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Subordinationism is a doctrine which holds that Jesus is eternally subordinate to God the Father, implying a hierarchical view of the Trinity. Subordinationism is sometimes mistakenly confused with Arianism. While Arius and his followers were certainly also subordinationist, the Arians also went further to assert that there was a time when Christ did not exist (ex nihilo.) (Albeit later, Arius confessed the Nicene Creed before Constantine, indicating he did believe in the Nicene formula but this was not enough for Athanasius to receive him back into communion.)
History
New Testament Era
Some of the bible verses used to explain this position are:
- John 3:35, 5:26,27, 10:29, 13:16, 14:28
- 1 Cor 8:4-6, 15:28
- Heb 10:7,9
Pre-Nicean
Perhaps the earliest advocate of Subordinationism was Origen of Alexandria.
Nicea
"The First general Council -Nicea 325- knew Arius's teaching leaned toward Subordinationism, but they were not unduly upset about that. Subordinationism had been implicit in 'Logos' Christology from the outset and didn't mean a denial of the Word's divinity - Arius was not denying the existence and exalted status of the 'Word': he was simply saying, so it seemed that the Father is greater than the "Word." By maintaining this, he claimed, he was countering the Sabellianism (aka Modalism) of Bishop Alexander.... At the Council at Sirmium in 375 the Arians nearly went too far. The Creedal Statement issued there forbade the use of the word ousia at all when speaking of the Father & Son. It cited scriptural passages that seemed to support a subordinationist view and laid the groundwork for the Arians to state their basic conviction - 'That the "Son" is Unlike the "Father".' Hilary of Poitiers in Gaul, a firm defender of Nicea, called the the Creed 'THE BLASPHEMY OF SIRMIUM'"
Probably the most vocal subordinationists were Eusebius of Caesarea and Eusebius of Nicomedia. Although not as extreme as the Arians in their definition of who Jesus is, neither did they agree with the Trinitarians in equating Jesus with his Father. For the reasons of him being moderate in the religious and political arenas of beliefs, Constantine therefore made Eusebius of Caesarea his court theologian and personal religious advisor. As the debates raged in Nicea, Constantine turned to Eusebius to smooth the crowds.
Post-Nicean
In his book, On the Theology of the Church, Eusebius of Caesarea explains how the Nicene Creed is a full expression of Subordinationist theology, starting with an emphasis in the Creed of saying, "We believe in One God..." Eusebius goes on to explain how the Nicene Creed was not written to expel Arius, but rather to unite Christians of all beliefs together.
Athanasius, in particular, categorically rejected subordinationism in all its forms, possibly as a reaction against Arianism. In the pseudonymous Athanasian Creed, all three divine persons are almighty and Lord; no divine person is before or after another, none is greater or less than another … all three are co-equal. Athanasius' influence on subordinationism made it a non-issue in the Western Church until the times of the Reformation.
Among the Cappadocian Fathers, the first theologians to coin and exercise the use of the term "Trinity", they yet asserted the supremacy and authority of the Father in all things. (Even St. Augustine asserted, when describing the Trinity, that the Father is the head of all authority.) When the Cappadocians began releasing their beliefs in writing, it helped unify the semi-Arians with the Unitarians and Subordinationists.
In the Eastern Church, subordinationism continued to play a dominatnt role to their stance on Christology and eventually helped fuel reasons for rejection of the filioque clause, and ultimately the Great Schism of 1054.
Orthodox do not regard the teaching that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Son as well as from the Father to be one which they can accept. This teaching is opposed to the monarchy of the Father and to the equality of the Spirit to the Father and the Son as a hypostasis or person distinct from both, as expressed by the original Creed. ... That the Holy Spirit eternally comes forth from the Son, so as to depend for his being and his possession of the one divine nature on the Son as well as on the Father, is a teaching which Orthodox uniformly oppose
Modern usage
Greek Orthodox
In addition to conservative Orthodox teaching presented earlier, also a more “liberal” position on this issue is “also held by many Orthodox at the present time.” He writes that “According to the ‘liberal’ view, the Greek and the Latin doctrines on the procession of the Holy Spirit may both alike be regarded as theologically defensible. The Greeks affirm that the Spirit proceeds from the Father through the Son, the Latins that He proceeds from the Father and from the Son; but when applied to the relationship between Son and Spirit, these two prepositions ‘through’ and ‘from’ amount to the same thing.”
Roman Catholics
Although yet firmly Trinitarian in stance of Christology, for various reasons, the Vatican has officially dropped the Athanasian Creed from liturgy.
Lutherans
Dr John Kleinig (Dean of worship and Head of biblical studies at Australian Lutheran College) promotes a form of subordinationism in his paper, 'The subordination of the exalted Son to the Father'. He concludes:
"Well then, is the exalted Christ in any way subordinate to the Father right now? The answer is both “yes” and “no”. It all depends on whether we are speaking about Him in His nature as God, or about Him in his office as the exalted Son of God. On the one hand, He is not subordinate to the Father in His divine essence, status, and majesty. On the other hand, He is, I hold, subordinate to the Father in His vice-regal office and His work as prophet, priest, and king. He is operationally subordinate to the Father. In the present operation of the triune God in the church and the world, He is the mediator between God the Father and humankind. The exalted Christ receives everything from His Father to deliver to us, so that in turn, He can bring us back to the Father. To Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus for
ever and ever. Amen."
Others within Lutheran circles are critical of Dr Kleinig's position including Dr Mark Worthing who presented the problems with Dr Kleinig's position in a paper presented to pastors in Queensland.
Methodists
For reasons of lack of proof and doubtful authorship, the United Methodist Church no longer accepts the Athanasian Creed.
Evangelicals
Traditionally, subordinationists have asserted that the Son is eternally and therefore ontologically subordinate to the Father. Recently, subordinationism has regained currency in evangelical circles by the suggestion of George W. Knight III, in his landmark 1977 book, "The New Testament Teaching on Role Relationship with Men and women." In this book, Knight suggests that the Son is functionally but not ontologically subordinate to the Father. The assertion of eternal subordination in function, combined with the denial of ontological subordination, is Knight's unique contribution to the teaching of subordination. Knight's publication has led to an unprecedented popularity of this new, modified subordinationist Christology in conservative, evangelical, and fundamentalist circles.
References
- FROM HERESIIES, SCHIMSMS & OTHER CONTROVERSAL STANCES. From Fiona on 22nd July 2007 - Wester Australia, Quoted from Education for Ministry - Anglican Church of Australia
- “A Lutheran-Orthodox Common Statement on Faith in the Holy Trinity,” paragraph 11. This would seem to be an expression of what Kallistos Ware calls the “rigorist” position within the Orthodox Church. (“Christian Theology in the East,” in A History of Christian Doctrine, edited by Hubert Cunliffe-Jones , p. 209.)
- “Christian Theology in the East,” in A History of Christian Doctrine, edited by Hubert Cunliffe-Jones , p. 208
- Kleinig's paper can be found at