Nizea 1700 years later: Why the belief in Jesus is blossoming

Nizea 1700 years later: Why the belief in Jesus is blossoming

On July 25, 2025, a very special event will take place in Lübeck, which deals with a decisive chapter in church history. As part of the 1700th anniversary of the first great Council of Christianity, the Catholic parish of Lübeck invites you to a lecture that deals with the Nican Creed and the identity of Jesus Christ. The place of the event is the House of Encounter, Great Hall, Parade 4, and starts at 7:15 p.m., right after the fair. The speaker is Daniela Braker from the Archdiocese of Hamburg, and admission is free - a warm welcome to everyone interested, regardless of faith or theological knowledge is guaranteed.

The historical context of the Council of Nizea, which met 1700 years ago in today's Türkiye, could not be more relevant. At that time there were central questions about faith: Who is Jesus Christ exactly? Is he human, prophet or God's son? These debates are still important to this day and therefore it will be exciting to hear and discuss the different perspectives. Below we take a look at the key data of the creed, which was formulated at the time.

What does the Nizan Creed say?

The Nizan Creed is a fundamental part of the Christian faith and describes the belief in the only God, the father, the Almighty, creator of heaven and earth. It confesses to the faith in Jesus Christ, the natives of God, who was born before all time and is from God to God, light from light, true God of true God. The central statement here is that Jesus is not created, but was generated and a nature with the father; It was created by him

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Another central point of understanding is that Jesus assumed meat, was born by the Holy Spirit by the Virgin Mary and became human. This theology postulates that Jesus crucified under Pontius Pilatus, suffered, was buried, rose up on the third day and opened into the sky. The belief in his rule, which has no end, and the expectation of the return is also part of the commitment.

The current relevance of the Nican Creed

at the end of April 2025, the International Theological Commission published a document that extensively deals with the Nican Creed. With the title "Jesus Christ, Son of God, Redeemer-1700th anniversary of the Ecumenical Council of Nizea 325-2025", the document not only illuminates the importance of the council historically, but also in today's world. Professor Michael Seewald described the Council of Nizea as a theological stroke of luck and thus formulated the high priority that this event has in the history of the church.

The document, which includes almost 70 pages and is divided into 124 points, addresses ecumenism and church synodality, as well as the relevance of the Nizan Creed in the life of the believers. Pope Francis approved the publication of this significant work in December 2024. For those interested, there is also a study day on this topic on May 20, 2025 at the Papal University of Urbaniana in Rome - this also underlines the continued topicality of the topic.

The upcoming lecture in Lübeck offers an excellent opportunity to go into the depth of faith and to think about questions that not only deal with the bishops at that time, but also move us today. So if you are interested in refreshing or deepening your own theological knowledge, you should take this opportunity.