In a monumental celebration of the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea held in 325, St Mellitus College, in partnership with the McDonald Agape Foundation, is set to launch the McDonald Agape Nicaea Project, a four-year project exploring the historical and theological significance of this foundational event in Christian orthodoxy.
To commemorate this significant milestone, the Nicaea Project will feature a series of public lectures, the Creedal Spirit Conference, and culminate in the 2027 Colloquium. The project will feature lectures and original content delivered by renowned scholars such as Rt Revd Rowan Williams, Dr. Beverly Roberts Gaventa, Professor Bruce McCormack, Professor Ilaria Ramelli, Dr Willie James Jennings, and several others. These events aim to explore and articulate the importance of the Nicene Creed for the 21st century while engaging both the academic community and the broader public in meaningful dialogue.
Jane Williams, McDonald Professor in Christian Theology: “It's a place from which we can see how the church evolves and what the themes are that we need to continue to pay attention to. It's also a point at which Christianity could have vanished completely."
The Nicaea Project aims to place this conversation at the heart of what it means to think about the Kingdom of God and its relevance for 21st-century faith.
Chris Tilling, Head of Research, Senior Lecturer in New Testament: “Nicaea expresses the heart of Christianity. For orthodox Christians down the centuries, it conveys the grammar and very fabric of Christian claims about God, salvation, and our final hope.”
For more information on the McDonald Agape Nicaea Project, including lecture schedules, registration links, and participating scholars, please visit https://stmellitus.ac.uk/nicaea.
Additional Notes:
-The McDonald Agape Nicaea Public Lectures are generously sponsored by the McDonald Agape Foundation and each lecture will present a paper answering the following question from a variety of perspectives: “What is the importance of the creeds today?” Following the lecture, there will be discussion and audience Q&A.
-All lectures will be held at St. Mellitus College, 24 Collingham Road, London SW5 0lX.
-Social media hashtags: #Nicaea325 #ThinkTheology #StMellitus
About McDonald Agape Foundation
“We hope to leave a small footprint for Christ in influential places of learning with leading teachers who attain both the highest levels of scholarship and represent models of spiritual knowledge and faith. … Through this work, more than one thousand scholars, fellows, and clergy across hundreds of institutions of learning, scholarship and faith contribute in Encouraging Distinguished Scholars for Christ.” - https://www.mcdonaldagape.org/
About St Mellitus College
St Mellitus College(SMC) is one national college, based in four centres across England with over 700 students. SMC offers training for ordination, children & youth ministry, undergraduates and postgraduates students following accredited programmes, and a number of people engaging with introductory courses.
The Nicaea Project Lectures
