The Nicene Creed, which emerged from the Council of Nicaea, remains a foundational declaration of Christian faith today. But what exactly was Nicaea? Why does it still matter to Christians centuries later?
This special deep dive unravels what made the council groundbreaking and explores how it continues to impact Christian life today. Host Colleen Dulle brings listeners inside its rich history through interviews with experts; theologians, ecumenical scholars and historians.
In the first part of the show, a Catholic-Orthodox couple shares their personal experience of navigating the challenges of observing different Easter traditions in their family. Then, a professor traces the origins of the differing Easter dates among Christians back to the Council of Nicaea, where a common date for Easter was first established, before later reforms and church divisions led to Christians celebrating Easter on different dates.
In the latter half of the show, experts from Orthodox, Protestant, and Catholic traditions weigh in, discussing the theological, political and cultural obstacles that have kept a resolution for a common Easter elusive. The conversation also explores how revisiting the principles established at Nicaea could offer a path toward greater ecumenical harmony today.
Our guests include:
- Aristotle (Telly) Papanikolaou, Professor of Theology and the Archbishop Demetrios Chair in Orthodox Theology and Culture at Fordham University
- John Chryssavgis, deacon of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America and Archdeacon of the Ecumenical Patriarchate
- Donald Bolen, Archbishop of Regina in Canada and a member of the Vatican Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity
- Married professors Ben Hohman, a Roman Catholic, and Claire Koen, an Eastern Orthodox Christian
- Sandra Beardsall, Professor of Church History and Ecumenics at St. Andrew’s College in Saskatoon, Canada, an ordained United Church minister and a member of the World Council of Churches’ Faith and Order Commission
Links for further reading:
- Why the Council of Nicaea still matters—1,700 years later
- Nicaea anniversary inspires faith, strengthens mission, theologians say
- The Council of Nicaea, Christian unity and a common date for Easter
- Pope Francis hopes to travel to Turkey for Council of Nicaea’s 1,700th anniversary
- Pope Francis: The Catholic Church is willing to accept a common date for Easter in the East and West
