TOPIC AND INSTRUCTIONS: Nicene Christology
You must write an original paper of your own composition on the topic of Nicene Christology. Your
paper must be 1200 to 1800 words long, double-spaced, in a standard 12-point font). In your paper, you
must examine the major Christological controversies that were discussed in the Ecumenical Councils of
the fourth and fifth centuries (the Councils of Nicaea, Constantinople, Ephesus, and Chalcedon).
Structure your paper in the following manner:
The Controversies
The Outcome
Second, describe the outcome of these councils, including the Chalcedonian Definition. What
conclusions were reached at Nicaea and the subsequent councils? Why did the church fathers
reach these conclusions? What difference did these specific conclusions make in the life of the
church?
Application and Analysis
Third, apply what you have learned to your contemporary Christian fellowship/church experience.
Possible questions for your reflection in this third section would be 1) What is the Christology
(the understanding of who Christ is) of your contemporary Christian fellowship/church?; 2) How
does this Christology compare or contrast with Nicene orthodoxy?; 3) How does your Christian
fellowships/churchs adherence or departure from Nicene orthodoxy affect the message of
salvation (and it does!)?; and 4) Why should (or shouldnt) the thinking of contemporary
Christians be/ become aligned with the Nicene Creed
