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christian-councils-heresiesfeatured in 28 works

First Council of Nicaea (325)

Is the Son a creature, or one in being with the Father?

Convened in 325, the first ecumenical council confronted Arianism, which held that the Son was a created being. The council confessed instead that the Son is homoousios, 'of one substance,' with the Father, fully and eternally God. This conviction was enshrined in the original Nicene Creed and became a cornerstone of orthodox Christian belief about the divinity of Christ across the major traditions.

How it traveled

  1. The First Ecumenical Council: The First Council of Nice
    Nicaea · 325
    explains
  2. The Life of Constantine with Orations of Constantine and Eusebius
    Caesarea · 339
    explains
  3. The Church History of Eusebius
    Caesarea · 339
    explains
  4. Defence of the Nicene Definition. (De Decretis.)
    Alexandria · 373
    explains
  5. On the Councils of Ariminum and Seleucia. (De Synodis.)
    Alexandria · 373
    explains
  6. Defence Against the Arians. (Apologia Contra Arianos.)
    Alexandria · 373
    explains
  7. Letters of Athanasius with Two Ancient Chronicles of His Life
    Alexandria · 373
    explains
  8. Circular to Bishops of Egypt and Libya. (Ad Episcopos Ægypti Et Libyæ Epistola Encyclica.)
    Alexandria · 373
    explains
  9. Synodal Letter to the Bishops of Africa. (Ad Afros Epistola Synodica.)
    Alexandria · 373
    explains
  10. Letter of Eusebius. (Epistola Eusebii.)
    Alexandria · 373
    explains
  11. Synodal Letter to the People of Antioch. (Tomus ad Antiochenos.)
    Alexandria · 373
    applies
  12. The Letters
    Caesarea (Cappadocia) · 379
    explains
  13. De Spiritu Sancto
    Caesarea (Cappadocia) · 379
    explains
  14. The Second Ecumenical Council: The First Council of Constantinople
    Constantinople (Istanbul) · 381
    explains
  15. Select Orations of Saint Gregory Nazianzen
    Nazianzus · 390
    explains
  16. Exposition of the Christian Faith
    Milan · 397
    explains
  17. Selections from the Letters of St. Ambrose
    Milan · 397
    explains
  18. The Dialogue Against the Luciferians
    Bethlehem · 420
    explains
  19. The Sacred History Of Sulpitius Severus
    Toulouse (Aquitaine) · 425
    explains
  20. The Seven Books of John Cassian on the Incarnation of the Lord, Against Nestorius
    Marseille · 435
    applies
  21. The Ecclesiastical History of Socrates Scholasticus
    Constantinople (Istanbul) · 439
    explains
  22. The Ecclesiastical History of Sozomen
    Constantinople (Istanbul) · 450
    explains
  23. The Ecclesiastical History, Dialogues, and Letters of Theodoret
    Cyrrhus · 458
    explains
  24. The Letters and Sermons of Leo the Great
    Rome · 461
    explains
  25. The Fifth Ecumenical Council. The Second Council of Constantinople
    Constantinople (Istanbul) · 553
    explains
  26. The Book of Pastoral Rule, and Selected Epistles, of Gregory the Great
    Rome · 604
    explains
  27. The Canons of the Synods of Sardica, Carthage, Constantinople, and Carthage Under St. Cyprian, Which Canons Were Received by the Council in Trullo and Ratified by II. Nice
    Constantinople (Istanbul) · 692
    explains
  28. Book Fourth. of the Holy Catholic Church
    Geneva · 1564
    explains

Key passages(20)

The Ecclesiastical History of Socrates Scholasticus — Book I — The Letter of the Synod, relative to its Decisions: and the Condemnation of Arius and those who agreed with him. — part 1↗explains

The Ecclesiastical History of Socrates Scholasticus · Socrates Scholasticus

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The First Ecumenical Council: The First Council of Nice — The Synodal Letter.↗explains

The First Ecumenical Council: The First Council of Nice · The Ecumenical Councils

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The Ecclesiastical History of Socrates Scholasticus — Book I — Of the Synod which was held at Nicæa in Bithynia, and the Creed there put forth. — part 2↗explains

The Ecclesiastical History of Socrates Scholasticus · Socrates Scholasticus

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The First Ecumenical Council: The First Council of Nice — The Canons of the 318 Holy Fathers Assembled in the City of Nice, in Bithynia. — Canon XVIII.↗explains

The First Ecumenical Council: The First Council of Nice · The Ecumenical Councils

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Synodal Letter to the Bishops of Africa. (Ad Afros Epistola Synodica.) — Synodal Letter to the Bishops of Africa. (Ad Afros Epistola Synodica.) — part 1↗explains

Synodal Letter to the Bishops of Africa. (Ad Afros Epistola Synodica.) · Athanasius of Alexandria

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Circular to Bishops of Egypt and Libya. (Ad Episcopos Ægypti Et Libyæ Epistola Encyclica.) — To the Bishops of Egypt. — Chapter II — part 1↗applies

Circular to Bishops of Egypt and Libya. (Ad Episcopos Ægypti Et Libyæ Epistola Encyclica.) · Athanasius of Alexandria

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Defence of the Nicene Definition. (De Decretis.) — De Decretis. (Defence of the Nicene Definition.) — Conduct of the Arians towards the Nicene Council. Ignorant as well as irreligious to attempt to reverse an Ecumenical Council: proceedings at Nicæa: Eusebians then signed what they now complain of: on the unanimity of true teachers and the process of tradition: changes of the Arians.↗applies

Defence of the Nicene Definition. (De Decretis.) · Athanasius of Alexandria

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Defence of the Nicene Definition. (De Decretis.) — De Decretis. (Defence of the Nicene Definition.) — Defence of the Council's Phrases, “from the essence,” And “one in essence.” Objection that the phrases are not scriptural; we ought to look at the sense more than the wording; evasion of the Arians as to the phrase “of God” which is in Scripture; their evasion of all explanations but those which the Council selected, which were intended to negative the Arian formulæ; protest against their conveying any material sense. — part 1↗explains

Defence of the Nicene Definition. (De Decretis.) · Athanasius of Alexandria

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Defence of the Nicene Definition. (De Decretis.) — De Decretis. (Defence of the Nicene Definition.) — Two senses of the word Son, 1. adoptive; 2. essential; attempts of Arians to find a third meaning between these; e.g. that our Lord only was created immediately by God (Asterius's view), or that our Lord alone partakes the Father. The second and true sense; God begets as He makes, really; though His creation and generation are not like man's; His generation independent of time; generation implies an internal, and therefore an eternal, act in God; explanation of Prov. viii. 22. — part 4↗explains

Defence of the Nicene Definition. (De Decretis.) · Athanasius of Alexandria

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Exposition of the Christian Faith — Book I. — part 1↗applies

Exposition of the Christian Faith · Ambrose of Milan

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Exposition of the Christian Faith — Book I. — part 15↗explains

Exposition of the Christian Faith · Ambrose of Milan

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Exposition of the Christian Faith — Book III. — part 10↗applies

Exposition of the Christian Faith · Ambrose of Milan

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Letter of Eusebius. (Epistola Eusebii.) — Letter of Eusebius. (Epistola Eusebii.) — part 1↗explains

Letter of Eusebius. (Epistola Eusebii.) · Athanasius of Alexandria

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On the Councils of Ariminum and Seleucia. (De Synodis.) — On the Councils of Ariminum and Seleucia. (De Synodis.) — On the Symbols 'Of the Essence' And 'Coessential.' — part 4↗explains

On the Councils of Ariminum and Seleucia. (De Synodis.) · Athanasius of Alexandria

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On the Councils of Ariminum and Seleucia. (De Synodis.) — On the Councils of Ariminum and Seleucia. (De Synodis.) — On the Symbols 'Of the Essence' And 'Coessential.' — part 8↗applies

On the Councils of Ariminum and Seleucia. (De Synodis.) · Athanasius of Alexandria

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Synodal Letter to the Bishops of Africa. (Ad Afros Epistola Synodica.) — Synodal Letter to the Bishops of Africa. (Ad Afros Epistola Synodica.) — part 3↗explains

Synodal Letter to the Bishops of Africa. (Ad Afros Epistola Synodica.) · Athanasius of Alexandria

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Synodal Letter to the People of Antioch. (Tomus ad Antiochenos.) — Synodal Letter to the People of Antioch. (Tomus ad Antiochenos.) — part 1↗applies

Synodal Letter to the People of Antioch. (Tomus ad Antiochenos.) · Athanasius of Alexandria

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The Book of Pastoral Rule, and Selected Epistles, of Gregory the Great — Register of the Epistles of St. Gregory the Great. — The Month of September, Indiction IX., Being the First Year of His Ordination. — part 9↗applies

The Book of Pastoral Rule, and Selected Epistles, of Gregory the Great · Gregory the Great

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The Canons of the Synods of Sardica, Carthage, Constantinople, and Carthage Under St. Cyprian, Which Canons Were Received by the Council in Trullo and Ratified by II. Nice — The Canons of the CCXVII Blessed Fathers who assembled at Carthage. Commonly Called The Code of Canons of the African Church. — The Canons of the 217 Blessed Fathers who assembled at Carthage. — part 2↗applies

The Canons of the Synods of Sardica, Carthage, Constantinople, and Carthage Under St. Cyprian, Which Canons Were Received by the Council in Trullo and Ratified by II. Nice · The Ecumenical Councils

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The Canons of the Synods of Sardica, Carthage, Constantinople, and Carthage Under St. Cyprian, Which Canons Were Received by the Council in Trullo and Ratified by II. Nice — The Canons of the CCXVII Blessed Fathers who assembled at Carthage. Commonly Called The Code of Canons of the African Church. — The Canons of the 217 Blessed Fathers who assembled at Carthage. — part 33↗explains

The Canons of the Synods of Sardica, Carthage, Constantinople, and Carthage Under St. Cyprian, Which Canons Were Received by the Council in Trullo and Ratified by II. Nice · The Ecumenical Councils

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