Valens of Mursa was bishop of Mursa (

Osijek Osijek () is the fourth-largest city in Croatia, with a population of 96,848 in 2021. It is the largest city and the economic and cultural centre of the eastern Croatian region of Slavonia, as well as the administrative centre of Osijek-Baran ...

in modern

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) and a supporter of

Homoian The Acacians (), also known as the Homoians or Homoeans (), were an Arian sect which played a major role in the Christianization of the Goths in the Danubian provinces of the Roman Empire. They first emerged into distinctness as an ecclesiast ...

theology, which is often labelled as a form of

Arianism Arianism ( grc-x-koine, Ἀρειανισμός, ) is a Christological doctrine first attributed to Arius (), a Christian presbyter from Alexandria, Egypt. Arian theology holds that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, who was begotten by God ...

, 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 clergy member 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 of dioceses. The role or offic ...

s including

Ursacius of Singidunum Ursacius ( 335–346) was the bishop of Singidunum (the ancient city which was to become Belgrade), during the middle of the 4th century. He played an important role during the evolving controversies surrounding the legacies of the Council of Ni ...

(

Belgrade Belgrade ( , ;, ; names in other languages) is the capital and largest city in Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers and the crossroads of the Pannonian Plain and the Balkan Peninsula. Nearly 1,166,763 m ...

) who made accusations of impropriety against

Athanasius of Alexandria Athanasius I of Alexandria, ; cop, ⲡⲓⲁⲅⲓⲟⲥ ⲁⲑⲁⲛⲁⲥⲓⲟⲩ ⲡⲓⲁⲡⲟⲥⲧⲟⲗⲓⲕⲟⲥ or Ⲡⲁⲡⲁ ⲁⲑⲁⲛⲁⲥⲓⲟⲩ ⲁ̅; (c. 296–298 – 2 May 373), also called Athanasius the Great, ...

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

Constantinople la, Constantinopolis ota, قسطنطينيه , alternate_name = Byzantion (earlier Greek name), Nova Roma ("New Rome"), Miklagard/Miklagarth ( Old Norse), Tsargrad ( Slavic), Qustantiniya (Arabic), Basileuousa ("Queen of Cities"), Megalopolis ( ...

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 Christian doctrine of the Trinity (, from 'threefold') is the central dogma concerning the nature of God in most Christian churches, which defines one God existing in three coequal, coeternal, consubstantial divine persons: God the ...

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, while

Constantius II Constantius II ( Latin: ''Flavius Julius Constantius''; grc-gre, Κωνστάντιος; 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 Germa ...

sheltered in a tower near the battle-field, 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 Semi-Arianism was a position regarding the relationship between God the Father and the Son of God, adopted by some 4th-century Christians. Though the doctrine modified the teachings of Arianism, it still rejected the doctrine that Father, Son, ...

also called the ''Blasphemy of Sirmium'' in 357. In July 359 at the Council of Ariminum, about 300 - 400 bishops met.

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