22. The Council of Nicaea

The conflict between the Antiochan and Alexandrian vision of Christian thought finally culminated in the first ecumenical council of the Church, the Council of Nicaea (or Nicea), which was convened by Constantine in 325. The man who brought the crisis to a head was Arius, who embraced the Antiochan view, but who labored in Alexandria. Arianism was condemned at Nicaea, but the Arian understanding of Christian teaching has continued to this day.

In this lesson we examine the major tenants of Arian Christianity, and we look briefly at the 325 version of the Nicene Creed. In this important affirmation of faith, Trinity is accepted as the orthodox position, and the true deity and humanity of Christ are affirmed, although later councils would further clarify those points.

Although the church has certainly added more to its understanding of the nature of God over the centuries, orthodox Christianity has never rejected this foundational statement of faith, and for that reason, this council stands as the first universal (or ecumenical) creedal statement in history. (Note to user - the PowerPoint presentation is included here, but technical difficulties prevented recording the in-class video. My apologies).