Arianism was a 4th-century [[heresy]] named after Arius (c.250-336), a priest in Alexandria. Arius denied the full deity of the preexistent Son of God who became incarnate ("the Word ([[Jesus Christ]]) became flesh" John 1:14 - NKJV). He held that the Son, while divine and like God, was created by God as the agent through whom he created the universe, and that there was a time when the Son was not. The [[First Ecumenical Council|council at Nicaea ]] in 325 led by [[Athanasius of Alexandria|Athanasius]], [[Pope]] of Alexandria, condemned Arianism and maintained that Christ was God from God, Light from Light, Very God from Very God, begotten not made (not created), and One in essence with the Father.