the Son κτίσμα is insufficient to say that Origen acknowledges the Son as a creature in the sense that this word acquired after the Arian controversies. But even weaker is the basis that Origen calls the Son γενητός and other similar expressions. The word γενητός means, strictly speaking, "having its being from another," and the use of its root γίνομαι by Origen proves that it not only did not stand in opposition to the word γεννητός, but even was not distinguished from the latter. Thus, calling the Son κτίσμα, Origen pointed out, in general, the origin of the Son from the Father, by no means intending to express the idea of the created nature of His nature by this name of the Son, but using this expression because it is found in Holy Scripture. The expression κτίσμα or κτίζω is used, as is known, in the Bible in application to the hypostatic Wisdom (Prov. 8:22), and there is no doubt that Origen borrowed it from there. As for the meaning of this expression, it is determined by the Hebrew text, in which it does not mean "creation", as it stands in the translation of the 70 (ἒκτισε), but "acquisition" ( קָגָגִי ) acquired me, in the Vulgate - possedit me, in Aquila - ἐκτῖσατο μὲ). Church writers used this expression in both senses. Long before the appearance of the Arian heresy, many of them used the said expression in the first sense, for example, Athenagoras, Tertullian, Cyprian, Clement of Alexandria, Irenaeus and others. In the second sense this expression is used by Basil the Great (C. Eun. 2), Gregory of Nyssa (G. Eun. 1), Jerome (Hom. in IsaJam 26, 13), and others. However, in both cases, the Church Fathers by no means wanted to say that the Son is the creation of the Father, as the Arians later asserted. If some, not wishing to depart from the literal understanding of the biblical text, used the said expression (κτίσμα, κτίζω in the sense of creation, then they had in mind the human nature of the of the Son. Others, finally, used this word to denote the generation of the Son from the Father. In this case, it is noteworthy that this meaning is given to this expression in the language of the Bible; thus, when it is said of Eve that she "acquired a man" (Cain), the expression is used: ἐκτισάμην ἄνθρωπον. From all that has been said, it is evident that the words κτίζω and κτίσμα were not used in the same way by all in ancient times, and that none of the most ancient fathers of the church used them in the sense which the Arians subsequently gave them. It is impossible, therefore, not to call the following remark of Henry of Valesius just: “the ancient theologians, and especially those who wrote before the Council of Nicaea, under the word κτίζειν non solum creationem intelexerunt, quae ex nihilo fit, sed omnem generaliter productionem tam quae ab aeterno esset, tam illum quae in tempore.”. True, such use of κτίσμα and κτίζω in patristic literature cannot serve as decisive proof that Origen could not have used the above expressions in the Arian sense, but in any case, patristic literature provides very strong grounds for the assumption that he could not have used these expressions in the Arian sense. As to whether he really gave them a different meaning than the Arians, we can be convinced of this from his works. Thus, in one place he says the following: “In the expression: in the beginning was the Word, by the Word is meant the Son, who is called in the beginning precisely because He is in the Father.” In this case, the expression κτίζω, used in Holy Scripture about the Son, is explained by Origen in the sense of the general origin of the Son from the Father, or the procession to creation, but of the same origin, that He - the Son proceeds or proceeds to creation from the Father, in Whom He was as in His beginning. Thus, the expression “created” is understood by Origen as an expression used in Holy Scripture to denote the uncreated nature of the Son, by virtue of which He remains consubstantial with the Father. In another place, Origen discusses the bestowal of existence on Wisdom and the creation of the whole world through Her in the following way.
“As life was in the Word, so the Word was in the beginning. Consider whether we cannot say: in the beginning was the Word understand in such a sense that everything happened according to Wisdom and according to the images consisting of the totality of the ideas contained in it. For I think that just as a house or a ship is built according to the architect’s plans (τύπους), according to the images and foundations (τύπους καὶ λόγους) that the artist has, which constitute the beginning of the house or ship, so everything came to be in accordance with the foundations of things that were to be, foundations that God had foreseen beforehand in Wisdom ( κατὰ τοὶς ἐν τῆ σοφία προτρανωθέντας ύπὸ Θεοῦ , τπων ἐσομένων For He created everything (ἐποίησε) in Wisdom (Ps. 48:13, 21) and it must be said that He created, so to speak, living Wisdom, and granted to it from the types existing in it (ὰπὸ τῶν αὐτῆ τύπων) the granting of being, formation and forms to beings and matter. I wonder, then, whether it cannot also be said that the beginning of things existing is the Son of God, Who says: I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last (Rev. 22:13)".
Thus, from the point of view of Origen, the Son is the "living Wisdom", containing in Himself the ideas and prototypes of all things, created by God, but created precisely in the sense of Wisdom alone, as the prototype of the world - the prototype in which He created everything. Obviously, the creation of everything in Wisdom and the creation of Wisdom itself are not the same thing, from the point of view of Origen. It is also remarkable that, speaking further about Wisdom, Origen uses the expression "created" with the addition of "so to speak", - speaking of those forms and ideas that were in Wisdom, he uses the word ἐποίησε. The former, apparently, has a general meaning, similar to that which is given in the above-cited place (John 1:17), while the second means something in the proper sense created, finite.
Your assertion that later Trinitarians declared Origen a heretic due to his incompatibility with their theology is historically inaccurate. Only the Second Council of Constantinople in 553 AD dealt with the Origenist crises, but never condomned his Chistology. The controversies surrounding Origen in the fourth and fifth centuries were complex and often politically motivated, centering on issues like his views on universal salvation (apokatastasis) rather than his Trinitarian theology. As Ilaria Ramelli demonstrates in Origen’s Anti-Subordinationism and its Heritage in the Nicene and Cappadocian Line, Origen’s theology significantly influenced anti-Arian figures like Athanasius and the Cappadocians. Far from being a precursor to Arianism, Origen provided the exegetical and theological tools that later theologians used to refute Arian subordinationism and articulate the doctrine of the Trinity.
You claim that Origen’s works were suppressed or rewritten by later Trinitarians to conform to Nicene orthodoxy. While it is true that Rufinus' translations sometimes softened Origen's language, this does not amount to a wholesale distortion of his theology. Key aspects of Origen's anti-subordinationist thought are preserved in Greek fragments and independent witnesses, such as Gregory of Nyssa, who extensively relied on Origen's arguments in his polemics against Arianism. For example, Gregory’s In Illud: Tunc et Ipse Filius closely follows Origen’s interpretation of 1 Corinthians 15:28, rejecting any notion of the Son’s inferiority to the Father. This demonstrates that Origen’s theology was not only compatible with Nicene orthodoxy but foundational to its development.
The claim that there was no universal understanding of Christ’s divinity before the 4th century is an oversimplification. While it is true that theological language and concepts were refined over time, the essential belief in Christ’s divinity was present from the earliest days of Christianity. The 4th-century debates were not about whether Jesus was divine but about how His divinity related to the Father and the Holy Spirit. Arius introduced a radical subordinationist view, claiming that "there was a time when the Son was not," directly contradicting earlier teachings about Christ’s eternal nature (e.g., John 8:58, Colossians 1:15-17). Contrary to your portrayal of Arianism as a significant and widespread tradition, it was quickly recognized as heretical by a majority of the Church. The Council of Nicaea (325 AD) did not invent the Trinity but reaffirmed the Church’s belief in the co-equality and co-eternity of the Son with the Father. The Council of Nicaea was composed of bishops from across the Christian world, many of whom suffered persecution under earlier Roman emperors. These leaders were deeply committed to defending orthodoxy based on Scripture and apostolic tradition, not imperial politics. Constantine sought unity for political reasons but did not dictate theological content. He deferred to the bishops on matters of doctrine. Constantine sought unity within the Church for the stability of the empire. While his theological expertise was limited, his summoning of the Council of Nicaea was not an attempt to impose doctrine but to facilitate a resolution among bishops. The council decisively rejected Arianism and affirmed the Son's consubstantiality (homoousios) with the Father. This was not a political imposition but the collective decision of the Church’s leadership, guided by Scripture and tradition.
The term homoousios (“of the same substance”) was a point of contention, but its rejection by some bishops before Nicaea does not mean they opposed the concept it conveyed. Many Eastern bishops hesitated to use the term because it had been associated with heretical teachings in prior controversies, not because they denied the consubstantiality of the Father and the Son. Constantine's support for homoousios is also misrepresented. While JWs often suggest that Constantine imposed the term, historical evidence indicates that theologians like Hosius of Cordoba and Alexander of Alexandria championed its inclusion, with Constantine likely relying on their guidance. The adoption of homoousios reflects theological precision rather than imperial overreach. While homoousios had philosophical origins, its use at Nicaea was deeply rooted in biblical and theological reflection. The early Church often employed philosophical terminology to clarify doctrinal truths without compromising biblical fidelity. The Council of Antioch’s earlier rejection of the term was contextual and did not preclude its legitimate use in opposing Arianism. Moreover, the biblical basis for the term is evident in passages like John 10:30 (“I and the Father are one”) and Hebrews 1:3 (“[The Son is] the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being”). Homoousios encapsulates these scriptural truths, affirming that the Son shares the same divine essence as the Father.
The Nicene Creed formalized language already in use and defended long-standing beliefs against Arian innovation. While early theologians used varying terminologies, there was broad agreement on the divinity of Christ and His unity with the Father. Differences often arose from cultural and linguistic contexts rather than fundamental disagreements. Arians sought to align their teachings with a perceived earlier tradition, but this does not mean their Christology was uncontroversial. The Church rejected Arianism precisely because it was seen as a departure from the apostolic faith, not its preservation. The Nicene Creed was not a theological innovation but a clarification of what the Church already believed, formulated in response to the confusion Arius' teachings created. Arius and his supporters may have selectively quoted earlier Church Fathers, such as Justin Martyr, Origen, and Tertullian, but this does not mean these Fathers shared Arian views. The claim that early Church Fathers supported Arian Christology is a misrepresentation, as they consistently affirmed the divinity of Christ within a Trinitarian framework, even if their terminology was not as developed as it became in later centuries. Jerome’s remark that "the whole world groaned to find itself Arian" reflects the political pressures that political favour temporarily empowered Arianism, not its theological validity. Arius’ teaching that "there was a time when the Son was not" was a clear departure from the Church's traditional understanding of Christ’s eternal preexistence. The Nicene Council condemned this as a heretical innovation. The Nicene Creed did not invent new theology but articulated the apostolic faith in precise terms to counter Arian misinterpretations. Development in terminology (e.g., homoousios) does not imply doctrinal invention but greater clarity. The Nicene Creed formalized what the Church had always believed, ensuring doctrinal consistency and fidelity to Scripture. The ecumenical councils did not "create" the Trinity but clarified and defended the Church's belief in response to controversies. The theological debates, far from being mere power struggles, involved deep scriptural exegesis and reflected the Church’s commitment to fidelity to the apostolic witness.
Finally, your discussion of John 1:1 and Hart’s acknowledgment of alternative renderings like “a god” fails to grasp Hart’s point. Hart highlights the linguistic and cultural challenges of translating ancient texts but affirms that the grammatical and theological context of John 1:1 supports the traditional rendering, “the Word was God.” This aligns with the overwhelming consensus of biblical scholarship, which recognizes that the lack of a definite article before theos in Greek emphasizes the Word’s qualitative identity with God, not its separateness or inferiority.