The Nicene Creed Essay

against the heresy of fellow clergy who deny the third person of the Trinity. Gregory states his

The theological differences were some of the biggest reason why the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches split. The Eastern churches had theological roots in Greek philosophy and the Western churches had theologies that constructed on their Roman law (“Schism of 1054”, 2014, para. 3). A strong issue that the two churches had was the theological proposition of the placement and addition of “the Son” to the Roman creed. The Roman churches included the “Father and the Son” in the Nicene creed without consulting the Eastern church while the Eastern church only used the Father. The Orthodox Church believe it should have been written with “the Father” proceeded by the Holy Spirit.

In the 4th century there are different schools of thought that were developed in Antioch, were they try to literarily interpret the Scriptures with a great deal of emphasis on the historical context of Trinity. Arius who is also known as Nicene, came up with the Nicene Creed by arguing the fact that Jesus was not God, and the Father by itself is true God. Base on the fact that God created Jesus, Arius was able to support his argument with the books of (Proverbs 8:22 and John 14:28) “the Father is greater than I” as a proof.

The Christological controversies of the fourth and fifth centuries were debates regarding the nature of Christ, and in particular the issue of his humanity versus his divinity. Docetism is a position which undermines the integrity of the humanity of Jesus because it claims that Jesus is fully divine but not truly human, because he is God merely adopting the appearance of being human. Arianism is the belief that Jesus is superior to the rest of creation but not equal to God because Jesus was created by God and thus is not eternal unlike God. The Council of Nicaea in 325 was called to fight against Arianism. The Council

• Writes about James, brother of Jesus, who was called the Christ. Stoned to death in A.D. 62. Pg.78

The Patristic Era saw various controversies arising over the nature of Jesus Christ, which consequently lead to the establishment of the creed as an attempt to reject the heretical views held by proponents. An example of a heretical advocate is Arius, who suggested Christ was inferior to God, but still above other creatures (McGrath, 2001, p.358). However, early orthodox theologians disputed this idea due to the soteriological complications that accompanied it (Young, 2010, p.55). The central advocator of this dispute was Athanasius, who questioned how Arius’ belief allowed for salvation through Jesus Christ, which is a key orthodox belief identified

In 325, the Council of Nicea set out to formally characterize the relationship of the Son to the Father, in light of the dubious lessons of Arius. Driven by Bishop Athanasius, the gathering confirmed the precept of the Trinity as conventionality and censured Arius ' showing that Christ was the first making of God. The ideology received by the committee depicted Christ as "God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance (homoousios) with the Father."

Saint Athanasius of Alexandria, also referred to as Athanasius the Great, led Alexandria as the twentieth bishop for forty-five years during the fourth century. Although Athanasius is regarded as serving as bishop for almost fifty years, the saint spent over seventeen of those years in exile for various reasons. A renowned Christian theologian, Athanasius was known for his defense of the Trinity, and his deep-rooted hatred for Arius and his followers, the Arians. Around 356, after Athanasius was almost arrested during a vigil service, he decided to flee to Upper Egypt. During his time spent there, he completed his most notable work Four Orations Against the Arians. The text brings up a variety of claims that the Arians make, and Athanasius’s responses to their so-called heretical nature. Although Athanasius uses Scriptural evidence to argue against the Arians, his writing style is cruel and belittling: an inappropriate way for a leader to address the people of the Empire. After reading a great deal of Athanasius’s own works, as well as texts concerning the role of Athanasius throughout the fourth century, it has become evident that St. Athanasius of Alexandria impacted the Trinitarian Controversy most significantly through his noteworthy orations, his role at the Council of Nicaea, and most importantly, his commitment to the betterment of the Catholic Church.

Though Arius had supporters, the majority the bishops present at Nicaea disagreed with his formations. Eusebius is the main source of information when researching this council, besides for the creed itself. This council took place in 325 and has left its mark throughout history. To “defeat” the Airian ideal, the council adopted the words homoousios, hypostasis, and ousia. However, these words are not present within their sacred texts and were used in reaction against Airian teachings, rather than objectively trying to figure out the mystery of the incarnation. Homoousios had a very loose meaning during the council and typically meant that “Jesus Christ was fully God, sharing in some way the same divine nature as the Father.” However, if one

The Nicene Creed was henceforth to be the official doctrine on the beliefs of Christians. The Nicene Creed stated that the Christians believed in only one God and that the Holy Trinity is one and the same, finally putting an end to that most decisive debate (Nicene Creed). The Nicene Creed further stated that the word of God came to the people through God’s messengers, the prophets (Nicene Creed). According to the Creed, Jesus was crucified and rose on the third day after his death then went to heaven (Nicene Creed). The Creed layed forth several advantages for those who died Christians. Those who died could look forward to a spiritual afterlife and when the Day of Judgment came, the good Christians would go to spend eternity with God in heaven (Nicene Creed). The main purpose of the Church was to baptize new Christians and forgive sins for God (Nicene Creed). Constantine also included in the Creed that there was only one Church, thereby making himself the supreme power in the entire Church, wherever the religion spread (Nicene

council did not end disputes (Lane 29). The creation of a creed, the Creed of Nicea, did have a

When the Nicene Creed was created and finalized in 381 A.D., there were many heresies under the umbrella of Christianity. The Nicene Creed seeked to address these heresies and remove them from mainstream worship. One of the many heresies in this time was Arianism.

When discussing and proving the person of Christ, there are two basic laws that must be addressed and proven. First you must prove that Christ is one hundred percent human (humanity), then you must prove that at the same time Christ is one hundred percent God (deity).

Christ in Majesty is a Romanesque fresco secco from the 12th century that was transferred to plaster and wood. It was originally located in the apse of the Church of Santa Maria de Mur in Catalonia, Spain but now is located in the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston as a gift from the Maria Antoinette Evans Fund. The fresco is a transition from Roman and Byzantine Art to Gothic Art. The artist of Christ in Majesty utilizes his art to educate people in the doctrines of the Christian faith.

On the other hand, Athanasius, the leader of the bishops in the west, claimed that the Father and Son were equal and of the same substance. In 325, as a mediator, Constantine called together a council of bishops at Nicaea in Asia Minor. While condemning Arius and his teachings, the council declared the complete equality of God the Father and the Son. The teaching that Father and Son were made up "of one substance" became part of the Nicene Creed, the statement that helped to unite Christianity. The council addressed other issues as well, including the method for consecrating bishops.