Greek To Me

A couple days ago, I was studying my physiology textbook, memorizing the definition of homeostasis. My Greek reflexes kicked in homeo 'same' - stasis 'state'.

And then suddenly two words came to mind: homoousious and homoiousious.

At the first ecumenical council, the Council of Nicaea, AD 325, the bishops worked together to understand Christ's nature. Athanasius said that Christ was of homoousious with God, of the same essence/substance. Arius, on the other hand, wanted to add an extra iota, making the word homoiousious: similar essence/substance. At the end of the council, Arius was declared a heretic, and the word homoousious was used.

I brought my mind back to physiology: focus, focus, focus.

Then my mind wandered again, isn't amazing that the same word, homo, should have such huge significance in Church History? And then that very same word is used to describe the amazing way the body works. It's all entertwined, all part of this glorious life here on earth. I love it when my separate classes blend into each other, literature and language, history and science. It's all so, so, so wonderful.