text:
First Council of Nicaea
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
First Council of Nicaea
16th-century fresco depicting the Council of Nicaea
Date
20 May to 19 June, AD 325
Accepted by
Roman Catholicism
Eastern Orthodox Church
Oriental Orthodoxy
Assyrian Church of the East
Next council
First Council of Constantinople
Convoked by
Emperor Constantine I
President
Hosius of Corduba (and Emperor Constantine)[1]
Attendance
318 (traditional number)
250–318 (estimates) — only five from Western Church
Topics
Arianism, the nature of Christ, celebration of Passover (Easter), ordination of eunuchs, prohibition of kneeling on Sundays and from Easter to Pentecost, validity of baptism by heretics, lapsed Christians, sundry other matters.[2]
Documents and statements
Original Nicene Creed,[3] 20 canons,[4] and a synodal epistle[2]
Chronological list of Ecumenical councils
Part of a series on the
Eastern Orthodox Church
Mosaic of Christ Pantocrator, Hagia Sophia
Overview
Structure
Theology (History of theology)
Liturgy
Church history
Holy Mysteries
View of salvation
View of Mary
View of icons
Background[show]
Crucifixion / Resurrection / Ascension
of Jesus
Christianity
Christian Church
Apostolic succession
Four Marks of the Church
Orthodoxy
Organization[show]
Autocephaly
Patriarchate
Ecumenical Patriarch
Episcopal polity
Clergy
Bishops
Priests
Deacons
Monasticism
Degrees of monasticism
Autocephalous jurisdictions[show]
Constantinople
Alexandria
Antioch
Jerusalem
Russia
Serbia
Romania
Bulgaria
Georgia
Cyprus
Greece
Poland
Albania
Czech lands and Slovakia
North America
Ecumenical Councils[hide]
Seven Ecumenical Councils:
First
Second
Third
Fourth
Fifth
Sixth
Seventh
Other important councils:
Quinisext Council
Constantinople IV
Constantinople V
Jassy
Jerusalem
History[show]
Church Fathers
Pentarchy
Byzantine Empire
Christianization of Bulgaria
Christianization of Kievan Rus'
Great Schism
Russia
Ottoman Empire
North America
Theology[show]
History of Orthodox Theology
(20th century (Neo-Palamism))
Apophaticism
Chrismation
Contemplative prayer
Essence vs. Energies
Hesychasm
Holy Trinity
Hypostatic union
Icons
Metousiosis
Mystical theology
Nicene Creed
Nepsis
Oikonomia
Ousia
Palamism
Philokalia
Phronema
Sin
Theosis
Theotokos
Differences from the Catholic Church
Opposition to the Filioque
Opposition to papal supremacy
Liturgy and worship[show]
Divine Liturgy
Divine Services
Akathist
Apolytikion
Artos
Ectenia
Euchologion
Holy Water
Iconostasis
Jesus Prayer
Kontakion
Liturgical entrances
Liturgical fans
Lity
Memorial service
Memory Eternal
Omophorion
Orthodox bowing
Orthodox marriage
Praxis
Paraklesis
Paschal greeting
Paschal Homily
Paschal troparion
Prayer rope
Prosphora
Russian bell ringing
Semantron
Sign of the cross
Sticheron
Troparion
Vestments
Use of incense
Liturgical calendar[show]
Paschal cycle
12 Great Feasts
Other feasts:
Feast of Orthodoxy
Intercession of the Theotokos
The four fasting periods:
Nativity Fast
Great Lent
Apostles' Fast
Dormition Fast
Major figures[show]
Athanasius of Alexandria
Ephrem the Syrian
Basil of Caesarea
Cyril of Jerusalem
Gregory of Nazianzus
Gregory of Nyssa
John Chrysostom
Cyril of Alexandria
John Climacus
Maximus the Confessor
John of Damascus
Theodore the Studite
Kassiani
Cyril and Methodius
Photios I of Constantinople
Gregory Palamas
Other topics[show]
Architecture
Encyclical of the Eastern Patriarchs
Orthodox cross
Saint titles
Statistics by country
v
t
e
Part of a series on
Oriental Orthodoxy
Oriental Orthodox Churches
Coptic
Ethiopian
Armenian
Syriac
Eritrean
Indian (Malankara)
Subdivisions[show]
Autonomous churches grouped by tradition:
Coptic: French
Armenian: Cilicia, Constantinople, Jerusalem
Syriac: British, Malankara Jacobite
History and theology[show]
Coptic history
Tewahedo history
Syriac history
Saint Thomas Christians
Ecumenical Councils:
First
Second
Third
Historical topics and events:
Peshitta
Tur Abdin
Miaphysitism
Monophysitism
2nd Council of Ephesus
Council of Dvin
Council of Capharthutha
Coonan Cross Oath
Liturgy and practices[show]
Apostolic Church-Ordinance
Armenian calendar
Coptic calendar
Coptic fasting
Coptic monasticism
Coptic saints
Debtera
Ethiopian chant
Fast of Nineveh
Holy Qurbana
Tabot
Timkat
Major figures[show]
Abgar V
Nine Saints of Ethiopia
Gregory the Illuminator
Tiridates III
Mar Awgin
Ezana of Axum
Frumentius
Shenoute
Dioscorus of Alexandria
Severus of Antioch
Abraham of Farshut
Yared
Simon the Tanner
Gregory of Narek
Nerses IV
Michael the Syrian
Bar Hebraeus
Tekle Haymanot
Giyorgis of Segla
Mar Thoma I
Gregorios Abdal Jaleel
Geevarghese Gregorios
Geevarghese Dionysius
Other topics[show]
Abuna
Catholicos
Coptic cross
Cross of St. Thomas
Ethiopian titles
Maphrian
Tewahedo biblical canon
Oriental Orthodoxy portal
v
t
e
Part of a series on
Ecumenical councils
of the Catholic Church
Renaissance depiction of the Council of Trent
Antiquity (c. 50 – 451)
Jerusalem
Nicaea I
Constantinople I
Ephesus
Chalcedon
Early Middle Ages (553–870)
Constantinople II
Constantinople III
Nicaea II
Constantinople IV
High and Late Middle Ages (1122–1517)
Lateran I
Lateran II
Lateran III
Lateran IV
Lyon I
Lyon II
Vienne
Constance
Florence
Lateran V
Modernity (1545–1965)
Trent
Vatican I
Vatican II
Catholicism portal
v
t
e
The First Council of Nicaea (/naɪˈsiːə/; Greek: Νίκαια [ˈni:kaɪja]) was a council of Christian bishops convened in the Bithynian city of Nicaea (now Iznik, Bursa province, Turkey) by the Roman Emperor Constantine I in AD 325. Constantine I organized the Council along the lines of the Roman Senate and presided over it, but did not cast any official vote.
This ecumenical council was the first effort to attain consensus in the Church through an assembly representing all of Christendom. Hosius of Corduba, who was probably one of the Papal legates, may have presided over its deliberations.[5][6]
Its main accomplishments were settlement of the Christological issue of the divine nature of God the Son and his relationship to God the Father,[3] the construction of the first part of the Nicene Creed, establishing uniform observance of the date of Easter,[7] and promulgation of early canon law.[4][8]
Contents
[hide]
1 Overview
2 Character and purpose
3 Attendees
4 Agenda and procedure
5 Arian controversy
5.1 Arguments for Arianism
5.2 Arguments against Arianism
5.3 Result of the debate
6 Nicene Creed
7 Separation of Easter computation from Jewish calendar
8 Meletian schism
9 Promulgation of canon law
10 Effects of the council
11 Role of Constantine
12 Misconceptions
12.1 Biblical canon
12.2 Trinity
12.3 Constantine
13 Disputed matters
13.1 Role of the Bishop of Rome
14 Liturgical commemoration
15 See also
16 References
17 Bibliography
17.1 Primary sources
17.2 Secondary sources
18 External links
Overview[edit]
Eastern Orthodox icon depicting the First Council of Nicaea
The First Council of Nicaea was the first ecumenical council of the Church. Most significantly, it resulted in the first uniform Christian doctrine, called the Nicene Creed. With the creation of the creed, a precedent was established for subsequent local and regional councils of Bishops (Synods) to create statements of belief and canons of doctrinal orthodoxy—the intent being to define unity of beliefs for the whole of Christendom.
Derived from Greek (Ancient Greek: οἰκουμένη oikouménē "the inhabited one"), "ecumenical" means "worldwide" but generally is assumed to be limited to the known inhabited Earth, (Danker 2000, pp. 699-670) and at this time in history is synonymous with the Roman Empire; the earliest extant uses of the term for a council are Eusebius' Life of Constantine 3.6[9] around 338, which states "he convoked an Ecumenical Council" (Ancient Greek: σύνοδον οἰκουμενικὴν συνεκρότει sýnodon oikoumenikḕn synekrótei)[10] and the Letter in 382 to Pope Damasus I and the Latin bishops from the First Council of Constantinople.[11]
One purpose of the council was to resolve disagreements arising from within the Church of Alexandria over the nature of the Son in his relationship to the Father: in particular, whether the Son had been 'begotten' by the Father from his own being, and therefore having no beginning, or else created out of nothing, and therefore having a beginning.[12] St. Alexander of Alexandria and Athanasius took the first position; the popular presbyter Arius, from whom the term Arianism comes, took the second. The council decided against the Arians overwhelmingly (of the estimated 250–318 attendees, all but two agreed to sign the creed and these two, along with Arius, were banished to Illyria).[13]
Another result of the council was an agreement on when to celebrate Easter, the most important feast of the ecclesiastical calendar, decreed in an epistle to the Church of Alexandria in which is simply stated:
We also send you the good news of the settlement concerning the holy pasch, namely that in answer to your prayers this question also has been resolved. All the brethren in the East who have hitherto followed the Jewish practice will henceforth observe the custom of the Romans and of yourselves and of all of us who from ancient times have kept Easter together with you.[14]
Historically significant as the first effort to attain consensus in the church through an assembly representing all of Christendom,[15] the Council was the first occasion where the technical aspects of Christology were discussed.[15] Through it a precedent was set for subsequent general councils to adopt creeds and canons. This council is generally considered the beginning of the period of the First seven Ecumenical Councils in the History of Christianity.
Character and purpose[edit]
Constantine the Great summoned the bishops of the Christian Church to Nicaea to address divisions in the Church (mosaic in Hagia Sophia, Constantinople (Istanbul), ca. 1000).
The First Council of Nicaea was convened by Emperor Constantine the Great upon the recommendations of a synod led by Hosius of Córdoba in the Eastertide of 325. This synod had been charged with investigation of the trouble brought about by the Arian controversy in the Greek-speaking east.[16] To most bishops, the teachings of Arius were heretical and dangerous to the salvation of souls.[17] In the summer of 325, the bishops of all provinces were summoned to Nicaea, a place reasonably accessible to many delegates, particularly those of Asia Minor, Georgia, Armenia, Syria, Palestine, Egypt, Greece, and Thrace.
This was the first general council in the history of the Church summoned by emperor Constantine I. In the Council of Nicaea, "The Church had taken her first great step to define revealed doctrine more precisely in response to a challenge from a heretical theology."[18]
Attendees[edit]
Constantine had invited all 1,800 bishops of the Christian church within the Roman Empire (about 1,000 in the east and 800 in the west), but a smaller and unknown number attended. Eusebius of Caesarea counted more than 250,[19] Athanasius of Alexandria counted 318,[10] and Eustathius of Antioch estimated "about 270"[20] (all three were present at the council). Later, Socrates Scholasticus recorded more than 300,[21] and Evagrius,[22] Hilary of Poitiers,[23] Jerome,[24] Dionysius Exiguus,[25] and Rufinus[26] recorded 318. This number 318 is preserved in the liturgies of the Eastern Orthodox Church[27] and the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria.[citation needed]
Delegates came from every region of the Roman Empire, including Britain.[28] The participating bishops were given free travel to and from their episcopal sees to the council, as well as lodging. These bishops did not travel alone; each one had permission to bring with him two priests and three deacons, so the total number of attendees could have been above 1,800. Eusebius speaks of an almost innumerable host of accompanying priests, deacons, and acolytes.
The Eastern bishops formed the great majority. Of these, the first rank was held by the three patriarchs: Alexander of Alexandria, Eustathius of Antioch, and Macarius of Jerusalem. Many of the assembled fathers—for instance, Paphnutius of Thebes, Potamon of Heraclea, and Paul of Neocaesarea—had stood forth as confessors of the faith and came to the council with the marks of persecution on their faces. This position is supported by patristic scholar Timothy Barnes in his book Constantine and Eusebius.[29] Historically, the influence of these marred confessors has been seen as substantial, but recent scholarship has called this into question.[26]
Other remarkable attendees were Eusebius of Nicomedia; Eusebius of Caesarea, the purported first church historian; circumstances suggest that Nicholas of Myra attended (his life was the seed of the Santa Claus legends); Aristaces of Armenia (son of Saint Gregory the Illuminator); Leontius of Caesarea; Jacob of Nisibis, a former hermit; Hypatius of Gangra; Protogenes of Sardica; Melitius of Sebastopolis; Achilleus of Larissa (considered the Athanasius of Thessaly)[30] and Spyridion of Trimythous, who even while a bishop made his living as a shepherd.[31] From foreign places came John, bishop of Persia and India, Theophilus, a Gothic bishop, and Stratophilus, bishop of Pitiunt in Georgia.
The Latin-speaking provinces sent at least five representatives: Marcus of Calabria from Italia, Cecilian of Carthage from Africa, Hosius of Córdoba from Hispania, Nicasius of Die from Gaul,[30] and Domnus of Stridon from the province of the Danube.
Athanasius of Alexandria, a young deacon and companion of Bishop Alexander of Alexandria, was among the assistants. Athanasius eventually spent most of his life battling against Arianism. Alexander of Constantinople, then a presbyter, was also present as representative of his aged bishop.[30]
The supporters of Arius included Secundus of Ptolemais, Theonus of Marmarica, Zephyrius (or Zopyrus), and Dathes, all of whom hailed from the Libyan Pentapolis. Other supporters included Eusebius of Nicomedia, Paulinus of Tyrus, Actius of Lydda, Menophantus of Ephesus, and Theognus of Nicaea.[30][32]
"Resplendent in purple and gold, Constantine made a ceremonial entrance at the opening of the council, probably in early June, but respectfully seated the bishops ahead of himself."[5] As Eusebius described, Constantine "himself proceeded through the midst of the assembly, like some heavenly messenger of God, clothed in raiment which glittered as it were with rays of light, reflecting the glowing radiance of a purple robe, and adorned with the brilliant splendor of gold and precious stones."[33] The emperor was present as an overseer and presider, but did not cast any official vote. Constantine organized the Council along the lines of the Roman Senate. Hosius of Cordoba may have presided over its deliberations; he was probably one of the Papal legates.[5] Eusebius of Nicomedia probably gave the welcoming address.[5][34]
Agenda and procedure[edit]
A fresco depicting the First Council of Nicaea.
The agenda of the synod included:
The Arian question regarding the relationship between God the Father and the Son (not only in his incarnate form as Jesus, but also in his nature before the creation of the world); i.e., are the Father and Son one in divine purpose only or also one in being?
The date of celebration of Pascha/Easter
The Meletian schism
Various matters of church discipline, which resulted in twenty canons
Organizational structure of the Church: focused on the ordering of the episcopacy
Dignity standards for the clergy: issues of ordination at all levels and of suitability of behavior and background for clergy
Reconciliation of the lapsed: establishing norms for public repentance and penance
Readmission to the Church of heretics and schismatics: including issues of when reordination and/or rebaptism were to be required
Liturgical practice: including the place of deacons, and the practice of standing at prayer during liturgy[35]
The council was formally opened May 20, in the central structure of the imperial palace at Nicaea, with preliminary discussions of the Arian question. In these discussions, some dominant figures were Arius, with several adherents. "Some 22 of the bishops at the council, led by Eusebius of Nicomedia, came as supporters of Arius. But when some of the more shocking passages from his writings were read, they were almost universally seen as blasphemous."[5] Bishops Theognis of Nicaea and Maris of Chalcedon were among the initial supporters of Arius.
Eusebius of Caesarea called to mind the baptismal creed of his own diocese at Caesarea at Palestine, as a form of reconciliation. The majority of the bishops agreed. For some time, scholars thought that the original Nicene Creed was based on this statement of Eusebius. Today, most scholars think that the Creed is derived from the baptismal creed of Jerusalem, as Hans Lietzmann proposed.
The orthodox bishops won approval of every one of their proposals regarding the Creed. After being in session for an entire month, the council promulgated on June 19 the original Nicene Creed. This profession of faith was adopted by all the bishops "but two from Libya who had been closely associated with Arius from the beginning".[18] No explicit historical record of their dissent actually exists; the signatures of these bishops are simply absent from the Creed.
Arian controversy[edit]
Main articles: Arius, Arianism, and Arian controversy
The synod of Nicaea, Constantine and the condemnation and burning of Arian books, illustration from a northern Italian compendium of canon law, ca. 825
The Arian controversy arose in Alexandria when the newly reinstated presbyter Arius[36] began to spread doctrinal views that were contrary to those of his bishop, St. Alexander of Alexandria. The disputed issues centered on the natures and relationship of God (the Father) and the Son of God (Jesus). The disagreements sprang from different ideas about the Godhead and what it meant for Jesus to be God's Son. Alexander maintained that the Son was divine in just the same sense that the Father is, coeternal with the Father, else he could not be a true Son.[12][37]
Arius emphasized the supremacy and uniqueness of God the Father, meaning that the Father alone is almighty and infinite, and that therefore the Father's divinity must be greater than the Son's. Arius taught that the Son had a beginning, and that he possessed neither the eternity nor the true divinity of the Father, but was rather made "God" only by the Father's permission and power, and that the Son was rather the very first and the most perfect of God's creatures.[12][37]
The Arian discussions and debates at the council extended from about May 20, 325, through about June 19.[37] According to legendary accounts, debate became so heated that at one point, Arius was struck in the face by Nicholas of Myra, who would later be canonized.[38] This account is almost certainly apocryphal, as Arius himself would not have been present in the council chamber due to the fact that he was not a bishop.[39]
Much of the debate hinged on the difference between being "born" or "created" and being "begotten". Arians saw these as essentially the same; followers of Alexander did not. The exact meaning of many of the words used in the debates at Nicaea were still unclear to speakers of other languages. Greek words like "essence" (ousia), "substance" (hypostasis), "nature" (physis), "person" (prosopon) bore a variety of meanings drawn from pre-Christian philosophers, which could not but entail misunderstandings until they were cleared up. The word homoousia, in particular, was initially disliked by many bishops because of its associations with Gnostic heretics (who used it in their theology), and because their heresies had been condemned at the 264–268 Synods of Antioch.
Arguments for Arianism[edit]
According to surviving accounts, the presbyter Arius argued for the supremacy of God the Father, and maintained that the Son of God was created as an act of the Father's will, and therefore that the Son was a creature made by God, begotten directly of the infinite, eternal God. Arius's argument was that the Son was God's very first production, before all ages. The position being that the Son had a beginning, and that only the Father has no beginning. And Arius argued that everything else was created through the Son. Thus, said the Arians, only the Son was directly created and begotten of God; and therefore there was a time that He had no existence. Arius believed that the Son of God was capable of His own free will of right and wrong, and that "were He in the truest sense a son, He must have come after the Father, therefore the time obviously was when He was not, and hence He was a finite being",[40] and that He was under God the Father. Therefore, Arius insisted that the Father's divinity was greater than the Son's. The Arians appealed to Scripture, quoting biblical statements such as "the Father is greater than I",[41] and also that the Son is "firstborn of all creation".[42]
Arguments against Arianism[edit]
The Council of Nicaea, with Arius depicted as defeated by the council, lying under the feet of Emperor Constantine.
The opposing view stemmed from the idea that begetting the Son is itself in the nature of the Father, which is eternal. Thus, the Father was always a Father, and both Father and Son existed always together, eternally, coequally and consubstantially.[43] The contra-Arian argument thus stated that the Logos was "eternally begotten", therefore with no beginning. Those in opposition to Arius believed that to follow the Arian view destroyed the unity of the Godhead, and made the Son unequal to the Father. They insisted that such a view was in contravention of such Scriptures as "I and the Father are one"[44] and "the Word was God",[44] as such verses were interpreted. They declared, as did Athanasius,[45] that the Son had no beginning, but had an "eternal derivation" from the Father, and therefore was coeternal with him, and equal to God in all aspects.[46]
Result of the debate[edit]
The Council declared that the Son was true God, coeternal with the Father and begotten from His same substance, arguing that such a doctrine best codified the Scriptural presentation of the Son as well as traditional Christian belief about him handed down from the Apostles. This belief was expressed by the bishops in the Creed of Nicaea, which would form the basis of what has since been known as the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed.[47]
Nicene Creed[edit]
Main article: Nicene Creed
Icon depicting the Emperor Constantine and the bishops of the First Council of Nicaea (325) holding the Niceno–Constantinopolitan Creed of 381
One of the projects undertaken by the Council was the creation of a Creed, a declaration and summary of the Christian faith. Several creeds were already in existence; many creeds were acceptable to the members of the council, including Arius. From earliest times, various creeds served as a means of identification for Christians, as a means of inclusion and recognition, especially at baptism.
In Rome, for example, the Apostles' Creed was popular, especially for use in Lent and the Easter season. In the Council of Nicaea, one specific creed was used to define the Church's faith clearly, to include those who professed it, and to exclude those who did not.
Some distinctive elements in the Nicene Creed, perhaps from the hand of Hosius of Cordova, were added, some specifically to counter the Arian point of view.[12][48]
Jesus Christ is described as "Light from Light, true God from true God," proclaiming his divinity.
Jesus Christ is said to be "begotten, not made," asserting that he was not a mere creature, brought into being out of nothing, but the true Son of God, brought into being "from the substance of the Father."
He is said to be "of one being with the Father," proclaiming that although Jesus Christ is "true God" and God the Father is also "true God," they are "of one being," in accord to what is found in John 10:30: "I and the Father are one." The Greek term homoousios, or consubstantial (i.e., "of the same substance) is ascribed by Eusebius to Constantine who, on this particular point, may have chosen to exercise his authority. The significance of this clause, however, is extremely ambiguous as to the extent in which Jesus Christ and God the Father are "of one being," and the issues it raised would be seriously controverted in the future.
At the end of the creed came a list of anathemas, designed to repudiate explicitly the Arians' stated claims.
The view that "there was once when he was not" was rejected to maintain the coeternity of the Son with the Father.
The view that he was "mutable or subject to change" was rejected to maintain that the Son just like the Father was beyond any form of weakness or corruptibility, and most importantly that he could not fall away from absolute moral perfection.
Thus, instead of a baptismal creed acceptable to both the Arians and their opponents the council promulgated one which was clearly opposed to Arianism and incompatible with the distinctive core of their beliefs. The text of this profession of faith is preserved in a letter of Eusebius to his congregation, in Athanasius, and elsewhere. Although the most vocal of anti-Arians, the Homoousians (from the Koine Greek word translated as "of same substance" which was condemned at the Council of Antioch in 264–268) were in the minority, the Creed was accepted by the council as an expression of the bishops' common faith and the ancient faith of the whole Church.
Bishop Hosius of Cordova, one of the firm Homoousians, may well have helped bring the council to consensus. At the time of the council, he was the confidant of the emperor in all Church matters. Hosius stands at the head of the lists of bishops, and Athanasius ascribes to him the actual formulation of the creed. Great leaders such as Eustathius of Antioch, Alexander of Alexandria, Athanasius, and Marcellus of Ancyra all adhered to the Homoousian position.
In spite of his sympathy for Arius, Eusebius of Caesarea adhered to the decisions of the council, accepting the entire creed. The initial number of bishops supporting Arius was small. After a month of discussion, on June 19, there were only two left: Theonas of Marmarica in Libya, and Secundus of Ptolemais. Maris of Chalcedon, who initially supported Arianism, agreed to the whole creed. Similarly, Eusebius of Nicomedia and Theognis of Nice also agreed, except for certain statements.
The Emperor carried out his earlier statement: everybody who refused to endorse the Creed would be exiled. Arius, Theonas, and Secundus refused to adhere to the creed, and were thus exiled to Illyria, in addition to being excommunicated. The works of Arius were ordered to be confiscated and consigned to the flames, while his supporters considered as "enemies of Christianity." [49] Nevertheless, the controversy continued in various parts of the empire.[50]
The Creed was amended to a new version by the First Council of Constantinople in 381.
Separation of Easter computation from Jewish calendar[edit]
The feast of Easter is linked to the Jewish Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread, as Christians believe that the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus occurred at the time of those observances.
As early as Pope Sixtus I, some Christians had set Easter to a Sunday in the lunar month of Nisan. To determine which lunar month was to be designated as Nisan, Christians relied on the Jewish community. By the later 3rd century some Christians began to express dissatisfaction with what they took to be the disorderly state of the Jewish calendar. They argued that contemporary Jews were identifying the wrong lunar month as the month of Nisan, choosing a month whose 14th day fell before the spring equinox.[51]
Christians, these thinkers argued, should abandon the custom of relying on Jewish informants and instead do their own computations to determine which month should be styled Nisan, setting Easter within this independently computed, Christian Nisan, which would always locate the festival after the equinox. They justified this break with tradition by arguing that it was in fact the contemporary Jewish calendar that had broken with tradition by ignoring the equinox, and that in former times the 14th of Nisan had never preceded the equinox.[52] Others felt that the customary practice of reliance on the Jewish calendar should continue, even if the Jewish computations were in error from a Christian point of view.[53]
The controversy between those who argued for independent computations and those who argued for continued reliance on the Jewish calendar was formally resolved by the Council, which endorsed the independent procedure that had been in use for some time at Rome and Alexandria. Easter was henceforward to be a Sunday in a lunar month chosen according to Christian criteria—in effect, a Christian Nisan—not in the month of Nisan as defined by Jews.[7] Those who argued for continued reliance on the Jewish calendar (called "protopaschites" by later historians) were urged to come around to the majority position. That they did not all immediately do so is revealed by the existence of sermons,[54] canons,[55] and tracts[56] written against the protopaschite practice in the later 4th century.
These two rules, independence of the Jewish calendar and worldwide uniformity, were the only rules for Easter explicitly laid down by the Council. No details for the computation were specified; these were worked out in practice, a process that took centuries and generated a number of controversies (see also Computus and Reform of the date of Easter.) In particular, the Council did not seem to decree that Easter must fall on Sunday.[57]
Nor did the Council decree that Easter must never coincide with Nisan 14 (the first Day of Unleavened Bread, now commonly called "Passover") in the Hebrew calendar. By endorsing the move to independent computations, the Council had separated the Easter computation from all dependence, positive or negative, on the Jewish calendar. The "Zonaras proviso", the claim that Easter must always follow Nisan 14 in the Hebrew calendar, was not formulated until after some centuries. By that time, the accumulation of errors in the Julian solar and lunar calendars had made it the de facto state of affairs that Julian Easter always followed Hebrew Nisan 14.[58]
Meletian schism[edit]
Main article: Meletius of Lycopolis
The suppression of the Meletian schism, an early breakaway sect, was another important matter that came before the Council of Nicaea. Meletius, it was decided, should remain in his own city of Lycopolis in Egypt, but without exercising authority or the power to ordain new clergy; he was forbidden to go into the environs of the town or to enter another diocese for the purpose of ordaining its subjects. Melitius retained his episcopal title, but the ecclesiastics ordained by him were to receive again the Laying on of hands, the ordinations performed by Meletius being therefore regarded as invalid. Clergy ordained by Meletius were ordered to yield precedence to those ordained by Alexander, and they were not to do anything without the consent of Bishop Alexander.[59]
In the event of the death of a non-Meletian bishop or ecclesiastic, the vacant see might be given to a Meletian, provided he was worthy and the popular election were ratified by Alexander. As to Meletius himself, episcopal rights and prerogatives were taken from him. These mild measures, however, were in vain; the Meletians joined the Arians and caused more dissension than ever, being among the worst enemies of Athanasius. The Meletians ultimately died out around the middle of the fifth century.
Promulgation of canon law[edit]
Part of a series on the
Jurisprudence of
Catholic canon law
Current law[show]
1983 Code of Canon Law
Omnium in mentem
Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches
Ad tuendam fidem
Ex Corde Ecclesiae
Indulgentiarum Doctrina
Pastor Bonus
Pontificalis Domus
Universi Dominici gregis
Custom
Legal history[show]
1917 Code of Canon Law
Corpus Juris Canonici
Decretist
Regulæ Juris
Decretals of Gregory IX
Decretalist
Decretum Gratiani
Extravagantes
Liber Septimus
Ancient Church Orders
Didache
The Apostolic Constitutions
Canons of the Apostles
Collections of ancient canons
Collectiones canonum Dionysianae
Collectio canonum quadripartita
Collectio canonum Quesnelliana
Collectio canonum Wigorniensis
Other
Pseudo-Isidorian Decretals
Benedictus Deus (Pius IV)
Contractum trinius
Defect of Birth
Oriental law[show]
Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches
Eastern Canonical Reforms of Pius XII
Nomocanon
Archeparchy
Eparchy
Liturgical law[show]
Ecclesia Dei
Mysterii Paschalis
Sacrosanctum Concilium
Musicam Sacram
Summorum Pontificum
Tra le sollecitudini
Sacramental law[show]
Canon 844
Ex opere operato
Omnium in mentem
Valid but illicit
Holy Orders
Impediment (canon law)
Abstemius
Clerical celibacy (Catholic Church)
Nullity of Sacred Ordination
Dimissorial letters
Approbation
Confession
Apostolic Penitentiary
Complicit absolution
Canon penitentiary
Internal forum
Paenitentiale Theodori
Penitential canons
Seal of the Confessional
Eucharist
Eucharistic discipline
Canon 915
Matrimonial law[show]
Affinity
Banns of Marriage
Declaration of Nullity
Matrimonial Nullity Trial Reforms of Pope Francis
Defender of the Bond
Impediments to Marriage
Impediment of crime
Disparity of Cult
Ligamen
Matrimonial Dispensation
ratum sed non consummatum
Natural Marriage
Pauline privilege
Petrine privilege
Trials and tribunals[show]
Tribunals
Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura
Tribunal of the Roman Rota
Apostolic Penitentiary
Tribunal Officers
Judicial Vicar/Officialis
Auditor
Advocatus Diaboli
Defender of the Bond
Tribunal Procedure
Appeal as from an abuse
Presumption
Canonical structures[show]
Particular churches
Particular churches sui juris
Latin Church
Eastern Catholic Churches
Local particular churches
Abbacy nullius
Abbot nullius
Apostolic vicariate
Apostolic vicar
Apostolic administration
Apostolic administrator
Archdiocese
Diocese
Aeque principaliter
Cathedraticum
In persona episcopi
Chancery
Archeparchy
Eparchy
Deanery
Vicar forane
Military ordinariate
Mission sui juris
Personal ordinariate
Anglicanorum Coetibus
Personal Prelature
Juridic persons
Parish
Roman Curia
Dicastery
Congregation
Pontifical council
Jurisprudence[show]
Canonical coronation
Canonically crowned images
Computation of time
Custom
Delegata potestas non potest delegari
Derogation
Dispensation
Taxa Innocentiana
Indult
Impediment
Interpretation
Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts
Jurisdiction
Peritus
Obreption & subreption
Obrogation
Promulgation
Resignation of the Roman Pontiff
Sede vacante
Vacatio legis
Valid but illicit
Philosophy, theology, and
fundamental theory[show]
Theology
Ecclesiology
Treatise on Law
Determinatio
Law of persons[show]
Person (canon law)
Canonical age
Canonical faculties
Clerics and public office
Clerical celebacy
Consecrated life
Defect of Birth
Emancipation
Juridic & physical persons
Jus patronatus
Laicization (dispensation)
Canonical documents[show]
Notary (canon law)
Protonotary apostolic
Apostolic constitution
Canon
Concordat
Decree
Decretal
Encyclical
Motu proprio
Ordinance
Papal brief
Papal bull
Penitential
Positive law
Rescript
Penal law[show]
Canon 1324
Canon 1398
Excommunication
Interdict
Internal forum
Laicization (penal)
Latae Sententiae censure
Catholicism portal
v
t
e
Main articles: Canon law, Collections of ancient canons, and Promulgation (canon law)
The council promulgated twenty new church laws, called canons, (though the exact number is subject to debate), that is, unchanging rules of discipline. The twenty as listed in the Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers[60] are as follows:
1. prohibition of self-castration
2. establishment of a minimum term for catechumens (persons studying for baptism)
3. prohibition of the presence in the house of a cleric of a younger woman who might bring him under suspicion (the so called virgines subintroductae, who practiced Syneisaktism)
4. ordination of a bishop in the presence of at least three provincial bishops and confirmation by the metropolitan bishop
5. provision for two provincial synods to be held annually
6. confirmation of ancient customs giving jurisdiction over large regions to the bishops of Alexandria, Rome, and Antioch
7. recognition of the honorary rights of the see of Jerusalem
8. provision for agreement with the Novatianists, an early sect
9–14. provision for mild procedure against the lapsed during the persecution under Licinius
15–16. prohibition of the removal of priests
17. prohibition of usury among the clergy
18. precedence of bishops and presbyters before deacons in receiving the Eucharist (Holy Communion)
19. declaration of the invalidity of baptism by Paulian heretics
20. prohibition of kneeling on Sundays and during the Pentecost (the fifty days commencing on Easter). Standing was the normative posture for prayer at this time, as it still is among the Eastern Christians. Kneeling was considered most appropriate to penitential prayer, as distinct from the festive nature of Eastertide and its remembrance every Sunday. The canon itself was designed only to ensure uniformity of practise at the designated times.
On July 25, 325, in conclusion, the fathers of the council celebrated the Emperor's twentieth anniversary. In his farewell address, Constantine informed the audience how averse he was to dogmatic controversy; he wanted the Church to live in harmony and peace. In a circular letter, he announced the accomplished unity of practice by the whole Church in the date of the celebration of Christian Passover (Easter).
Effects of the council[edit]
The long-term effects of the Council of Nicaea were significant. For the first time, representatives of many of the bishops of the Church convened to agree on a doctrinal statement. Also for the first time, the Emperor played a role, by calling together the bishops under his authority, and using the power of the state to give the council's orders effect.
In the short-term, however, the council did not completely solve the problems it was convened to discuss and a period of conflict and upheaval continued for some time. Constantine himself was succeeded by two Arian Emperors in the Eastern Empire: his son, Constantius II and Valens. Valens could not resolve the outstanding ecclesiastical issues, and unsuccessfully confronted St. Basil over the Nicene Creed.[61]
Pagan powers within the Empire sought to maintain and at times re-establish paganism into the seat of the Emperor (see Arbogast and Julian the Apostate). Arians and Meletians soon regained nearly all of the rights they had lost, and consequently, Arianism continued to spread and be a subject of debate within the Church during the remainder of the fourth century. Almost immediately, Eusebius of Nicomedia, an Arian bishop and cousin to Constantine I, used his influence at court to sway Constantine's favor from the proto-orthodox Nicene bishops to the Arians.[62]
Eustathius of Antioch was deposed and exiled in 330. Athanasius, who had succeeded Alexander as Bishop of Alexandria, was deposed by the First Synod of Tyre in 335 and Marcellus of Ancyra followed him in 336. Arius himself returned to Constantinople to be readmitted into the Church, but died shortly before he could be received. Constantine died the next year, after finally receiving baptism from Arian Bishop Eusebius of Nicomedia, and "with his passing the first round in the battle after the Council of Nicaea was ended".[62]
Role of Constantine[edit]
See also: Constantine the Great and Christianity
Christianity was illegal in the empire until the emperors Constantine and Licinius agreed in 313 to what became known as the Edict of Milan. However, Nicene Christianity did not become the state religion of the Roman Empire until the Edict of Thessalonica in 380. In the mean time, paganism remained legal and present in public affairs. Constantine's coinage and other official motifs, until the Council of Nicaea, had affiliated him with the pagan cult of Sol Invictus. At first, Constantine encouraged the construction of new temples[63] and tolerated traditional sacrifices.[64] Later in his reign, he gave orders for the pillaging and the tearing down of Roman temples.[65][66][67]
Constantine's role regarding Nicaea was that of supreme civil leader and authority in the empire. As Emperor, the responsibility for maintaining civil order was his, and he sought that the Church be of one mind and at peace. When first informed of the unrest in Alexandria due to the Arian disputes, he was "greatly troubled" and, "rebuked" both Arius and Bishop Alexander for originating the disturbance and allowing it to become public.[68] Aware also of "the diversity of opinion" regarding the celebration of Easter and hoping to settle both issues, he sent the "honored" Bishop Hosius of Cordova (Hispania) to form a local church council and "reconcile those who were divided".[68] When that embassy failed, he turned to summoning a synod at Nicaea, inviting "the most eminent men of the churches in every country".[69]
Constantine assisted in assembling the council by arranging that travel expenses to and from the bishops' episcopal sees, as well as lodging at Nicaea, be covered out of public funds.[70] He also provided and furnished a "great hall ... in the palace" as a place for discussion so that the attendees "should be treated with becoming dignity".[70] In addressing the opening of the council, he "exhorted the Bishops to unanimity and concord" and called on them to follow the Holy Scriptures with: "Let, then, all contentious disputation be discarded; and let us seek in the divinely-inspired word the solution of the questions at issue."[70]
Thereupon, the debate about Arius and church doctrine began. "The emperor gave patient attention to the speeches of both parties" and "deferred" to the decision of the bishops.[71] The bishops first pronounced Arius' teachings to be anathema, formulating the creed as a statement of correct doctrine. When Arius and two followers refused to agree, the bishops pronounced clerical judgement by excommunicating them from the Church. Respecting the clerical decision, and seeing the threat of continued unrest, Constantine also pronounced civil judgement, banishing them into exile. This was the beginning of the practice of using secular power to establish doctrinal orthodoxy within Christianity, an example followed by all later Christian emperors, which led to a circle of Christian violence, and of Christian resistance couched in terms of martyrdom.[72]
Misconceptions[edit]
Biblical canon[edit]
Main article: Development of the Christian biblical canon
There is no record of any discussion of the biblical canon at the council.[73] The development of the biblical canon took centuries, and was nearly complete (with exceptions known as the Antilegomena, written texts whose authenticity or value is disputed) by the time the Muratorian fragment was written.[74]
In 331, Constantine commissioned fifty Bibles for the Church of Constantinople, but little else is known (in fact, it is not even certain whether his request was for fifty copies of the entire Old and New Testaments, only the New Testament, or merely the Gospels). Some scholars believe that this request provided motivation for canon lists. In Jerome's Prologue to Judith,[75] he claims that the Book of Judith was "found by the Nicene Council to have been counted among the number of the Sacred Scriptures", which some have suggested means the Nicene Council did discuss what documents would number among the sacred scriptures, but more likely simply means the Council used Judith in its deliberations on other matters and so it should be considered canonical.
The main source of the idea that the Bible was created at the Council of Nicea seems to be Voltaire, who popularised a story that the canon was determined by placing all the competing books on an altar during the Council and then keeping the ones that did not fall off. The original source of this "fictitious anecdote" is the Synodicon Vetus,[76] a pseudo-historical account of early Church councils from AD 887:[77]
The canonical and apocryphal books it distinguished in the following manner: in the house of God the books were placed down by the holy altar; then the council asked the Lord in prayer that the inspired works be found on top and--as in fact happened--the spurious on the bottom.[78]
Trinity[edit]
The council of Nicaea dealt primarily with the issue of the deity of Christ. Over a century earlier the term "Trinity" (Τριάς in Greek; trinitas in Latin) was used in the writings of Origen (185–254) and Tertullian (160–220), and a general notion of a "divine three", in some sense, was expressed in the second century writings of Polycarp, Ignatius, and Justin Martyr. In Nicaea, questions regarding the Holy Spirit were left largely unaddressed until after the relationship between the Father and the Son was settled around the year 362.[79] So the doctrine in a more full-fledged form was not formulated until the Council of Constantinople in 360 AD,[80] and a final form formulated in 381 AD, primarily crafted by Gregory of Nyssa.[81]
Constantine[edit]
Main article: Constantine the Great
While Constantine had sought a unified church after the council, he did not force the Homoousian view of Christ's nature on the council (see The role of Constantine).
Constantine did not commission any Bibles at the council itself. He did commission fifty Bibles in 331 for use in the churches of Constantinople, itself still a new city. No historical evidence points to involvement on his part in selecting or omitting books for inclusion in commissioned Bibles.
Despite Constantine's sympathetic interest in the Church, he was not baptized until some 11 or 12 years after the council, putting off baptism as long as he did so as to be absolved from as much sin as possible[82] in accordance with the belief that in baptism all sin is forgiven fully and completely.[83]
Disputed matters[edit]
Role of the Bishop of Rome[edit]
See also: Primacy of the Roman pontiff and East-West Schism
Roman Catholics assert that the idea of Christ's deity was ultimately confirmed by the Bishop of Rome, and that it was this confirmation that gave the council its influence and authority. In support of this, they cite the position of early fathers and their expression of the need for all churches to agree with Rome (see Irenaeus, Adversus Haereses III:3:2).
However, Protestants, Eastern Orthodox, and Oriental Orthodox do not believe the Council viewed the Bishop of Rome as the jurisdictional head of Christendom, or someone having authority over other bishops attending the Council. In support of this, they cite Canon 6, where the Roman Bishop could be seen as simply one of several influential leaders, but not one who had jurisdiction over other bishops in other regions.[84]
According to Protestant theologian Philip Schaff, "The Nicene fathers passed this canon not as introducing anything new, but merely as confirming an existing relation on the basis of church tradition; and that, with special reference to Alexandria, on account of the troubles existing there. Rome was named only for illustration; and Antioch and all the other eparchies or provinces were secured their admitted rights. The bishoprics of Alexandria, Rome, and Antioch were placed substantially on equal footing." Thus, according to Schaff, the Bishop of Alexandria was to have jurisdiction over the provinces of Egypt, Libya and the Pentapolis, just as the Bishop of Rome had authority "with reference to his own diocese." [85]
But according to Fr. James F. Loughlin, there is an alternate Roman Catholic interpretation. It involves five different arguments "drawn respectively from the grammatical structure of the sentence, from the logical sequence of ideas, from Catholic analogy, from comparison with the process of formation of the Byzantine Patriarchate, and from the authority of the ancients"[86] in favor of an alternative understanding of the canon. According to this interpretation, the canon shows the role the Bishop of Rome had when he, by his authority, confirmed the jurisdiction of the other patriarchs—an interpretation which is in line with the Roman Catholic understanding of the Pope. Thus, the Bishop of Alexandria presided over Egypt, Libya and the Pentapolis, while the Bishop of Antioch "enjoyed a similar authority throughout the great diocese of Oriens," and all by the authority of the Bishop of Rome. To Loughlin, that was the only possible reason to invoke the custom of a Roman Bishop in a matter related to the two metropolitan bishops in Alexandria and Antioch.[86]
However, Protestant and Roman Catholic interpretations have historically assumed that some or all of the bishops identified in the canon were presiding over their own dioceses at the time of the Council—the Bishop of Rome over the Diocese of Italy, as Schaff suggested, the Bishop of Antioch over the Diocese of Oriens, as Loughlin suggested, and the Bishop of Alexandria over the Diocese of Egypt, as suggested by Karl Josef von Hefele. According to Hefele, the Council had assigned to Alexandria, "the whole (civil) Diocese of Egypt."[87] Yet those assumptions have since been proven false. At the time of the Council, the Diocese of Egypt did not yet exist, so the Council could not have assigned it to Alexandria. Antioch and Alexandria were both located within the civil Diocese of Oriens, Antioch being the chief metropolis, but neither administered the whole. Likewise, Rome and Milan were both located within the civil Diocese of Italy, Milan being the chief metropolis,[88][89] yet neither administered the whole.
This geographic issue related to Canon 6 was highlighted by Protestant writer, Timothy F. Kauffman, as a correction to the anachronism created by the assumption that each bishop was already presiding over a whole diocese at the time of the council.[90] According to Kauffman, since Milan and Rome were both located within the Diocese of Italy, and Antioch and Alexandria were both located within the Diocese of Oriens, a relevant and "structural congruency" between Rome and Alexandria was readily apparent to the gathered bishops: both had been made to share a diocese of which neither was the chief metropolis. Rome's jurisdiction within Italy had been defined in terms of several of the city's adjacent provinces since Diocletian's reordering of the empire in 293, as the earliest Latin version of the canon indicates,[91] and the rest of the Italian provinces were under the jurisdiction of Milan.
That provincial arrangement of Roman and Milanese jurisdiction within Italy therefore was a relevant precedent, and provided an administrative solution to the problem facing the council—namely, how to define Alexandrian and Antiochian jurisdiction within the Diocese of Oriens. In canon 6, the Council left most of the diocese under Antioch's jurisdiction, and assigned a few provinces of the diocese to Alexandria, "since the like is customary for the Bishop of Rome also."[92]
In that scenario, a relevant Roman precedent is invoked, answering Loughlin's argument as to why the custom of a bishop in Rome would have any bearing on a dispute regarding Alexandria in Oriens, and at the same time correcting Schaff's argument that the bishop of Rome was invoked by way of illustration "with reference to his own diocese." The custom of the bishop of Rome was invoked by way of illustration, not because he presided over the whole Church, or over the western Church or even over "his own diocese," but rather because he presided over a few provinces in a diocese that was otherwise administered from Milan. On the basis of that precedent, the council recognized Alexandria's ancient jurisdiction over a few provinces in the Diocese of Oriens, a diocese that was otherwise administered from Antioch.
Liturgical commemoration[edit]
The Churches of Byzantium celebrate the Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council on the seventh Sunday of Pascha (the Sunday before Pentecost).[93] The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod celebrates the First Ecumenical Council on June 12. The Coptic Church celebrates The Assembly of the First Ecumenical Council on 9 Hathor (usually Nov. 18). The Armenian Church celebrates the 318 Fathers of the Holy Council of Nicaea on Sept. 1.
See also[edit]
Christianity portal
History portal
Religion portal
Turkey portal
Ancient church councils (pre-ecumenical) – church councils before the First Council of Nicaea
First seven Ecumenical Councils
References[edit]
Jump up ^ Britannica 2014
^ Jump up to: a b SEC, pp. 112–114
^ Jump up to: a b SEC, p. 39
^ Jump up to: a b SEC, pp. 44–94
^ Jump up to: a b c d e Carroll 1987, p. 11
Jump up ^ Dictionnaire Historique, Dominique Vallaud & Fayard,1995, pp. 234–235,678[citation not found]
^ Jump up to: a b On the Keeping of Easter
Jump up ^ Leclercq 1911b
Jump up ^ Vita Constantini, Book 3, Chapter 6
^ Jump up to: a b Ad Afros Epistola Synodica
Jump up ^ SEC, pp. 292–294
^ Jump up to: a b c d Kelly 1978, Chapter 9
Jump up ^ Schaff & Schaff 1910, Section 120
Jump up ^ SEC, p. 114
^ Jump up to: a b Kieckhefer 1989
Jump up ^ Carroll 1987, p. 10
Jump up ^ Ware 1991, p. 28
^ Jump up to: a b Carroll 1987, p. 12
Jump up ^ Vita Constantini, iii.7
Jump up ^ Theodoret, Book 1, Chapter 7
Jump up ^ Theodoret, Book 1, Chapter 8
Jump up ^ Theodoret, Book 3, Chapter 31
Jump up ^ Contra Constantium Augustum Liber
Jump up ^ Temporum Liber
Jump up ^ Teres 1984, p. 177
^ Jump up to: a b Kelhoffer 2011
Jump up ^ Pentecostarion
Jump up ^ "Ancient See of York". New Advent. 2007. Retrieved 25 October 2007.
Jump up ^ Barnes 1981, pp. 214–215
^ Jump up to: a b c d Atiya 1991[citation not found]
Jump up ^ Vailhé 1912
Jump up ^ Photius I, Book 1, Chapter 9
Jump up ^ Vita Constantini, Book 3, Chapter 10
Jump up ^ Original lists of attendees can be found in Patrum nicaenorum
Jump up ^ Davis 1983, pp. 63–67
Jump up ^ Anatolios 2011, p. 44
^ Jump up to: a b c Davis 1983, pp. 52–54
Jump up ^ OCA 2014
Jump up ^ González 1984, p. 164
Jump up ^ M'Clintock & Strong 1890, p. 45
Jump up ^ John 14:28
Jump up ^ Colossians 1:15
Jump up ^ Davis 1983, p. 60
^ Jump up to: a b John 10:30
Jump up ^ On the Incarnation, ch 2, section 9, "... yet He Himself, as the Word, being immortal and the Father's Son"
Jump up ^ Athanasius (Patriarch of Alexandria) - Select treatises of St. Athanasius in controversy with the Arians, Volume 3 Translator and Editor John Henry Newman. Longmans, Green and co., 1920. page 51. Retrieved 24 May 2014.
Jump up ^ González 1984, p. 165
Jump up ^ Loyn 1991, p. 240
Jump up ^ Schaff & Schaff 1910, Section 120.
Jump up ^ Lutz von Padberg 1998, p. 26
Jump up ^ Anatolius, Book 7, Chapter 33.
Jump up ^ Chronicon Paschale.
Jump up ^ Panarion, Book 3, Chapter 1, Section 10.
Jump up ^ Chrysostom, p. 47.
Jump up ^ SEC, p. 594.
Jump up ^ Panarion, Book 3, Chapter 1.
Jump up ^ Sozomen, Book 7, Chapter 18.
Jump up ^ L'Huillier 1996, p. 25.
Jump up ^ Leclercq 1911a
Jump up ^ Canons
Jump up ^ AOC 1968
^ Jump up to: a b Davis 1983, p. 77
Jump up ^ Gerberding, R. and J. H. Moran Cruz, Medieval Worlds (New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004) p. 28.
Jump up ^ Peter Brown, The Rise of Christendom 2nd edition (Oxford, Blackwell Publishing, 2003) p. 60.
Jump up ^ R. MacMullen, "Christianizing The Roman Empire A.D.100-400, Yale University Press, 1984, ISBN 0-300-03642-6
Jump up ^ "A History of the Church", Philip Hughes, Sheed & Ward, rev ed 1949, vol I chapter 6.[1]
Jump up ^ Eusebius Pamphilius and Schaff, Philip (Editor) and McGiffert, Rev. Arthur Cushman, Ph.D. (Translator) NPNF2-01. Eusebius Pamphilius: Church History, Life of Constantine, Oration in Praise of Constantine quote: "he razed to their foundations those of them which had been the chief objects of superstitious reverence".
^ Jump up to: a b Sozomen, Book 1, Chapter 16
Jump up ^ Sozomen, Book 1, Chapter 17
^ Jump up to: a b c Theodoret, Book 1, Chapter 6
Jump up ^ Sozomen, Book 1, Chapter 20
Jump up ^ There is no crime for those who have Christ; religious violence in the Roman Empire. Michael Gaddis. University of California Press 2005. page 340.ISBN 978-0-520-24104-6
Jump up ^ Ehrman 2004, pp. 15–16, 23, 93
Jump up ^ McDonald & Sanders 2002, Apendex D2, Note 19
Jump up ^ Preface to Tobit and Judith
Jump up ^ Paul T. d' Holbach (1995). Andrew Hunwick, ed. Ecce homo!: An Eighteenth Century Life of Jesus. Critical Edition and Revision of George Houston's Translation from the French. Berlin, New York: Walter de Gruyter & Co. pp. 48–49. ISBN 9783110811414.
Jump up ^ A concise summary of the case can be found at [2], or less readable in http://www.tertullian.org/rpearse/nicaea.html .
Jump up ^ Synodicon Vetus, 35
Jump up ^ Fairbairn 2009, pp. 46–47
Jump up ^ Socrates, Book 2, Chapter 41
Jump up ^ Gregory of Nyssa, The Great Catechism ch. 3 in Schaff, Ante-Nicene, supra, 477
Jump up ^ Marilena Amerise, 'Il battesimo di Costantino il Grande."
Jump up ^ "Catechism of the Catholic Church". Vatican. Retrieved 7 October 2015.
Jump up ^ Canons, Canon 6
Jump up ^ Schaff & Schaff 1910, pp. 275–276
^ Jump up to: a b Loughlin 1880
Jump up ^ von Hefele, Karl (1855). Conciliengeschichte, v. 1. Freiburg im Breisgau, Baden-Württemberg, Germany: Herder. p. 373.
Jump up ^ Athanasius of Alexandria. "Historia Arianorum, Part IV, chapter 36". Retrieved June 22, 2016.
Jump up ^ Athanasius of Alexandria. "Apologia de Fuga, chapter 4". Retrieved June 22, 2016.
Jump up ^ Kauffman, Timothy F. (May–June 2016). "Nicæa and the Roman Precedent" (PDF). The Trinity Review (334, 335). Retrieved June 22, 2016.
Jump up ^ Turner, Cuthberthus Hamilton (1899). Ecclesiae Occidentalis monumenta iuris antiquissima, vol. 1. Oxonii, E Typographeo Clarendoniano. p. 120.
Jump up ^ First Council of Nicæa. "Canon 6". The First Council of Nicæa. Retrieved June 22, 2016.
Jump up ^ https://www.goarch.org/-/sunday-of-the-fathers-of-the-first-ecumenical-council
Bibliography[edit]
Primary sources[edit]
Note: NPNF2 = Schaff, Philip; Wace, Henry (eds.), Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series, Christian Classics Ethereal Library , retrieved 2014-07-29
Eusebius Pamphilius: Church History, Life of Constantine, Oration in Praise of Constantine, NPNF2, 1, retrieved 2014-02-24
Anatolius of Laodicea, "Paschal Canons quoted by Eusebius", The Ecclesiastical History of Eusebius
Eusebius Pamphilius, The Life of Constantine [Vita Constantini].
Socrates and Sozomenus Ecclesiastical Histories, NPNF2, 2
Socrates of Constantinople, The Ecclesiastical History of Socrates Scholasticus, retrieved 2014-02-24
Sozomen, The Ecclesiastical History of Sozomen
Theodoret, Jerome, Gennadius, and Rufinus: Historical Writings, NPNF2, 3, retrieved 2014-02-24
Constantine the Great, "Constantinus Augustus to the Churches quoted by Theodoret", The Ecclesiastical History of Theodoret, retrieved 2014-02-24
Eustathius of Antioch, "A Letter to the African Bishops quoted by Theodoret", The Ecclesiastical History of Theodoret, retrieved 2014-02-24
Theodoret of Cyrus, The Ecclesiastical History of Theodoret
Athanasius: Select Works and Letters, NPNF2, 4, retrieved 2014-02-24
Athanasius of Alexandria, De Decretis [Defence of the Nicene Definition], retrieved 2014-02-24
Athanasius of Alexandria, Ad Afros Epistola Synodica [Synodal Letter to the Bishops of Africa]
Eusebius Pamphilus, Letter of Eusebius of Cæsarea to the people of his Diocese, retrieved 2014-02-24
Jerome: The Principal Works of St. Jerome, NPNF2, 6, retrieved 2014-02-24
Jerome, Prefaces to the Books of Tobit and Judith
The Seven Ecumenical Councils, NPNF2, 14
The Nicene Creed, retrieved 2014-02-24
The Canons of the 318 Holy Fathers Assembled in the City of Nice, in Bithynia
Athanasius of Alexandria, The Synodal Letter, retrieved 2014-02-24
Constantine the Great, "On the Keeping of Easter quoted by Eusebius", The Life of Constantine
Chronicon Paschale [Paschal Chronicle]
Pentecostarion, Archdiocese of Thyateira and Great Britain, 3 November 2008, retrieved 22 February 2014
Chrysostom, John; Harkins, Paul W (trans) (1 April 2010), Discourses Against Judaizing Christians, The Fathers of the Church, 68, Catholic University of America Press, ISBN 978-0-8132-1168-8
Epiphanius of Salamis; Williams, Frank (trans) (1994), The Panarion of Epiphanius of Salamis, Leiden: Brill, ISBN 90-04-09898-4
Hilary of Poitiers, Contra Constantium Augustum Liber [A Book Against the Emperor Constantine]
Jerome, Temporum Liber [The Book of Times]
Photios I of Constantinople; Walford, Edward (trans), Epitome of the Ecclesiastical History of Philostorgius, Compiled by Photius, Patriarch of Constantinople
Secondary sources[edit]
"Heroes of the Fourth Century", Word Magazine, Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America: 15–19, February 1968
"Council of Nicaea", Encyclopædia Britannica, 2014
Anatolios, Khaled (1 October 2011), Retrieving Nicaea: The Development and Meaning of Trinitarian Doctrine, Grand Rapids: Baker Publishing Group, ISBN 978-0-8010-3132-8
Ayers, Lewis (20 April 2006), Nicaea and Its Legacy, New York: Oxford University Press, ISBN 978-0-19-875505-0, retrieved 2014-02-24
Barnes, Timothy David (1981), Constantine and Eusebius: , Cambridge: Harvard University Press, ISBN 978-0-674-16530-4, retrieved 2014-02-24
Carroll, Warren (1 March 1987), The Building of Christendom, Front Royal: Christendom College Press, ISBN 978-0-93-188824-3, retrieved 2014-02-24
Danker, Frederick William (2000), "οἰκουμένη", A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (Third ed.), Chicago: University of Chicago Press, ISBN 978-0-226-03933-6, retrieved 2014-02-24
Davis, Leo Donald (1983), The First Seven Ecumenical Councils (325-787), Collegeville: Liturgical Press, ISBN 978-0-8146-5616-7, retrieved 2014-02-24
Edwards, Mark (2009). Catholicity and Heresy in the Early Church. Ashgate.
Ehrman, Bart (2004), Truth and Fiction in the Da Vinci Code, Oxford University Press, ISBN 978-1-28084-545-1
Fairbairn, Donald (28 September 2009), Life in the Trinity, Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, ISBN 978-0-8308-3873-8, retrieved 2014-02-24
Gelzer, Heinrich; Hilgenfeld, Henricus; Cuntz, Otto, eds. (1995), Patrum nicaenorum nomina Latine, Graece, Coptice, Syriace, Arabice, Armeniace [The names of the Fathers at Nicaea in Latin, in Greek, Coptic, Syriac, Arabic, Armenian] (2nd ed.), Stuttgart: Teubner
González, Justo L (1984), The Story of Christianity, 1, Peabody: Prince Press, ISBN 978-1-56563-522-7, retrieved 2014-02-24
Kelhoffer, James A (2011), "The Search for Confessors at the Council of Nicaea", Journal of Early Christian Studies, 19 (4): 589–599, ISSN 1086-3184, doi:10.1353/earl.2011.0053
Kelly, J N D (29 March 1978), Early Christian Doctrine, San Francisco: HarperCollins, ISBN 978-0-06-064334-8, retrieved 2014-02-24
Kelly, J N D (1981), Early Christian Creeds, Harlow: Addison-Wesley Longman Limited, ISBN 978-0-582-49219-6, retrieved 2014-02-24
Kieckhefer, Richard (1989), "Papacy", in Strayer, Joseph Reese, Dictionary of the Middle Ages, 9, Charles Scribner's Sons, ISBN 978-0-684-18278-0, retrieved 2014-02-24
L'Huillier, Peter (January 1996), The Church of the Ancient Councils: The Disciplinary Work of the First Four Ecumenical Councils, Crestwood: St Vladimir's Seminary Press, ISBN 978-0-88141-007-5, retrieved 2014-02-24
Leclercq, Henri (1911), "Meletius of Lycopolis", The Catholic Encyclopedia, 10, New York: Robert Appleton Company, retrieved 19 February 2014
Leclercq, Henri (1911), "The First Council of Nicaea", The Catholic Encyclopedia, 11, New York: Robert Appleton Company, retrieved 19 February 2014
Loughlin, James F (1880), "The Sixth Nicene Canon and the Papacy", The American Catholic Quarterly Review, 5: 220–239
Loyn, Henry Royston (1991), The Middle Ages, New York: Thames & Hudson, ISBN 978-0-500-27645-7, retrieved 2014-02-24
M'Clintock, John; Strong, James (1890), Cyclopaedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature, 6, Harper & Brothers, retrieved 2014-02-24
MacMullen, Ramsay (2006), Voting About God in Early Church Councils, New Haven: Yale University Press, ISBN 978-0-300-11596-3, retrieved 2014-02-24
McDonald, Lee Martin; Sanders, James A, eds. (2002), The Canon Debate, Peabody: Hendrickson Publishers, ISBN 978-1-56563-517-3
Newman, Albert Henry (1899), A Manual of Church History, 1, Philadelphia: American Baptist Publication Society, OCLC 853516, retrieved 2014-02-24
Newman, John Henry; Williams, Rowan (1 September 2001), The Arians of the Fourth Century, Notre Dame: University of Notre Dame Press, ISBN 978-0-268-02012-5, retrieved 2014-02-24
Norris, Richard Alfred (trans) (1980), The Christological Controversy, Sources of Early Christian Thought, Minneapolis: Fortress Press, ISBN 978-0-8006-1411-9, retrieved 2014-02-24
St Nicholas the Wonderworker and Archbishop of Myra in Lycia, retrieved 22 February 2014
Lutz von Padberg (1998), Die Christianisierung Europas im Mittelalter [The Christianization of Europe in the Middle Ages], P. Reclam, ISBN 978-3-15-017015-1, retrieved 2014-02-24
Rubenstein, Richard E (26 August 1999), When Jesus became God, New York: Harcourt Brace & Co, ISBN 978-0-15-100368-6, retrieved 2014-02-24
Rusch, William G (trans) (1980), The Trinitarian Controversy, Sources of Early Christian Thought, Minneapolis: Fortress Press, ISBN 978-0-8006-1410-2, retrieved 2014-02-24
Schaff, Philip; Schaff, David Schley (1910). History of the Christian Church. 3. New York: C Scribner's Sons.
Tanner, Norman P (1 May 2001), The Councils of the Church, New York: Crossroad, ISBN 978-0-8245-1904-9, retrieved 2014-02-24
Teres, Gustav (October 1984), "Time Computations and Dionysius Exiguus", Journal for the History of Astronomy, 15 (3): 177, Bibcode:1984JHA....15..177T, retrieved 2014-02-24
Vailhé, Siméon (1912), "Tremithus", The Catholic Encyclopedia, 15, New York: Robert Appleton Company, retrieved 2014-02-24
Ware, Timothy (1991), The Orthodox Church, Penguin Adult
Williams, Rowan (1987), Arius, London: Darton, Logman & Todd, ISBN 978-0-232-51692-0, retrieved 2014-02-24
External links[edit]
Canons of the Council of Nicaea, Wisconsin Lutheran College
Updated English Translations of the Creed, Rulings (Canons), and Letters Connected to the Council.
The Road to Nicaea A descriptive overview of the events of the Council, by John Anthony McGuckin.
[show]
v
t
e
Ecumenical councils
First seven councils
Nicaea I (325)
Constantinople I (381)
Ephesus (431)
Chalcedon (451)
Constantinople II (553)
Constantinople III (680–681)
Nicaea II (787)
Recognized by the
Catholic Church
Constantinople IV (869–870)
Lateran I (1123)
Lateran II (1139)
Lateran III (1179)
Lateran IV (1215)
Lyon I (1245)
Lyon II (1274)
Vienne (1311–1312)
Constance (1414–1418)
Basel/Florence (1431–1445)
Lateran V (1512/1517)
Trent (1545–63)
Vatican I (1869–1870)
Vatican II (1962–1965)
Partly recognized by the
Eastern Orthodox Church
Quinisext Council (692)
Constantinople IV (879–880)
Constantinople V (1341–1351)
Synod of Jassy (1642)
Synod of Jerusalem (1672)
Synod of Constantinople (1872)
See also: Great Church
Catholicism portal
Eastern Orthodoxy portal
[show]
v
t
e
History of Christianity
Centuries:1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th 13th 14th 15th 16th 17th 18th 19th 20th 21st
Ministry of Jesus
and Apostolic Age
Jesus
Ministry
Crucifixion
Resurrection
Holy Spirit
Leadership
Apostles
Seventy disciples
Paul the Apostle
Council of Jerusalem
Great Commission
New Testament
Background
Gospels
Acts
Pauline epistles
General epistles
Revelation
Ante-Nicene Period
Judaism split
Justin Martyr
Ignatius
Persecution
Fathers
Irenaeus
Marcionism
Canon
Tertullian
Montanism
Origen
Late ancient
Constantine
Monasticism
Councils: Nicaea I
Creed
Athanasius
Arianism
Jerome
Augustine
Constantinople I
Ephesus I
Chalcedon
Eastern Christianity
Eastern Orthodoxy
Church of the East
Oriental Orthodoxy
Chrysostom
Nestorianism
Iconoclasm
Great Schism
Fall of Constantinople
Armenia
Georgia
Greece
Egypt
Syria
Ethiopia
Bulgaria
Ottoman Empire
Russia
America
Middle Ages
Pelagianism
Gregory I
Celtic
Germanic
Scandinavian
Kievan Rus'
Investiture
Anselm
Abelard
Bernard of Clairvaux
Bogomils
Cathars
Crusades
Waldensians
Inquisition
Scholasticism
Dominic
Francis
Bonaventure
Aquinas
Wycliffe
Avignon
Papal Schism
Bohemian Reformation
Hus
Conciliarism
Catholicism
Primacy development
Papacy
Timeline
Lateran IV
Trent
Counter-Reformation
Thomas More
Leo X
Guadalupe
Jesuits
Jansenists
Xavier
Monastery dissolution
Wars
Teresa
Vatican I & II
Modernism
Reformation
Protestantism
Erasmus
Five solae
Eucharist
Calvinist v. Arminian
Arminianism
Dort
Wars
Lutheranism
Martin Luther
95 Theses
Diet of Worms
Melanchthon
Orthodoxy
Eucharist
Book of Concord
Calvinism
Zwingli
Calvin
Presbyterianism
Scotland
Knox
TULIP
Dort
Three Forms of Unity
Westminster
Anglicanism
Timeline
Henry VIII
Cranmer
Settlement
39 Articles
Common Prayer
Puritans
Civil War
Anabaptism
Radical Reformation
Grebel
Swiss Brethren
Müntzer
Martyrs' Synod
Menno Simons
Smyth
1640–1789
Revivalism
English denominations
Baptists
Congregationalism
Great Awakening
Methodism
Millerism
Pietism
Neo- & Old Lutherans
1789–present
Camp meeting
Holiness movement
Independent Catholic denominations
Second Great Awakening
Restoration Movement
Jehovah's Witnesses
Mormonism
Seventh-day Adventist
Adventism
Third Great Awakening
Azusa Revival
Fundamentalism
Ecumenism
Evangelicalism
Jesus movement
Mainline Protestant
Pentecostalism
Charismatics
Liberation theology
Christian right
Christian left
Genocide by ISIL
Timeline
Missions Timeline
Martyrs
Theology
Eastern Orthodoxy
Oriental Orthodoxy
Protestantism
Catholicism
[show]
v
t
e
History of the Catholic Church
General
History of the Catholic Church
By country or region
History of the Papacy
Timeline of the Catholic Church
Catholic Ecumenical Councils
History of the Roman Curia
Catholic Church art
Religious institutes
Christian monasticism
Papal States
Role of Christianity in civilization
Church beginnings,
Great Church
Jesus
Apostles
Saint Peter
Paul the Apostle
Saint Stephen
John the Apostle
Great Commission
Council of Jerusalem
Apostolic Age
Apostolic Fathers
Ignatius of Antioch
Irenaeus
Pope Victor I
Tertullian
Constantine to
Pope Gregory I
Constantine the Great and Christianity
Arianism
Archbasilica of St. John Lateran
First Council of Nicaea
Pope Sylvester I
First Council of Constantinople
Biblical canon
Jerome
Vulgate
Council of Ephesus
Council of Chalcedon
Benedict of Nursia
Second Council of Constantinople
Pope Gregory I
Gregorian chant
Early Middle Ages
Third Council of Constantinople
Saint Boniface
Byzantine Iconoclasm
Second Council of Nicaea
Charlemagne
Pope Leo III
Fourth Council of Constantinople
East–West Schism
High Middle Ages
Pope Urban II
Investiture Controversy
Crusades
First Council of the Lateran
Second Council of the Lateran
Third Council of the Lateran
Pope Innocent III
Latin Empire
Francis of Assisi
Fourth Council of the Lateran
Inquisition
First Council of Lyon
Second Council of Lyon
Bernard of Clairvaux
Thomas Aquinas
Late Middle Ages
Pope Boniface VIII
Avignon Papacy
Pope Clement V
Council of Vienne
Knights Templar
Catherine of Siena
Pope Alexander VI
Protestant Reformation
Counter-Reformation
Protestant Reformation
Counter-Reformation
Thomas More
Pope Leo X
Society of Jesus
Ignatius of Loyola
Francis Xavier
Dissolution of the Monasteries
Council of Trent
Pope Pius V
Tridentine Mass
Teresa of Ávila
John of the Cross
Philip Neri
Robert Bellarmine
Baroque Period to the
French Revolution
Pope Innocent XI
Pope Benedict XIV
Suppression of the Society of Jesus
Anti-clericalism
Pope Pius VI
Shimabara Rebellion
Edict of Nantes
Dechristianization of France during the French Revolution
19th century
Pope Pius VII
Pope Pius IX
Dogma of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary
Our Lady of La Salette
Our Lady of Lourdes
First Vatican Council
Papal infallibility
Pope Leo XIII
Mary of the Divine Heart
Prayer of Consecration to the Sacred Heart
Rerum novarum
20th century
Pope Pius X
Our Lady of Fátima
Persecutions of the Catholic Church and Pius XII
Pope Pius XII
Pope Pius XII Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary
Dogma of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary
Lateran Treaty
Pope John XXIII
Second Vatican Council
Pope Paul VI
Pope John Paul I
Pope John Paul II
World Youth Day
1995
2000
21st century
Catholic Church sexual abuse cases
Pope Benedict XVI
World Youth Day
2002
2005
2008
2011
2013
2016
Pope Francis
Pope portal
Vatican City portal
Catholicism portal
Authority control
WorldCat Identities
VIAF: 126192090
LCCN: n82074285
GND: 4032379-1
SUDOC: 027703401
BNF: cb124801331 (data)
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=First_Council_of_Nicaea&oldid=801786750"
Categories:
4th-century Christian church councils
Church councils accepted by the Eastern Orthodox Church
Church Councils accepted by Oriental Orthodoxy
Church councils accepted by the Roman Catholic Church
Church councils accepted by the Assyrian Church of the East
320s in the Roman Empire
Canon law
First seven Ecumenical Councils
Trinitarianism
Arianism
Constantine the Great and Christianity
Roman Bithynia
İznik
325
Hidden categories:
All articles with broken links to citations
Articles containing Greek-language text
Articles containing Ancient Greek-language text
All articles with unsourced statements
Articles with unsourced statements from February 2014
Wikipedia articles with VIAF identifiers
Wikipedia articles with LCCN identifiers
Wikipedia articles with GND identifiers
Wikipedia articles with BNF identifiers
Navigation menu
Personal tools
Not logged in
Talk
Contributions
Create account
Log in
Namespaces
Article
Talk
Variants
Views
Read
Edit
View history
More
Search
Navigation
Main page
Contents
Featured content
Current events
Random article
Donate to Wikipedia
Wikipedia store
Interaction
Help
About Wikipedia
Community portal
Recent changes
Contact page
Tools
What links here
Related changes
Upload file
Special pages
Permanent link
Page information
Wikidata item
Cite this page
Print/export
Create a book
Download as PDF
Printable version
In other projects
Wikimedia Commons
Wikisource
Languages
Afrikaans
العربية
Aragonés
Azərbaycanca
Беларуская
Български
Bosanski
Català
Čeština
Cymraeg
Dansk
Deutsch
Eesti
Ελληνικά
Español
Esperanto
Euskara
فارسی
Français
Frysk
Gaeilge
Galego
한국어
Հայերեն
Hrvatski
Bahasa Indonesia
Italiano
עברית
ქართული
Kiswahili
Latina
Latviešu
Lietuvių
Magyar
Македонски
مصرى
Nederlands
日本語
Norsk
Polski
Português
Română
Русский
Scots
Shqip
Sicilianu
සිංහල
Simple English
سنڌي
Slovenčina
Slovenščina
Српски / srpski
Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски
Suomi
Svenska
Tagalog
ไทย
Türkçe
Українська
اردو
Tiếng Việt
中文
Edit links
This page was last edited on 21 September 2017, at 21:14.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.
Privacy policy
About Wikipedia
Disclaimers
Contact Wikipedia
Developers
Cookie statement
Mobile view

values: mw-page-base noprint

values: mw-head-base noprint

attrs: id class style

values: firstHeading firstHeading en

values: siteSub noprint

values: jump-to-nav mw-jump

value: th

attrs: colspan style

value: tr

value: li

values: Christ Pantocrator (Deesis mosaic detail)

values: History of Eastern Orthodox Christian theology

values: font-size: 105%; padding: 0.2em 0px 0.4em; text-align: center; display: none;

values:
/wiki/Orthodox_Church_organization
mw-redirect
Orthodox Church organization

values: Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople

values: Orthodox Autocephalous Church of Albania

values: Fourth Council of Constantinople (Eastern Orthodox)

values: History of the Eastern Orthodox Church under the Ottoman Empire

values: History of the Eastern Orthodox Church in North America

values: History of Eastern Orthodox theology in the 20th century

values: Essence–energies distinction (Eastern Orthodox theology)

values:
/wiki/Holy_Trinity
mw-redirect
Holy Trinity

values: Theological differences between the Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church

values: Eastern Orthodox teaching regarding the Filioque

values: Eastern Orthodox opposition to papal supremacy

values:
/wiki/Template:Eastern_Orthodox_sidebar
mw-redirect
Template:Eastern Orthodox sidebar

values: float:right;clear:right;width:22.0em;margin:0 0 1.0em 1.0em;background:#f9f9f9;border:1px solid #aaa;padding:0.2em;border-spacing:0.4em 0;text-align:center;line-height:1.4em;font-size:88%

values:
/wiki/File:ChristCopticArt.jpg
image
Coptic icon of Jesus Christ

values: Malankara Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church

values: Calendar of saints (Armenian Apostolic Church)

values: Fasting and abstinence of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria

values:
/wiki/Coptic_saints
mw-redirect
Coptic saints

values: padding:0.3em 0.4em 0.3em;font-weight:bold;border-top: 1px solid #aaa; border-bottom: 1px solid #aaa;padding-top:0.1em;

values:
/wiki/Catholic_Ecumenical_Councils
mw-redirect
Catholic Ecumenical Councils

values: A Renaissance print depicting the Council of Trent

values: Fourth Council of Constantinople (Roman Catholic)

values: Template talk:Catholic Ecumenical Councils

values: Representation in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA)

values:
/wiki/Roman_Emperors
mw-redirect
Roman Emperors

values:
/wiki/Constantine_I
mw-redirect
Constantine I

values:
/wiki/Hosius_of_C%C3%B3rdoba
mw-redirect
Hosius of Córdoba

values:
/wiki/Christian_heresy
mw-redirect
Christian heresy

values:
/wiki/Eusebius_of_Caesarea
mw-redirect
Eusebius of Caesarea

values:
/wiki/Socrates_Scholasticus
mw-redirect
Socrates Scholasticus

values: This claim needs references to reliable sources. (February 2014)

values:
noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact
white-space:nowrap;

values:
/wiki/Achilleus_of_Larissa
mw-redirect
Achilleus of Larissa

values:
/wiki/Italia_(Roman_province)
mw-redirect
Italia (Roman province)

values:
/wiki/Cecilian_of_Carthage
mw-redirect
Cecilian of Carthage

values: Theonus of Marmarica (page does not exist)

values: Menophantus of Ephesus (page does not exist)

values:
/wiki/Hosius_of_Cordoba
mw-redirect
Hosius of Cordoba

values:
/wiki/Maris_of_Chalcedon
mw-redirect
Maris of Chalcedon

values:
/wiki/Caesarea_Palaestina
mw-redirect
Caesarea Palaestina

values:
/wiki/Nicholas_of_Myra
mw-redirect
Nicholas of Myra

values:
/wiki/Hypostasis_(religion)
mw-redirect
Hypostasis (religion)

values: Edit section: Arguments against Arianism

values:
/wiki/Emperor_Constantine
mw-redirect
Emperor Constantine

values:
/wiki/Godhead_(Christianity)
mw-redirect
Godhead (Christianity)

values:
/wiki/Creed_of_Nicaea
mw-redirect
Creed of Nicaea

values:
/wiki/Niceno-Constantinopolitan_Creed
mw-redirect
Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed

values: Comparison of Nicene Creeds of 325 and 381

values: Edit section: Separation of Easter computation from Jewish calendar

values:
/wiki/Jewish_calendar
mw-redirect
Jewish calendar

values:
/wiki/Canon_law_(Catholic_Church)
mw-redirect
Canon law (Catholic Church)

values:
/wiki/Pastor_Bonus
mw-redirect
Pastor Bonus

values: font-size: 105%; padding: 0.2em 0px 0.4em; text-align: left; display: none;

values:
/wiki/Decretals_of_Gregory_IX
mw-redirect
Decretals of Gregory IX

values:
/wiki/Holy_Orders_(Catholic_Church)
mw-redirect
Holy Orders (Catholic Church)

values: Seal of the Confessional (Catholic Church)

values:
/wiki/Eucharist_(Catholic_Church)
mw-redirect
Eucharist (Catholic Church)

values: Matrimonial nullity trial reforms of Pope Francis

values:
/wiki/Impediment_of_crime
mw-redirect
Impediment of crime

values:
/wiki/Matrimonial_dispensation
mw-redirect
Matrimonial dispensation

values:
/wiki/Particular_church
mw-redirect
Particular church

values:
/wiki/Abbacy_nullius
mw-redirect
Abbacy nullius

values:
/wiki/Abbot_nullius
mw-redirect
Abbot nullius

values:
/wiki/Apostolic_vicar
mw-redirect
Apostolic vicar

values:
/wiki/Apostolic_administration
mw-redirect
Apostolic administration

values:
/wiki/Apostolic_administrator
mw-redirect
Apostolic administrator

values:
/wiki/Archdiocese_(Roman_Catholic)
mw-redirect
Archdiocese (Roman Catholic)

values:
/wiki/Diocese_(Roman_Catholic)
mw-redirect
Diocese (Roman Catholic)

values:
/wiki/Vicar_forane
mw-redirect
Vicar forane

values:
/wiki/Anglicanorum_Coetibus
mw-redirect
Anglicanorum Coetibus

values:
/wiki/Jurisprudence_of_canon_law
mw-redirect
Jurisprudence of canon law

values:
/wiki/Dispensation_(Catholic_Church)
mw-redirect
Dispensation (Catholic Church)

values: Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts

values:
/wiki/Papal_resignation
mw-redirect
Papal resignation

values: Philosophy, theology, and fundamental theory of canon law

values:
/wiki/Canonical_age
mw-redirect
Canonical age

values:
/wiki/Ecclesiastical_positive_law
mw-redirect
Ecclesiastical positive law

values: Virgines subintroductae (page does not exist)

values:
/wiki/Julian_the_Apostate
mw-redirect
Julian the Apostate

values: Development of the Christian biblical canon

values:
/wiki/Church_of_Constantinople
mw-redirect
Church of Constantinople

values: Development of the Christian Biblical canon

values: Edit section: Role of the Bishop of Rome

values:
/wiki/Primacy_of_the_Roman_pontiff
mw-redirect
Primacy of the Roman pontiff

values:
/wiki/East-West_Schism
mw-redirect
East-West Schism

values:
/wiki/Oriental_Orthodox
mw-redirect
Oriental Orthodox

values:
noprint metadata navbox
navigation
Portals
font-weight:bold;padding:0.4em 2em

values: Ancient church councils (pre-ecumenical)

values: Template:Harvard citation documentation#Wikilink to citation does not work

values: -moz-column-width: 30em; -webkit-column-width: 30em; column-width: 30em; list-style-type: decimal;

values:
nofollow
external text
http://www.ccel.org/fathers.html

values:
/wiki/Theodoret_of_Cyrus
mw-redirect
Theodoret of Cyrus

values:
/wiki/Eusebius_Pamphilus
mw-redirect
Eusebius Pamphilus

values:
nofollow
external text
http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf206

values:
nofollow
external text
http://www.anastasis.org.uk/FathVes.htm

values:
/wiki/Timothy_David_Barnes
mw-redirect
Timothy David Barnes

values:
/wiki/Bart_Ehrman
mw-redirect
Bart Ehrman

values:
nofollow
external text
//www.worldcat.org/issn/1086-3184

values:
nofollow
external text
//doi.org/10.1353%2Fearl.2011.0053

values:
nofollow
external text
//www.worldcat.org/oclc/853516

values:
nofollow
external text
http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/hcc3

values:
/wiki/Portal:Eastern_Orthodoxy
mw-redirect
Portal:Eastern Orthodoxy

values: nowraplinks hlist collapsible autocollapse navbox-inner

values: Historical background of the New Testament

values: The Nicene Creed at the First Council of Nicaea

values:
navbox-image
9
width:1px;padding:0px 0px 0px 2px

values: Persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire

values: Timeline of Eastern Orthodoxy in America

values: History of Christianity during the Middle Ages

values: Historical development of the doctrine of papal primacy

values: History of the Calvinist–Arminian debate

values: History of the Latter Day Saint movement

values: History of the Seventh-day Adventist Church

values:
navbox-abovebelow
3
background:#F5DEB3;;font-size: smaller;

values: Template talk:History of the Catholic Church

values:
col
navbox-title
3
background-color: gold

values:
row
navbox-group
background-color: gold;width:1%

values: Category:History of Catholicism by country

values:
navbox-image
11
width:1px;padding:0px 0px 0px 2px

values: Dechristianization of France during the French Revolution

values: Prayer of Consecration to the Sacred Heart

values: Persecutions of the Catholic Church and Pius XII

values:
navbox-abovebelow hlist
3
background-color: gold

values: nowraplinks hlist collapsible collapsed navbox-inner

values:
nofollow
external text
https://viaf.org/viaf/126192090

values:
nofollow
external text
http://d-nb.info/gnd/4032379-1

values:
nofollow
external text
https://www.idref.fr/027703401

values: Category:4th-century Christian church councils

values: Category:Church councils accepted by the Eastern Orthodox Church

values: Category:Church Councils accepted by Oriental Orthodoxy

values: Category:Church councils accepted by the Roman Catholic Church

values: Category:Church councils accepted by the Assyrian Church of the East

values: Category:First seven Ecumenical Councils

values: Category:Constantine the Great and Christianity

values: Category:All articles with broken links to citations

values: Category:Articles containing Greek-language text

values: Category:Articles containing Ancient Greek-language text

values: Category:All articles with unsourced statements

values: Category:Articles with unsourced statements from February 2014

values: Category:Wikipedia articles with VIAF identifiers

values: Category:Wikipedia articles with LCCN identifiers

values: Category:Wikipedia articles with GND identifiers

values: Category:Wikipedia articles with BNF identifiers

values: Discussion about edits from this IP address [ctrl-alt-n]

values: A list of edits made from this IP address [ctrl-alt-y]

values: You are encouraged to create an account and log in; however, it is not mandatory

values: You're encouraged to log in; however, it's not mandatory. [ctrl-alt-o]

values:
/wiki/First_Council_of_Nicaea
View the content page [ctrl-alt-c]
c

values: Discussion about the content page [ctrl-alt-t]

values: p-namespaces navigation vectorTabs p-namespaces-label

values:
p-variants
navigation
vectorMenu emptyPortlet
p-variants-label

values: Past revisions of this page [ctrl-alt-h]

values: p-views navigation vectorTabs p-views-label

values: Recent changes in pages linked from this page [ctrl-alt-k]

values:
/wiki/Wikipedia:File_Upload_Wizard
Upload files [ctrl-alt-u]
u

values: A list of all special pages [ctrl-alt-q]

values: portal navigation p-wikibase-otherprojects p-wikibase-otherprojects-label

values:
uls-settings-trigger
Language settings
0
button
true

values: مجمع نيقية – Arabic

values: Birinci Nikeya Kilsə Məclisi – Azerbaijani

values: Першы Нікейскі сабор – Belarusian

values: Първи вселенски събор – Bulgarian

values: Πρώτη Σύνοδος της Νίκαιας – Greek

values: شورای نیقیه – Persian

values: 제1차 니케아 공의회 – Korean

values: Նիկիայի Ա տիեզերական ժողով – Armenian

values: ועידת ניקיאה – Hebrew

values: ნიკეის პირველი საეკლესიო კრება – Georgian

values: Прв вселенски собор – Macedonian

values: مجمع نيقيا الاول – Egyptian Arabic

values: 第1ニカイア公会議 – Japanese

values: Primeiro Concílio de Niceia – Portuguese

values: Первый Никейский собор – Russian

values: පළමුවන නයිසියානු ධර්ම සංඝායනාව – Sinhala

values: First Council of Nicaea – Simple English

values: نيقيه ڪاؤنسل – Sindhi

values: Први васељенски сабор – Serbian

values: Nikean ensimmäinen kirkolliskokous – Finnish

values: สังคายนาไนเซียครั้งที่หนึ่ง – Thai

values: Перший Нікейський собор – Ukrainian

values: نیقیہ کونسل – Urdu

values: 第一次尼西亞公會議 – Chinese

values: /static/images/wikimedia-button-1.5x.png 1.5x, /static/images/wikimedia-button-2x.png 2x

values: /static/images/poweredby_mediawiki_132x47.png 1.5x, /static/images/poweredby_mediawiki_176x62.png 2x

values:
suggestions
display: none; font-size: 13px;

values: mediawiki ltr sitedir-ltr mw-hide-empty-elt ns-0 ns-subject page-First_Council_of_Nicaea rootpage-First_Council_of_Nicaea skin-vector action-view