Valens of Mursa was bishop of Mursa (

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in modern

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) and a supporter of Homoian theology, which is often labelled as a form of

Arianism Arianism (, ) is a Christology, Christological doctrine which rejects the traditional notion of the Trinity and considers Jesus to be a creation of God, and therefore distinct from God. It is named after its major proponent, Arius (). It is co ...

, although semi-Arianism is probably more accurate.

Life

Valens and his fellows were seen by contemporaneous and later Church historical sources, to vacillate according to the political winds, being 'always inclined to side with the dominant party.

Synod of Tyre

He was one of a group of

Bishop A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...

s including Ursacius of Singidunum (

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) who made accusations of impropriety against

Athanasius of Alexandria Athanasius I of Alexandria ( – 2 May 373), also called Athanasius the Great, Athanasius the Confessor, or, among Coptic Christians, Athanasius the Apostolic, was a Christian theologian and the 20th patriarch of Alexandria (as Athanasius ...

resulting in the First Synod of Tyre. Ursacius and Valens next appear in 342 at

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assisting with the consecration of Macedonius as bishop of the metropolis. In 346, Valens and Ursacius, recanted both of their previous hostility to Athanasius and to his

Trinitarian The Trinity (, from 'threefold') is the Christian doctrine concerning the nature of God, which defines one God existing in three, , consubstantial divine persons: God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ) and God the Holy Spirit, three ...

theology. Accordingly, they journeyed to Rome, presenting a written recantation to its bishop, Julius, and wrote to Athanasius, expressing their willingness to hold communion with him in the future.

Battle of Mursa

During the

battle of Mursa Major The Battle of Mursa was fought on 28 September 351 between the eastern Roman armies led by the Emperor Constantius II and the western forces supporting the usurper Magnentius. It took place at Mursa, near the Via Militaris in the province of ...

, while

Constantius II Constantius II (; ; 7 August 317 – 3 November 361) was Roman emperor from 337 to 361. His reign saw constant warfare on the borders against the Sasanian Empire and Germanic peoples, while internally the Roman Empire went through repeated civ ...

sheltered in a tower near the battlefield, he was attended by Valens, who allegedly was able to prophesy the outcome. Thereafter, Constantius' attachment to

became increasingly fanatical, under the influence of his spiritual comforter.

Council at Ariminum

Valens, Urasacius and Germinius of Sirmium were responsible for drafting the theological statement known as the Creed of Sirmium also called the ''Blasphemy of Sirmium'' in 357. In July 359 at the Council of Ariminum, some 300 to 400 bishops met. Ursacius of Singidunum and Valens soon proposed their new creed, drafted at the Fourth Council of Sirmium of 359 but not presented there. This creed holding that the Son was like the Father "according to the scriptures," and avoiding the controversial terms "same substance" and "similar substance." Others favored the creed of Nicaea.Socrates Scholasticus, ''Church History'', book 2, chapter 37.

References

{{Authority control 4th-century deaths Year of birth unknown 4th-century church councils Catholic Church councils held in Italy Schisms in Christianity Arian bishops