One of the most important events in Christian history is the First Council of Nicaea that took place in 325 AD. Christianity can literally be divided between what happened before and what happened after this event. The immediate purpose of the Council was to deal with the Arian question: Was Jesus a created being? Ultimately … Read More “Episode 59 – The First Council of Nicaea” »
Tag: Arianism
The Christian church was emerging out of a time of persecution but their troubles were not over. Shifting from threats from without to threats from within, the church begins to face a major Christological controversy. Arius, a presbyter rather than a bishop, had an incredible impact on the church. While probably not inventing the Christology … Read More “Episode 58 – The Rise of Arianism” »
Heresies
There have been many unorthodox positions that have appeared throughout church history but one that almost became official orthodoxy is that of Arianism. This post will not be so much a discussion of Arianism but brief introduction to the man it was named after, Arius. Arius was born around 250 AD, possibly in North Africa. … Read More “Who Was Arius?” »
New Religions
Heresies have been connected to Christianity from the beginning. Because this is a historical more than theological blog, I’m defining a heresy as a smaller group breaking off from the main group with significantly different doctrines. Some time ago I taught a course on what are often called cults or sects. I was amazed at … Read More “Heresies: Now and Then” »