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: CH9300A
Unit status: Approved (New unit)
Points: 24.0
Unit level: Postgraduate Elective
Unit discipline: Church History
Delivery Mode: Online
Proposing College: St Athanasius College
Show when this unit is running| 1. | Evaluate the significance of the Ecumenical Councils in the life of the Church |
| 2. | Critically analyse the Arian controversy and articulate the teaching of the Trinity and its understanding in the Early Church |
| 3. | Appraise the Council's legacy in antiquity and the present day |
| 4. | Critically explain how the Nicene Creed articulates the dogmatic definition of Christian faith |
| 5. | Critically interpret historical events and theological concepts contained in the primary sources |
Synchronous and asynchronous. Pre-recorded lectures, zoom tutorials, guided reading.
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. 231.044AYR
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.
Dragoş A. Giulea, Antioch, Nicaea, and the Synthesis of Constantinople. Revisiting Trajectories in the Fourth-Century Christological Debates. Series: Studies in the History of Christian Traditions, Volume: 200, Brill Academic Pub 2024.
| Type | Description | Word count | Weight (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essay | 3500 | 50.0 | |
| Essay | 3500 | 50.0 |
Unit approved for the University of Divinity by Prof Albert Haddad on 11 Sep, 2024
Unit record last updated: 2024-09-11 09:18:10 +1000