The Secret Vatican Archives
The First Council of Nicaea was a month-long meeting called to order by Constantine I in the hopes of achieving a uniformed Christian doctrine. It is a common misconception that it was an assembly to compile or edit the Christian Bible. It was, in fact, convened in order to answer specific questions of faith including: the resolution of regional schisms, a formalized Passover date, the baptism of heretics, and, most importantly, a decree concerning the Arian debate.
Arian belief originated from the competing beliefs that either Christ Jesus was the same as God, or that He was merely composed of the same material -- a product of His father's divinity.
The resulting support of the first position was the point of origin for the guidelines of a unified Christendom -- The clear delineation of what was Orthodox belief and what was heretical. A distinction that had to be manipulated.
- Pax Romana
by Jonathan Hickman
