I'm annoyed. I only have so much time every day, and I can't find a hymn by Arius. Although I am informed that Christians began singing hymns extensively in the 4th Century CE just to counter Arius. Why? Because Arius, who was really vocal about his Christological ideas, set them to music, and it made the other bishops mad.

Unfortunately, I think they did a very thorough job of expunging Arius' oeuvre. You just get quotes from people who disagreed with him. I did find this hilarious video, but I suspect the guy is making it up as he goes along.

The website Patheos includes this (also hugely apocryphal) version of an Arian hymn, to the tune of 'Head and Shoulders, Knees and Toes'. If I can't find a real Arian hymn, at least you might enjoy this one.

There was once when he was not (he was not)

He was made and not begot (not begot)

So hang this sign on the weeping willow tree:

There was once when he was not (he was not)!!

What a kerfluffle about something these theologians could not possibly have known the answer to. Like a bunch of kindergartners arguing nuclear physics. Srsly.

Arius has his defenders. Here's a site that explains what Arius believed, and defends him against the charge of heresy, saying the Church took him back.

But where are his hymns? I want to find these ditties.

Athanasius, another theologian, was scathing about Arius. In Contra Arianos, he accuses Arius of writing bad poetry, using 'effeminate' metres ('My opponent is a girly-man'), and setting his theology to a drinking song. Remember, this was an opponent. That's like getting your information on Democrats from Fox News. Hmm. . .

So here's a translation by a Lutheran blogger of fragments of Arius' Thalia as preserved in the critiques of his enemies. Cum grano salis, I think. Maybe a whole salt block.

And I'd like to hear somebody try to sing that. Maybe to a twelve-tone composition by Schönberg?

In the meantime, the hymn Holy, Holy, Holy, hymn tune 'Nicaea', is actually a musical refutation of Arius, so I guess we at least have a legacy of all that 4th-century fussing.

But if you run across any Arian hymns, let me know.