First Council of Nicaea

First Council of Nicaea
The Council of Nicaea, with Arius depicted as defeated by the council, lying under the feet of Emperor Constantine.
DateMay to August AD 325
Accepted by
Next council
First Council of Constantinople
Convoked byEmperor Constantine I
PresidentHosius of Corduba
Attendance
  • 318 (traditional number)
  • 250–318 (estimates) – only five from Western Church
TopicsArianism, the nature of Christ, celebration of Passover, 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
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Eastern Orthodox Church
Christ Pantocrator (Deesis mosaic detail)
Mosaic of Christ Pantocrator, Hagia Sophia
Overview
Background
Organization
Autocephalous jurisdictions
Autocephalous Churches who are officially part of the communion:

Autocephaly recognized by some autocephalous Churches de jure:

Autocephaly and canonicity recognized by Constantinople and 3 other autocephalous Churches:

Spiritual independence recognized by Georgian Orthodox Church:


Autonomous jurisdictions

Semi-Autonomous:

Episcopal assemblies
Noncanonical jurisdictions
Ecumenical councils
  • Other possible ecumenical councils:
  • Other important councils:
History
Theology
Liturgy and worship
Liturgical calendar
  • The four fasting periods:
Major figures
Other topics
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Oriental Orthodoxy
Oriental Orthodox churches
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Autonomous churches
History and theology
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Major figures
Related topics
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The First Council of Nicaea (/naɪˈsiːə/ ny-SEE-ə; Ancient Greek: Σύνοδος τῆς Νίκαιας, romanized: Sýnodos tês Níkaias) was a council of Christian bishops convened in the Bithynian city of Nicaea (now İznik, Turkey) by the Roman Emperor Constantine I. The Council of Nicaea met from May until the end of July 325.[5]

This ecumenical council was the first of many efforts to attain consensus in the church through an assembly representing all Christendom. Hosius of Corduba may have presided over its deliberations.[6][7] 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, mandating uniform observance of the date of Easter,[8] and promulgation of early canon law.[4][9]

  1. ^ Olson, Roger E. (1 April 1999). The Story of Christian Theology: Twenty Centuries of Tradition Reform. InterVarsity Press. p. 158. ISBN 978-0-8308-1505-0.
  2. ^ a b SEC, pp. 112–114
  3. ^ a b SEC, p. 39
  4. ^ a b SEC, pp. 44–94
  5. ^ Hanson 1988, p. 152.
  6. ^ Carroll 1987, p. 11
  7. ^ Vallaud 1995, pp. 234–235, 678.
  8. ^ On the Keeping of Easter
  9. ^ Leclercq 1911b