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Council of Nicea

            
             For centuries, Christians have wrestled with one of the most central questions of our faith: in what sense is Christ God? This was precisely the question which theologians wrestled with centuries ago at the Council of Nicea. A constant struggle between orthodoxy and heresy, the politics and religion surrounding this significant event are tremendously fascinating and inspiring. It proves that the truth will always stand contra mundum--"against the world.".
             During the third century, Christians began to speculate as to the nature of Christ's Divinity. A problem arose: "How could Christ be begotten of God, yet co-eternal with God? And if not eternal, was He very God at all?" (Cowan 26). Two heresies arose in response to this question: a) that Christ was merely a man whom the Spirit gave divine power, and b) that Christ was God, but not distinct from the Father. The latter came to be known as Sabellianism. In response to these heresies, the Christian philosopher Origen proposed a solution that he called "eternal generation." He claimed that Christ's begetting does not refer to a specific event in time (implying a previous non-existence), but is descriptive of the eternal Father-Son relationship. Origen thereby secured Christ's Divinity as his doctrine of eternal generation was widely accepted (Cowan 27).
             During the next century, the political and religious atmosphere of the Roman Empire changed greatly. After several major battles and a succession of emperors, Emperor Constantine legalized Christianity in 312. Because the persecution ended, Christianity began taking shape: to a degree a church hierarchy was in place and the Christians were able to stop and wrestle through difficult theological issues. .
             When Origen proposed he idea of eternal generation, he seemed more worried about preserving Christ's divinity than he did about maintaining the unity of the Godhead. According to historian Henry Cowan, Origen even spoke of Christ as a second or subordinate god.


Essays Related to Council of Nicea

1. Council of Nicea

... dividing them. Division in the church, he said, is worse than war (Shelly, 1990, p25 ). At this council the dating of Easter was established. Rules were framed that defined the authority of bishops, thereby paving the way for a concentration of power in ecclesiastical hands. Most important of all, the Council of Nicea decided, by vote, that Jesus was a god, not a mortal prophet (Baigent, 1985, p368). Upon the decision ... Leigh, and Henry Lincoln. (1989). The Messianic Legacy (pp) Dell Publishing Co., Inc., New York New York: Delacorte Press. Dudley, Dean. (1925). History of the First C...

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2. Life And Importance Of Arius

... -Arian policy, and many bishops accepted Arianism because of threats they received from the Roman authorities. Although Arius was not living at this time (he died in 336 CE) his legacy lived on through these men who were loyal to his theology. Even Athanasius was unable to see the final resolution of this controversy, the Council of Nicea was finally reaffirmed at the Second Ecumenical ... Council in Constantinople in 381 CE. In summary, Arius" influence on the church could be measured by Athanasius" numerous writings against this heresy and his sufferings ... in exile. Were it not for ...

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3. Athanatius

... both human and divine, as well as topics pertaining to the Trinity. A group of heretics known as Arians headed the debates. The head of this group was a man named Arius. Because of the debates, the Council of Nicea was held to conclude the exact standing of the Church on such issues. Arius, the head of Arianism was born in Libya around 250 AD. After studying theology at Lucian ... substance, therefore not the same. Because of the controversy raised by Arius and his followers, the Council of Nicea we held in 325 AD to come to a definite answ! er of the Church's standing on these issues. ...

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4. Ecumenism in Australia

... , 19th and 20th Century by which society was divided between Catholics of an Irish background and Protestants of British decent. Prior to 1965 and the establishment of the Second Vatican Council, misunderstandings and disagreements between Christians led to division within the Church. Disputes were resolved by Councils such as the Council of Jerusalem and the Council of Nicea. Many splits have occurred throughout history with major ones due to ... the European and English reformation. The process o reform in England created conflict and tension within society, and much of Australian hist...

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5. Same Sex Marriages

... he so desired. In the fourth century, church councils began recommending - though not demanding - that clerics abstain from sex. In 325, the Council of Nicea forbade priests to marry after ordination. It left up to the priest and their wives, or concubines, to decide about their sex lives. It was ... not until the fifth century that celibacy was demanded of priests, though it was not always followed. Throughout the Middle Ages, the celibacy law was debated and disregarded. It was not until the Fourth Lateran Council in 1215, that priestly marriage began to decline. Besides the ... huma...

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