By History And Culture Media

5/12/2024

The First Council of Nicaea: Defining Christian Orthodoxy

The First Council of Nicaea, held in 325 CE, was the first ecumenical council of the Christian Church. Convened by Emperor Constantine the Great, it aimed to resolve theological disputes that threatened the unity of the Roman Empire and to establish a unified Christian doctrine.

Background and Context

The Rise of Christianity in the Roman Empire

By the early fourth century CE, Christianity had grown significantly despite periods of persecution. Constantine’s Edict of Milan in 313 CE granted religious tolerance to Christians, leading to the faith’s rapid expansion.

However, theological disagreements soon arose, threatening church unity. The most significant was the Arian controversy, sparked by Arius, a presbyter in Alexandria, who taught that:

• Jesus Christ was not co-eternal with God the Father.
  
  

• The Son was a created being, subordinate to the Father.
  
  

This teaching challenged the emerging orthodox belief that Christ was fully divine and co-eternal with the Father.

Purpose of the Council

To address this division, Constantine called for a council in Nicaea (modern-day İznik, Turkey). Over 300 bishops from across the Roman Empire attended, including prominent figures such as:

• Alexander of Alexandria, an opponent of Arianism.
  
  

• Athanasius of Alexandria, a deacon at the time, who would become a staunch defender of Nicene orthodoxy.
  
  

• Eusebius of Caesarea, the church historian.
  
  

• Representatives from both Eastern and Western Christian communities.
  
  

Key Decisions and Outcomes

1. Condemnation of Arianism

The council condemned Arianism as heresy. The bishops declared that Christ was:

• “Begotten, not made, being of one substance (homoousios) with the Father.”
  
  

This established that the Son is co-eternal and consubstantial with the Father, rejecting the idea that he was created.

2. The Nicene Creed

The council produced the Nicene Creed, a formal statement of Christian belief affirming:

• The Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
  
  

• The full divinity of Jesus Christ.
  
  

• Christ’s incarnation, crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension.
  
  

This creed became the foundation of orthodox Christian theology.

3. The Date of Easter

The council also addressed the calculation of Easter, deciding it should be celebrated on the first Sunday after the first full moon following the spring equinox, independent of the Jewish Passover calendar.

4. Other Canons

The council issued 20 canons addressing church discipline and organization, including:

• Prohibitions against self-castration.
  
  

• Guidelines on the readmission of lapsed Christians.
  
  

• Regulations on bishops’ jurisdiction and ordinations.
  
  

Impact and Legacy

The First Council of Nicaea had profound effects on Christianity:

• Established Orthodoxy: It defined essential Christian doctrine, laying the groundwork for future theological development.
  
  

• Imperial Involvement in Church Affairs: It set a precedent for emperors convening councils to resolve doctrinal disputes.
  
  

• Unity and Division: While it unified many Christians under the Nicene Creed, Arianism continued to have followers, leading to further councils and imperial interventions.
  
  

Later Developments

Despite the council’s decisions, the Arian controversy persisted for decades, especially under emperors who favored Arian theology. The Nicene Creed was later expanded at the First Council of Constantinople in 381 CE, resulting in the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed used widely in Christian liturgy today.

Conclusion

The First Council of Nicaea was a landmark in Christian history. By addressing the Arian controversy and defining Christ’s divinity through the Nicene Creed, it established the foundation of Christian orthodoxy and demonstrated the growing alliance between the Church and the Roman state.

Further Reading

• Anonymous, Chronicon Paschale

• Edward Gibbon, The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire

• Eusebius of Caesarea, Life of Constantine

• Epiphanius of Salamis, The Panarion of Epiphanius of Salamis

• Hilary of Poitiers, The Trinity

• Socrates of Constantinople, Historia Ecclesiastica

• Sozomen, Ecclesiastical History

• St. Athanasius, On The Incarnation

• St. Jerome, The Complete Works of Saint Jerome

• Theodoret, Ecclesiastical History

Sources

• Anonymous, Chronicon Paschale

• Eusebius Pamphilius, The Life of Constantine

• Epiphanius of Salamis, The Panarion of Epiphanius of Salamis

• Hilary of Poitiers, The Trinity

• Socrates Scholasticus, Ecclesiastical History

• Sozomenus, Ecclesiastical History

• St. Athanasius, On The Incarnation

• St. Jerome, The Complete Works of Saint Jerome

• Theodoret, Ecclesiastical History

• First Council of Nicaea, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Council_of_Nicaea, 5/12/2024