Celebrations for the 1,700-year-old Council of Nizea in Vienna: A review!

Celebrations for the 1,700-year-old Council of Nizea in Vienna: A review!

Wien, Österreich - Wien celebrates an important event in 2025: The 1,700th anniversary of the first ecumenical council of Nizea, which took place in 325 AD and set decisive course for Christian faith. As part of these celebrations, the Viennese theological courses offer a special course entitled "1700 Years of Nizea. A turning point in church history", which will take place on January 17th and 18th. This course illuminates the profound historical and theological importance of the council, which not only determined a creed, but also established the uniform Easter date for the entire church, as the kathpress announced.

The Council, a crucial meeting under Emperor Konstantin, served to clarify internal conflicts within the church, in particular the arguments about arianism. This dispute, which had to do with the question of nature of Christ and his relationship with God, was a significant political challenge. Constantine saw the disagreement as a threat to peace in the empire. In order to settle the conflict, he called in the council, which ultimately condemned the teaching of Arius, who saw the Son of God as created and did not see the father. However, this decision did not lead to the settlement of the disputes, but started a profound theological conflict, such as Spektrum

Arianism and the consequences of the Council

The teaching of Arius and its delimitation from the Orthodox opinion contributed to the division within Christianity and led to intensive political and social tensions. The theological arguments were characterized by violent debates and hurtful polemics, which gave numerous Christian communities into a sometimes bloody conflict. Despite the crucial conviction of Arianism by the Council, the dispute over the falsehood of this teaching continues to this day and had a lasting impact on the executive currents within Christianity. The existing profound division can be traced back to today's church landscapes and shows how explosive questions of faith can be that were created in the 4th century.

a about the effects of these quarrels that still shape the image of Christianity, not only theological dispute, but also political power games, which influenced the entire social structure of the Roman Empire. The Council of Nizea is also seen as a key event in the development of Christianity, which reverberates until modern times.