Category Archives: 2. Ante-Nicene (101-325 AD)

The confession of Jesus as the Christ—the incarnate Son of God, crucified and risen—is the cornerstone of Christian faith. First proclaimed by Peter and sealed by the adoration of Thomas, who cried, “My Lord and my God,” this mystery became the beating heart of the Church’s life, worship, and doctrine. From the earliest days of baptismal confession to the soaring doxologies of the liturgy, the Church has proclaimed the divine… Read more

Early Christianity held with unwavering conviction that humanity, fashioned in the image of God, was created in purity and fell through its own volition, seduced by the fallen spirit of Satan. Yet while this foundational belief was universally confessed, the Church had not yet engaged in a rigorous analysis of the Fall’s scope, its moral and metaphysical consequences, or the nature and origin of the human soul. Only centuries later—especially… Read more

In the early Christian centuries, the doctrine of creation stood as both a theological cornerstone and a spiritual safeguard. Against the dualisms and abstractions of Gnostic speculation, the Church affirmed a transcendent yet personal God who brought all things into being by his sovereign will. This doctrine, foundational to both worship and redemption, united the cosmology of Genesis with the incarnate reality of Christ, rooting metaphysical truth in the living… Read more

Emerging not as a static composition but as a living, evolving confession, the Apostles’ Creed underwent centuries of organic growth, shaped by the spiritual, theological, and ecclesial needs of the Church. By comparing its earlier and later forms alongside antecedent rules of faith and the Nicene Creed, we trace the steady refinement of Christian doctrine into the familiar language that continues to resonate in the hearts of believers across the… Read more

Woven into the fabric of early Christian confession, the Apostles’ Creed arose not as a rigid composition from a single moment in history, but as the living voice of the ancient Church—shaped by worship, sharpened by heresies, and nourished by the baptismal waters of faith. Its final form, though post-apostolic, carries within it the rhythm of apostolic witness, the simplicity of primal devotion, and the enduring unity of Christian belief… Read more

In the tumultuous era of early doctrinal conflict, the church did not rely on Scripture alone as its fortress of truth. Alongside the written word, the Fathers invoked a “rule of faith”—a living, apostolic tradition transmitted through the succession of bishops and embodied in the worship and teaching of the universal church. This tradition, anchored in the faith of the apostles, served as a visible and authoritative witness against heretical… Read more

The formation of the Christian canon was not the result of arbitrary decisions or sudden inspiration, but a long and deliberate process guided by the Spirit and affirmed through the collective discernment of the early church. From the inspired writings of apostles to the exclusion of spurious gospels and heretical forgeries, the church emerged with a body of sacred Scripture that has remained the cornerstone of Christian theology, piety, and… Read more

In the crucible of doctrinal error and theological upheaval, the early church emerged not defeated, but refined. The clash with heresies—especially Gnosticism—compelled the church to articulate with clarity and precision what she already possessed by faith: the eternal truths of divine revelation. From Scripture and apostolic tradition, there arose a deepening body of theology, refined through controversy, and destined to shape the orthodoxy of the ages. Sources and Literature The… Read more

Manichaeism stands as one of the most elaborate and enduring heresies of antiquity—a synthesis of Zoroastrian dualism, Gnostic cosmology, Buddhist asceticism, and Christian vocabulary. Though cloaked in the language of revelation and redemption, its core teaching replaces the drama of sin and grace with a cosmological myth of light imprisoned in darkness, and salvation as the extraction of spiritual particles from the tyranny of matter. Despite its severe asceticism, Manichaeism… Read more

More than a mere Gnostic school, Manichaeism arose as a rival world religion—systematic, syncretistic, and enduring—vying with Christianity not only for theological authority but for spiritual dominance. Rooted in the dualism of Zoroastrianism, drawing heavily from Gnostic, Christian, and Buddhist traditions, and cloaked in prophetic garb, the faith of Mani sought to resolve the age-old riddle of evil through an eternal conflict between light and darkness. In Mani’s vision, Christianity… Read more