Academic events celebrating the Council of Nicaea 325

The Working Group of Church Historians in German-speaking Countries (Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Kirchenhistoriker und Kirchenhistorikerinnen im deutschen Sprachraum) is dedicating part of this year's annual meeting, which will take place from 19 to 21 June 2025 in Salzburg (see programme here), to the anniversary of the Council of Nicaea. From 11 to 12 July 2025, the School of Catholic Theology at the University of Augsburg will host a conference entitled "1700 Years of Nicaea: Historical Perspectives and Ecumenical Impulses for the Present" (programme here).


Prof. Dr. Dieter Girgensohn † (1935-2025)

The internationally renowned church historian Dieter Girgensohn died in Göttingen on 18 March at the age of 90. He worked as a researcher at the Max Planck Institute for History from 1967-1999, specialising in the politics of the popes during the Great Western Schism, in particular the negotiations between Benedict XIII and Gregory XII (1407-1408) and the history of the Republic of Venice in the late Middle Ages. He was associated with the research project on conciliar history ('Konziliengeschichte') through publications in ‘Annuarium Historiae Conciliorum’ and his frequent participation in the conferences of the Society for Conciliar History, most recently in Vienna in 2014 at the conference ‘Konzil und Fürst', where he spoke on ‘Das Generalkonzil mit obrigkeitlicher Autorisierung im späteren Mittelalter (Perpignan, Pisa, Cividale)’. R.I.P.


New Publications on the History of Councils

Nizäa – Das erste Konzil. Historische, theologische und ökumenische Perspektiven, hg. von Jan Heiner Tück und Uta Heil, Herder: Freiburg i.Br. 2025. 480 S. ISBN: 978-3-451-38391-5

 

The Council of Nicaea is considered an epoch-making event. It dogmatically clarified the controversial question of whether Jesus Christ is the Son of God and rejected the position of Arius. But how did Arius come to deny that the Son and the Father are equally God? And the Council - did its decision not stylise the Galilean itinerant preacher into a divine being and leave the ground of the biblical belief in God? Nicaea still raises questions today - historical, theological and ecumenical. What is the historical context of the Arian controversy? What interests was Emperor Constantine pursuing when he invited the bishops to his residence? Is this the beginning of the problematic symbiosis of throne and altar? How is the theological course set at Nicaea to be understood? Did it falsify the gospel in a Hellenistic way? And did the dogma that Jesus is the Son of God represent a renunciation of Judaism? The Nicene Creed is shared by Catholics, Orthodox and Protestants. This has significance for ecumenism. The liturgy has taken up the creed, so the impact of the Council of Nicea can hardly be overestimated. But how can it be reinterpreted under modern conditions? (from the publisher's announcement)


Study day about the Council of Nicea (325)

To mark the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicea, the Lateran University in Rome is organizing a study day on 28 April 2025 with the topic: Il Concilio di Nicea e l'autocoscienza ecclesiale. Here is the program.


New Publications on the History of Councils

I Domenicani e i Concili. This monographic issue of Memorie Domenicane 53-54 (2022-2023), edited by Luciano Cinelli / Pierantonio Piatti, Nerbini: Firenze 2025, 510 pp., allows us to appreciate the contribution made by the Dominicans to the life of the Church, gathered in some of its most important and solemn assemblies that orient its earthly pilgrimage towards the heavenly Jerusalem. From the 4th Lateran Council onwards, the Dominicans have always been an active part of the Church's conciliar meetings. In the volume, the authors therefore dwell on the Councils of Lyons, Pisa, Constance and Florence, emphasising each time the Dominicans' contribution to reflection, first, and reception, later. There are also in-depth studies on the Inquisition and the idea of conciliarism, ending with the Dominicans' positions at the Second Vatican Council and on the whole ecclesiology of the 20th century (from the publisher's description).


New Publications on the History of Councils

Published Annales Historiae Conciliorum 53/1 (2023)

Index


Ulrich Horst OP † (06.04.1931 - 09.12.2024)

The Ludwig-Maximilian-University / Munich and the Dominican Convent of Hamburg have announced the death of Prof. Dr Ulrich Horst OP on 9 December at the University Hospital Bad Homburg/Saar at the age of 93. The internationally recognised professor and researcher dedicated a large part of his carefully documented research to the topic of ‘Pope - Council - Infallibility’ ("Papst – Konzil – Unfehlbarkeit" the title of his habilitation thesis from 1978 and also his last major publication, the volume of essays entitled ‘Päpstliche Unfehlbarkeit wider konziliare Superiorität? Studies on the history of an [ecclesiological] antagonism from the 15th to the 19th century’ in 2016). R.I.P.
A shortlist of his publications (from the perspective of conciliar history) can be found on the website of Konziliengeschichte; here the obituary of the Dominican Convent Hamburg.

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