how he unified the Christian faith and fought arianism
1. With Constantine, Rome opens to Christians
In the 4th century, Christian faith became visible. It is authorized in the Roman Empire. The Emperor Constantine (272-337), who converted, understood the interest of relying on this emerging religion. Under her leadership, she gradually becomes a social and political cement which unifies this immense territory.
2. Nicea, a first
Constantin summons the first general council, inviting a majority of Catholic bishops to come together around him, in Nicée, during the spring 325 AD The challenge is to discuss the crisis caused by a theologian from Cyrenaica and Alexandria, called Arius (256-336).
“I believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the Son Son of God, born of the Father before all centuries: he is God, born of God, Light, born of Light, true God, born of the true God”
Nice-Constantinople symbol
3. Jesus, a man like the others?
A good preacher and effective pedagogue, Arius knows how to transmit his theological conceptions to a vast audience. Alas, his conception of the identity of Christ will lose him. For him, Jesus is not of a divine nature: he is only a creature “adopted” by the God Father. The latter is the only eternal and almighty God.
4. The poison of Arianism
These statements will sow disorder and divisions appear in Christian communities. For almost three centuries, arianism will spread like a trail of powder in the Empire.
5. Affirm Trinitarian Faith
The bishops gathered in Nicée, in 325, try to turn off the fire. After having officially condemned Arius’ theses as heresy, they write a synthetic text to reaffirm the Trinitarian faith: Catholics believe in a single God revealed in three interdependent people, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Jesus therefore shares well with the Father and the Holy Spirit the same divine nature.
