Arianism is a
nontrinitarian belief that asserts that
Jesus Christ is the
Son of God, created by
God the Father, distinct from the Father and therefore subordinate to the Father. Arian teachings were first attributed to
Arius (
c. AD 250–336), a Christian
presbyter in
Alexandria, Egypt. The teachings are opposed to mainstream Christian teachings on the nature of the
Trinity and on the nature of Christ. The Arian
concept of Christ is that the Son of God did not always exist, but was created by God the Father. This belief is based on an interpretation of a verse in the
Gospel of John : "You heard me say, 'I am going away, and I am coming back to you.' If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I."