About
The Council of Nicaea in 325 is one of the major building blocks of Christian orthodoxy. Prof. Frances Young says, “the period from Nicaea to Chalcedon is one of the most significant in the formation of the doctrine of the Church.” Khaled Anatolios says Nicaea was all about expressing "coherent construals of the entirety of Christian existence." Christian identity and theology, then, have been fundamentally shaped by the Council of Nicaea.
2025 is a significant anniversary year, celebrating 1700 years since the Council. To mark and explore the importance of the Creed for the 21st century, St. Mellitus College is thrilled to announce the four-year McDonald Agape Nicaea Project involving public lectures from world-leading academics in the field as we ponder the meaning of Nicaea for the church and the academy.
This project will speak into the wider academic world in a constructive and cutting-edge way, and will also communicate into church and society the relevance of Nicaea. The creeds matter in a way that cannot be ignored and we want to place this conversation at the heart of what it means to be thinking about the Kingdom of God and its relevance for 21st Century faith.
Key Events & Lectures
The McDonald Agape Nicaea Public Lectures are generously sponsored by the McDonald Agape Foundation and each lecture will present a paper answering the 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. The evening will then conclude with a drinks and canapés reception for all guests.
*All lectures will be held at St. Mellitus College, 24 Collingham Road, London SW5 0lX.
Revd Professor Frances Young: “A Question of Identity: Creature or Creator?”
Professor Khaled Anatolios: "Nicaea as a Way of Life”
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Revd Dr. Christopher Beeley: "Nicaea as Witness to the Radical Christ”
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Professor Trevor Hart: "‘Draining the Serpent’s Venom…’ The Roots of Nicene Soteriology."
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Professor John Swinton: "The Nicene Creed and the Problem of Suffering: A Theological Exploration"
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Dr. Willie James Jennings: Lecture Title TBD
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Creedal Spirit Conference & Colloquium
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- Ecclesiology and Ministerial Formation
- Cultural Witness and Mission
- Biblical Studies
- Systematics and Historical Theology
- Ethics and the Christian Life
- If you are interested in presenting a paper for one of these streams, please email nicaea@stmellitus.ac.uk with a proposed title, a 200-300 word abstract, and your preferred corresponding Seminar Stream. The deadline to submit an abstract is January 31, 2025. Papers will be roughly 3000 words in length.
- Dr. Beverly Roberts Gaventa: Lecture title TBD
- Professor Ilaria Ramelli: Lecture title TBD
- Rt. Revd. Rowan Williams: Lecture title TBD
- Professor Bruce McCormack: Lecture title TBD
- Dr. Amos Yong: Lecture title TBD
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The McDonald Agape Nicaea Project is excited to announce its 2025 conference, The Creedal Spirit. This event will celebrate the 1700 anniversary of Nicaea, and will take place over two days, from Wednesday 30th April to Thursday 1st May 2025. This is generously sponsored by the McDonald Agape Foundation, and each keynote speaker will present an essay relating to the Council of Nicaea, its abiding impact and significance for today.
Central to this conference will be the seminar streams with numerous papers from a variety of perspectives such as:
Keynote speakers for plenary sessions
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The entire project will culminate in a 2027 colloquium, which will focus on Global Theology and the future of theological education in light of the work done in the preceding three years.
More information to come.
