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© Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America		The Search for the Christian Doctrine of God The formation of the doctrine of the Trinity in the fourth century This course is one in a series of short courses aiming to introduce some of the major people and events from Early Church history to a wider audience, especially to those with no previous background in the subject. The Christian doctrine of God as Trinity was hammered out in the 4th century, following the condemnation of the preaching of a popular Alexandrian priest (Arius). The course will commence by providing an overview of what Arius taught and why, before examining the initial response of the Church (at the council of Nicaea in 325AD) and the text of the original Nicene creed. However, within a few years, the "consensus" reached at Nicaea was rejected by a number of different groups within the Church, and over more than 50 years, the search for alternative formulations continued. Numerous councils were held during this time, often resulting in one or more "better" creeds which were received with varying degrees of success. An overview of a number of these additional councils, and their alternative formulations, will be provided, in order to bring out the different sides of the debate.
The end of this period of intense debate & controversy was marked by the classical expression of Trinitarian faith in the creed produced at the council of Constantinople (in 381AD). The course will therefore end with a comparison of this creed with the one produced at Nicaea. Course Outline The course will be divided into several sessions, with breaks for refreshments, each session consisting of a period of teaching with time for questions. The longer day at Ditchingham allows for a lunch break and time for reflection in the convent grounds. We shall use English translations of key documents (such as Arius’ own letters) as an aid to understanding the sometimes alien language and concepts used during the debate. Active participation will be encouraged (although not compulsory)! Please note: Tea & coffee (and nice biscuits) will be provided during the breaks, but you will need to bring a packed lunch if attending the course at Ditchingham. Who is the course aimed at? Anyone who’s read this far and is still interested! Do I need to know any history/theology? Absolutely not! The course assumes a complete lack of previous knowledge, experience or study. Although naturally this wouldn’t do any harm. However, clergy, lay readers or others with some knowledge will still find much of interest. Speaker Russell Jefford holds an MA in Patristics (Early Church history), is an Associate of All Hallows, and sees much in the writings of the Early Church Fathers which is inspirational and of relevance to contemporary Christianity.

This course is currently scheduled for the following dates/locations:
None! Sorry, this course is not in the calendar for the immediate future. If you'd like to lobby for it to be repeated, please use the Get in Touch form.

Suggestions for further reading
See the Reading Room section of the website for:

• Books about the 4th Century Trinitarian Debate
• A selection of recommended primary sources (texts written during the period)

© Russell Jefford @ EarlyChurch.co.uk 2003-2010