Arianism is a religious movement that was popular in the early centuries after Christ. It was founded by Arius, a priest from Alexandria, Egypt, from whom it took the name "Arianism". This religion was based on some concepts different from traditional Christianity, especially regarding the nature of Jesus Christ.
Arianism, in fact, argued that Jesus Christ, although a divine being and superior to humans, is not equal to God the Father. According to Arius, Jesus was created by God; therefore, he is not eternal and is not God. This is the biggest difference from traditional Christianity, which believes in the Trinity, where the Father, the Son (Jesus), and the Holy Spirit are all eternal and equal, forming one God in three distinct persons.
Furthermore, while traditional Christianity sees Jesus' death on the cross as a sacrifice that saves all who believe in him, Arianism placed more emphasis on Jesus' role as the first and most perfect among God's creatures, but not necessarily with the same power of universal redemption attributed to him by the Trinitarian doctrine.
In general, Arianism saw a greater separation between God the Father and Jesus, his Son. While Christianity speaks of an intimate and inseparable relationship among the three persons of the Trinity, Arianism emphasized that only God the Father was "uncreated" and supreme.
Arianism was very influential, especially among some groups of barbarians such as the Goths and the Vandals, and led to many theological debates and conflicts in the early centuries of Christianity. However, it was officially condemned as heresy by the first major council of the Church, the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD, and gradually lost followers until it disappeared.
