Content

This unit explores the history of the First Ecumenical Council at Nicaea in 325 and explores its legacy. Students will study the political context of the Council, Arianism, and the significant role played by Athanasius of Alexandria. It shall also cover the ecclesiastical arrangements approved by the Council, such as those concerning Easter and the baptism of heretics.

Unit code: CH3300A

Unit status: Approved (New unit)

Points: 18.0

Unit level: Undergraduate Level 3

Unit discipline: Church History

Delivery Mode: Online

Proposing College: St Athanasius College

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Learning outcomes

1.

Outline the significance of the Ecumenical Councils in the life of the Church

2.

Analyse the Arian controversy and articulate the teaching of the Trinity and its understanding in the Early Church

3.

Communicate an understanding of the Council's legacy in antiquity and the present day

4.

Apply skills of historical interpretation to a range of primary sources

Pedagogy

Synchronous and asynchronous. Pre-recorded lectures, zoom tutorials, guided reading.

Indicative Bibliography

Athanasius, and Khaled Anatolios. Athanasius. London; New York: Routledge, 2004.

Anatolios, Khaled. Retrieving Nicaea: The Development and Meaning of Trinitarian Doctrine. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Academic, 2011.

Anatolios, Khaled. Athanasius: The Coherence of His Thought. London: Routledge, 2005.

Athanasius, Philip Schaff, and Henry Wace. St. Athanasius: Select Works and Letters. Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1980.

Ayres, Lewis. Nicaea and Its Legacy: An Approach to Fourth-Century Trinitarian Theology. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2006.

Barnes, Timothy David. Athanasius and Constantius: Theology and Politics in the Constantinian Empire. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 1993.

Behr, John. The Way to Nicaea. Crestwood, NY: St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press, 2001.

Brakke, David. Athanasius and the Politics of Asceticism. Oxford, New York: Clarendon Press; Oxford University Press, 1995.

Brakke, David. Athanasius and Asceticism. Johns Hopkins paperbacks edition. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1998.

Burn, A. E. The Council of Nicaea: A Memorial for Its Sixteenth Centenary. London, New York: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge; Macmillan, 1925.

Assessment

Type Description Word count Weight (%)
Essay 2000 50.0
Essay 2000 50.0
Approvals

Unit approved for the University of Divinity by Prof Albert Haddad on 11 Sep, 2024

Unit record last updated: 2024-09-11 09:17:37 +1000