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Registration

Registration for the full Conference is now closed.

Two of the creeds of the Ancient Church—the Nicene Creed and the Apostles’ Creed—are without a doubt the most influential non-biblical texts in the history of Christianity. This year marks the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea that produced what would in time be known as the Nicene Creed. This creed re-affirmed the heart of the Christian Faith as laid down throughout the New Testament Scriptures, namely, that, in the person and work of Jesus of Nazareth not only was the salvation of human beings accomplished but he was, in fact, “one in being” with God the Father. This conference will explore the historical context and meaning of this all-important affirmation of biblical truth as well as its legacy in church history and its implications for our life together as Christians today. Do plan on joining us for what will be both a rich time of learning and a celebration of this central confession of the Christian faith.

This two-day conference is hosted by the Albert M. Wolters Centre for Christian Scholarship at www.����ɫ in partnership with the , the at Wycliffe College, the and the at McMaster Divinity College.

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Dr. Megan DeVore’s Saturday evening lecture on Proclaiming Christ: Second to Fourth Century Christian Art, the Wolters Centre Lecture in the Arts and Humanities, is free and open to the general public.

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Speakers

Plenaries

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How Biblical is the Nicene Creed? A Question Worth Asking and Answering
Dr. Stanley E. Porter

The Nicene Creed (in its longer form) is one of if not the most important creeds from the patristic era of the Christian church. This creed, along with others that were formulated over the course of several centuries, were written in response to theological issues and debates that emerged as the church developed. As a result, some in the history of the church, including today, take the creeds as definitive for understanding the beliefs of historic Christianity, while others simply view them as ad hoc theological documents only incidentally connected to the early church and its Scriptures. This paper asks the question of what the relationship is between the Nicene Creed, central to the debate over the early creeds, and the Bible, especially the New Testament, which should remain the touchstone for evaluating any doctrinal issue or creedal statement. This paper attempts to answer this question by examining two kinds of evidence:  individual wordings of importance, from single words to groups of words, and so-called New Testament creedal passages that in various ways recount aspects of the salvation story.

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‘The Great and Holy Synod’: Providentially Assembled to Do God’s Work
Dr. Stefana Laing

The Council of Nicaea was a landmark event of immense theological and ecclesiological significance, and its participants have acquired an outsized fame. But no minutes remain for us. How much can we know about what really happened at the church’s first-ever ecumenical gathering? How was the council perceived and received in its own time? This lecture will examine the precipitation of controversy, the preparations for the council, as also its agenda and accomplishments.

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Pigment, Stone, Story, and Song: Creative Works as Theological Testimony in Early Christianity
Dr. Megan DeVore

Studies in Early Christian theology typically focus on a standard catalog of ancient texts. Epistles and formal tomes variously apologetic, polemic, exhortatory, and didactic in nature are emphasized, often exclusively, as sources for Christian beliefs during the patristic age. This is particularly true for the theological convictions affirmed at the councils of Nicaea and Constantinople. Yet a comprehensive purview of early Christian communication reveals a striking omission of genre. This presentation explores second through fourth century Christian creative works, from visual displays in fresco and carved stone to literary fiction and poetic hymns. In these ‘imaginative’ productions, just as significantly and brilliantly as the formal texts more familiar to us, early Christian doctrine was communicated and received by a seeing, listening community.

These works in pigment, stone, story, and song are both compelling and crucial to attend. They affirm the fundamental role of the Scriptures in the life of the church, reveal a profundity of core hermeneutical principles in action, cultivate worshipful response among their audiences, and voice remarkable harmony with the (more-familiar-to-us) theological tomes of the same centuries. This paper invites us to ask how catacomb frescoes might complement our reading of Irenaeus’ Against Heresies, elaborately carved sarcophagi could pair with On the Incarnation, Syriac hymns can manifest the Nicene Creed, and Athanasius’ Life of Antony might parallel Basil’s On the Holy Spirit. In concluding that scholars of patristic theology would be remiss to focus on formal texts to the neglect of creative works from the same eras, this paper will invite us to consider our own pedagogy as well as the impact and role of the creative genres in theological discourse today.

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‘Making History’: Nicaea, Historiographically Refracted
Dr. Stefana Laing

Much of what we know about Nicaea is preserved for and relayed to us by later historians. The fifth-century accounts of Socrates, Sozomen, and Theodoret are of inestimable value, but what goals did they have in writing a history and what biases might they involve in their re-telling the story of Nicaea over a century later? Are there any distinctives in the viewpoints of the two laymen versus the bishop? This lecture examines the early historiography of Nicaea and what significance may emerge from comparison of these synoptic sources.

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Proclaiming Christ: Second to Fourth Century Christian Art  
Dr. Megan DeVore

While scholars today often examine texts for theological perspectives related to Nicaea – parsing the repository of ancient creeds, Athanasian and Cappadocian volumes, or second and third century tomes – early Christian visual communication is largely neglected. This paper shifts our focus to material culture by attending to catacomb frescoes, carved inscriptions, and sarcophagi scenes from the third and fourth centuries. It quickly becomes evident that these visual works do not merely serve as decoration or illustration. Rather, they communicate complex and deliberate Christological affirmations, for which they noticeably employ the hermeneutical methods of their textual counterparts.  That is, the iconographic programs of early Christian painting and stonework prevailingly align with the Scriptural scenes and figures invoked in patristic writings to convey Christological assertions. This paper’s examination of visual patterns found in early Christian art suggests that material production is a form of theological discourse. This connection between patristic texts and material expression deserves closer attention, especially in conversations about historical theology and hermeneutics. The integration of patristic visual culture into conversations about Nicene Christology may offer a valuable counterbalance to the text-centered approaches that often characterize theological scholarship and, furthermore, might enrich contemporary discussions on theological continuity and retrieval.

Panel Discussion

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Does Nicaea Matter Here and Now? A Panel Discussion (graciously sponsored by )

While the more obscure particulars of the Council of Nicaea might not be discussed or even known today, this 1700 year old church council remains instructive for the modern church in our time and place. Both in its form and content, the Council of Nicaea contains significant insights for the church in Canada.

Hear from a panel of distinguished theological and historical experts for an engaging discussion, moderated by church historian Michael Haykin, PhD, as they explore answers to this driving question: Why does a 1700 year old church council matter for the Canadian church today?

This panel will include the following respondents:

, is president and dean, professor of New Testament and holder of the Roy A. Hope Chair in Christian Worldview at McMaster Divinity College in Hamilton, Ontario.

is the former Canadian ambassador for the Office of Religious Freedom under Stephen Harper and is currently the director of faith community engagement at Cardus.

Kevin Flatt, PhD, is a professor of history and associate dean of humanities at www.����ɫ in Ontario, specializing in the secularization of Western societies and Protestantism in Canada.

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Schedule

October 3-4, 2025
www.����ɫ
Ontario, Canada

Friday, October 3

• 11:30 am-1:00 pm: Conference registration (Founders Hall); 21 Five Bookstore open; booths to explore
• 12:45-1:45 pm: Student Paper Session A (213) / Student Paper Session B (212C) (choose one)
• 2:00-3:30 pm: Plenary #1: Stanley E. Porter – How Biblical is the Nicene Creed? A Question Worth Asking and Answering (Library)
• 3:30-3:45 pm: Break
• 3:45-5:15 pm: General Paper Session A (212A) / General Paper Session B (212B) / ETS Parallel Session A (212C) (choose one)
• 5:15-6:30 pm: Dinner (Dining Hall)
• 6:30-8:00 pm: Plenary #2: Stefana Laing – On the Council of Nicaea (Library)

Saturday, October 4

• 9:30-11:00 am: Plenary #3: Megan DeVore – Pigment, Stone, Story, and Song: Creative Works as Theological Testimony in Early Christianity (Library)
• 11:00-11:15 am: Break
• 11:15 am -12:45 pm: General Paper Session C (212A) / General Paper Session D (212B) / General Paper Session E (212C) / ETS Parallel Session B (211) (choose one)
• 12:45-1:45 pm: Lunch (Dining Hall)
• 1:45-3:15 pm: Plenary #4: Stefana Laing – Remembering Nicaea (Library)
• 3:15-3:30 pm: Break
• 3:30-5:00 pm: Panel Discussion: Does Nicaea Matter Here and Now? (Library) graciously sponsored by 
• 5:00-7:30 pm: Dinner break (Offsite); booths to explore
• 7:30-9:00 pm: Plenary #5: Megan DeVore – Proclaiming Christ: Second to Fourth Century Christian Art (Auditorium)

* open from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. on Friday and 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. on Saturday.

Proposal Submission

The organizers of the conference warmly invite proposals from students (undergraduate/graduate) and academics for 15-20 minute papers on all aspects of the Council of Nicaea. The deadline for submissions has now closed.

Topics of interest might include but are not limited to:

• Nicaea itself: historical and theological explorations of the council of Nicaea
• Implications for Nicaea today: what difference does Nicaea make for us today?
• The road to Nicaea: scriptural and historical precursors to Nicaea
• The theology of Nicaea
• Legacy of Nicaea across church history

Scholarships

We have received a scholarship from The Reid Trust to sponsor undergraduate and graduate student scholarships to attend the Nicaea Conference. We are grateful to for their financial support.

Conference Registration Scholarships. Undergraduate students from www.����ɫ and graduate students at McMaster Divinity College and Wycliffe College can apply for a $50 scholarship to attend the full Nicaea Conference (limited number available). Students are required to write a paragraph on why they want to attend the conference. Email wolterscentre@redeemer.ca to indicate you are applying for the scholarship.

Travel Bursary Scholarships. Graduate students can apply for a travel bursary to cover up to $500 in travel and registrations costs to the Nicaea Conference (a total of five available). Students are required to write a paragraph on why they want to attend the conference and submit a paper proposal. Email wolterscentre@redeemer.ca to indicate you are applying to the scholarship.

Accommodations

Nearby hotels (within a 10-15 minute drive of www.����ɫ): 

• , Ancaster
• , Hamilton
• , Hamilton

Travel