The Nicene Creed and the Arian Heresy: Early Church Fathers and the Early Church

The Nicene Creed and the Arian Heresy: Early Church Fathers and the Early Church

In 325 AD, a theological storm threatened to tear apart the very foundation of Christianity. Emperor Constantine summoned bishops from across the Roman Empire to Nicaea, where they confronted a crucial question: Was Jesus truly God, or merely the first and greatest creation?

This authoritative work traces the dramatic conflict that defined Christian belief for all time. Follow the intense struggle between Arius, who taught that "there was a time when the Son was not," and Athanasius, who fought through five exiles to defend Christ's full divinity. Witness how this fourth-century controversy shaped every aspect of Christian thought and practice that followed.

Drawing from primary sources dating to the 300s and scholarly analysis spanning 1700 years, this meticulously researched account brings to life the personalities, politics, and profound theological insights that produced the Nicene Creed; words still proclaimed by millions of Christians every Sunday.

From Alexandria's intellectual ferment to Constantinople's imperial splendor, from Gothic cathedrals to modern challenges, this compelling narrative reveals how the Church answered its most fundamental question about Jesus Christ. The Council of Nicaea (325 AD), the Council of Constantinople (381 AD), and the theological giants of the fourth century speak directly to today's questions about Christian faith and identity.

For anyone seeking to understand the historical roots of Christian doctrine or the development of Catholic theology between 300-400 AD, this book provides clarity, depth, and scholarly precision without sacrificing readability.

Read how the words "of one substance with the Father" cost some their lives, others their positions, and ultimately secured Christianity's understanding of God for seventeen centuries.