The conflict between the Antiochan and Alexandrian vision of Christian thought finally culminated in the first ecumenical council of the Church, the Council of Nicaea (or Nicea), which was convened by Constantine in 325. The man who brought the crisis to a head was Arius, who embraced the Antiochan view, but who labored in Alexandria. Arianism was condemned at Nicaea, but the Arian understanding of Christian teaching has continued to this day.

In this lesson we examine the major tenants of Arian Christianity, and we look briefly at the 325 version of the Nicene Creed. In this important affirmation of faith, Trinity is accepted as the orthodox position, and the true deity and humanity of Christ are affirmed, although later councils would further clarify those points.

Although the church has certainly added more to its understanding of the nature of God over the centuries, orthodox Christianity has never rejected this foundational statement of faith, and for that reason, this council stands as the first universal (or ecumenical) creedal statement in history. (Note to user - the PowerPoint presentation is included here, but technical difficulties prevented recording the in-class video. My apologies).

1. Introduction to the Major Themes of Philosophy
2. The Ionian Philosophers
3. The Italian Philosophers
4. The Athenian Pluralists
5. The Life and Times of Socrates
6. Introduction to Plato
7. Plato's World of the Forms
8. Plato's Parable of the Cave
9. Dualism in Plato
10. Introduction to Aristotle
11. Aristotle's Metaphysics
12. Aristotle's Categories
13. Aristotle's Theory of Language
14. Aristotle's God
15. The Epicureans
16. Stoicism
17. Philo of Alexandria
18. The Christian Synthesis
19. Early Christian Apologists
20. Antiochan Christianity
21. Alexandrian Christianity
22. The Council of Nicaea
23. Manichaeism
24. Neo-Platonism
25. The Life of Augustine
26. Overview of Augustin's Thought
27. Augustin's Epistemology
28. Augustin's Epistemology (part 2)
29. Augustin's Theory of Faith
30. Augustin's Understanding of the Church
31. The Pelagian Controversy
32. The Pelagian Controversy (cont)
33. The Pelagian Controversy (concl)
34. Anselm of Canterbury
35. Anselm's Cur Deus Homo
36. Introduction to the Classical Synthesis
37. The Classical Synthesis (part 2)
38. Thomas Aquinas and the Five Ways
39. Art, Philosophy, and the Renaissance

This wide ranging course starts with the pre-Socratic philosophers of the ancient world, and traces the history of philosophical speculation across the ages up to the present. Included along the way is special attention to the greatest Christian thinkers in history, including Augustine, Anselm, Aquinas, Luther, Calvin and many others.