What Is Nicene Christianity?
CornerstoneThe Nicene Creed confesses one God, the Father, the eternal Son made man, and the life-giving Spirit. What each clause means, where it came from in 325 and 381, how the Orthodox Church reads it, and…
Explores Orthodox teaching on apostolic continuity, Holy Tradition, the councils, icons, theosis, the saints, and the Theotokos, and the Orthodox Church’s claim to be the continuation of the ancient Church.
141 resources in this topic.
Start here
Origins & History
23 resources
- Saint Sava of Serbia: The Prince Who Became a Monk and Shaped a Church
- Was the Early Church Really Orthodox? Continuity and Development
- The Trinity: A Biblical, Historical, and Orthodox Christian Defense
- Heaven, Hell, and Final Judgment: An Orthodox Guide to the Last Things
- Why Christians Fast: An Orthodox Guide to Prayer, Fasting, and the Jesus Prayer
- Do Orthodox Christians Worship Icons? A Biblical Guide to Icons and Relics
- Holy Orders: Bishops, Priests, Deacons, and Apostolic Succession
- The End Times: What Christianity Actually Teaches
- Papias of Hierapolis: The Fragmented Witness Who Still Shapes Gospel History
- Polycarp: The Bishop Who Remembered the Apostles
- Can We Find Christ’s Church in History? Following Christianity Back to the Apostles
- What Is Nicene Christianity?
- Who Was Basil the Great?
- Who Was Origen of Alexandria?
- Who Was Clement of Alexandria?
- Who Was Hermas of Rome?
- Who Was Clement of Rome?
- The Earliest Heresies
- Who Were the Docetists?
- Who Was St. Augustine?
- Who Was Arius?
- Who Was St. John Chrysostom?
- Who Was St. Irenaeus?
Church Fathers & Patristics
22 resources
- Closest to the Apostles: Why the Earliest Christian Witnesses Matter
- Penal Substitution: What It Affirms, Where It Came From, and Its Critics
- How the Early Church Understood the Cross
- Why Did God Become Man? The Christian Doctrine of the Incarnation
- Can the Church Fathers Disagree? How Orthodoxy Tells Doctrine From Opinion
- The Seven Ecumenical Councils: What They Taught and Why They Matter
- Do Orthodox Christians Worship Icons? A Biblical Guide to Icons and Relics
- Why Did Jesus Have to Die? An Orthodox Guide to the Atonement
- Holy Orders: Bishops, Priests, Deacons, and Apostolic Succession
- The End Times: What Christianity Actually Teaches
- Papias of Hierapolis: The Fragmented Witness Who Still Shapes Gospel History
- Ignatius of Antioch: The Bishop Who Shows Us the Early Church
- Polycarp: The Bishop Who Remembered the Apostles
- Who Was Basil the Great?
- Are Icons Idols? Why the “Catholics and Orthodox Worship Images” Claim Fails Historically and Theologically
- Who Was Origen of Alexandria?
- Who Was Clement of Alexandria?
- Who Was Hermas of Rome?
- Who Was Clement of Rome?
- Who Was St. Augustine?
- Who Was St. John Chrysostom?
- Who Was St. Irenaeus?
Heresies
8 resources
- What Is the Hypostatic Union? One Person, Two Natures
- The Church of the East: Was It Really Nestorian?
- The Trinity: A Biblical, Historical, and Orthodox Christian Defense
- The Seven Ecumenical Councils: What They Taught and Why They Matter
- Why the Ice-Water-Steam Analogy Fails
- The Earliest Heresies
- Who Were the Docetists?
- Who Was Arius?
The Ecumenical Councils
8 resources
- What Is the Hypostatic Union? One Person, Two Natures
- Eastern Orthodoxy vs. Oriental Orthodoxy: Who Preserved the Apostolic Faith?
- How Does the Orthodox Church Know Which Councils Are Ecumenical?
- The Trinity: A Biblical, Historical, and Orthodox Christian Defense
- The Seven Ecumenical Councils: What They Taught and Why They Matter
- What Is Nicene Christianity?
- Are Icons Idols? Why the “Catholics and Orthodox Worship Images” Claim Fails Historically and Theologically
- Who Was Arius?
Apostolic Succession & the Church
12 resources
- The Church That Could Not Disappear: What Scripture Promises About the Church's Continuity
- The Apostolic Faith: Why Christians Must Hold to the Faith Once for All Delivered (Jude 3)
- Which Church Is the One True Church, and How Would We Know?
- Why Are There So Many Orthodox Jurisdictions?
- Holy Orders: Bishops, Priests, Deacons, and Apostolic Succession
- Papias of Hierapolis: The Fragmented Witness Who Still Shapes Gospel History
- Ignatius of Antioch: The Bishop Who Shows Us the Early Church
- Polycarp: The Bishop Who Remembered the Apostles
- Did Christianity Vanish? The Scriptural Case for an Enduring Church
- Are Icons Idols? Why the “Catholics and Orthodox Worship Images” Claim Fails Historically and Theologically
- Who Was Hermas of Rome?
- Who Was Clement of Rome?
Sacraments & Liturgy
13 resources
- What Happens at an Orthodox Wedding? The Crowning, Explained
- Orthodox Funerals and Memorial Services: What Happens and Why
- Holy Week and Pascha in the Orthodox Church: The Services, Day by Day
- Why Are Some Orthodox Priests Married?
- How Do You Become Orthodox? Catechumenate, Baptism, and Chrismation
- Your First Visit to an Orthodox Church: Everything You Should Know
- What Happens During the Divine Liturgy? A Complete Beginner's Guide
- Why Sacraments at All? Matter, Grace, and the Incarnate Faith
- Holy Unction: Biblical Anointing for Healing of Soul and Body
- Marriage as a Holy Mystery: Scripture, Covenant, and Lifelong Love
- Holy Orders: Bishops, Priests, Deacons, and Apostolic Succession
- Confession: What It Is, Why It Is Biblical, and Why a Priest Is Present
- The Seven Sacraments, Explained
Icons & Veneration
3 resources
- What Is the Iconostasis, and Why Is It There?
- Do Orthodox Christians Worship Icons? A Biblical Guide to Icons and Relics
- Are Icons Idols? Why the “Catholics and Orthodox Worship Images” Claim Fails Historically and Theologically
Theosis & Salvation
15 resources
- Penal Substitution: What It Affirms, Where It Came From, and Its Critics
- Why the Resurrection Is Part of Salvation
- How the Early Church Understood the Cross
- Why Did God Become Man? The Christian Doctrine of the Incarnation
- Grace and Free Will: Is Orthodox Salvation Works-Based?
- What Happens to Christians Outside the Orthodox Church?
- Angels, Demons, and Spiritual Warfare: A Sober Orthodox Guide
- Heaven, Hell, and Final Judgment: An Orthodox Guide to the Last Things
- Why Christians Fast: An Orthodox Guide to Prayer, Fasting, and the Jesus Prayer
- Why Did Jesus Have to Die? An Orthodox Guide to the Atonement
- Why Sacraments at All? Matter, Grace, and the Incarnate Faith
- Holy Unction: Biblical Anointing for Healing of Soul and Body
- The End Times: What Christianity Actually Teaches
- Theosis: Becoming by Grace What God Is by Nature
- Gregory Palamas and the Hesychast Controversy: What Were Barlaam and the Orthodox Monks Actually Arguing About?
Prayer, Fasting & Spiritual Life
12 resources
- Can You Be Orthodox Without a Nearby Parish?
- What Is a Spiritual Father? Guidance, Obedience, and Healthy Boundaries
- The Orthodox Church Calendar: Pascha, Lent, and the Great Feasts
- How to Pray at Home: An Introduction to the Orthodox Prayer Rule
- Sin, Passion, and Spiritual Healing: The Orthodox Understanding
- Angels, Demons, and Spiritual Warfare: A Sober Orthodox Guide
- Why Christians Fast: An Orthodox Guide to Prayer, Fasting, and the Jesus Prayer
- Holy Unction: Biblical Anointing for Healing of Soul and Body
- The End Times: What Christianity Actually Teaches
- Confession: What It Is, Why It Is Biblical, and Why a Priest Is Present
- Theosis: Becoming by Grace What God Is by Nature
- Gregory Palamas and the Hesychast Controversy: What Were Barlaam and the Orthodox Monks Actually Arguing About?
The Trinity
8 resources
- Could Jesus Have Sinned? Temptation and the Sinless Christ
- What Is the Hypostatic Union? One Person, Two Natures
- Why Did God Become Man? The Christian Doctrine of the Incarnation
- The Trinity: A Biblical, Historical, and Orthodox Christian Defense
- Why Did Jesus Have to Die? An Orthodox Guide to the Atonement
- Why the Ice-Water-Steam Analogy Fails
- Did Jesus Ever Claim to Be God? Reading the Gospels in Their Own Terms
- Jesus Christ: True God and True Man
Christian Anthropology
15 resources
- Why the Resurrection Is Part of Salvation
- Could Jesus Have Sinned? Temptation and the Sinless Christ
- Are Orthodox Christians Required to Believe in Aerial Toll Houses?
- Angels, Demons, and Spiritual Warfare: A Sober Orthodox Guide
- Heaven, Hell, and Final Judgment: An Orthodox Guide to the Last Things
- Why Sacraments at All? Matter, Grace, and the Incarnate Faith
- Marriage as a Holy Mystery: Scripture, Covenant, and Lifelong Love
- What Is a Human Being? The Orthodox View of Body and Soul
- What Does It Mean to Be Made in the Image of God?
- Why Does the Body Matter in Christianity?
- Why Do Christians Believe in Bodily Resurrection?
- What Did the Fall Actually Do to Human Nature?
- Do Humans Still Have Free Will After the Fall?
- What Christians Mean by Salvation
- What Happens to the Soul After Death? The Orthodox View
More in this topic
63 resources
- Guard the Good Deposit: Holding Fast to the Apostolic Tradition
- Photios the Great: Defender of Orthodoxy or Architect of Division?
- Who Was St. Seraphim of Sarov? The Joy of the Holy Spirit
- Who Was St. Nectarios of Aegina? Slander, Suffering, and a Modern Saint
- Who Was St. Maria of Paris? Mother Maria Skobtsova and Nazi-Occupied France
- Who Was St. Nicholas of Myra? The Bishop Behind the Legends
- Who Was St. Cyril of Alexandria? Theotokos, Ephesus, and Controversy
- Who Was St. Gregory of Nazianzus? The Theologian of the Trinity
- Who Was St. Ephrem the Syrian? Theology in Hymns
- Who Was St. Olga of Alaska? A Yup’ik Matushka and the Church's Newest Saint
- Who Was St. Herman of Alaska? The Monk Who Defended Alaska's Native People
- Who Was St. John of Damascus? The Theologian Who Defended Icons
- Who Was St. Moses the Black? From Robber to Desert Father
- How Does Someone Become a Saint in the Orthodox Church?
- St. Mary of Egypt: Repentance, Holiness, and the Historical Evidence
- Who Was St. Macrina the Younger? The Woman Behind the Cappadocian Fathers
- Who Was St. Maximus the Confessor? The Monk Who Defended Christ's Human Will
- Does Baptism Save? What 1 Peter, Paul, and Acts Actually Teach
- Passover, Participation, and Judgment: Paul’s Eucharistic Case
- The Clearest Eucharistic Passage? John 6:51–56 in Context
- Bible Verses That Support the Eucharist: The Biblical Case for the Real Presence
- Jehovah's Witnesses vs. Historic Christianity
- Common Objections to Christianity: Quick-Answer Cards
- What Is Theosis? The Orthodox Doctrine of Salvation Explained
- Mary in the Early Church: Theotokos, Ever-Virgin, and the Development of Marian Belief
- Icons and the Early Church: When Did Christians Begin Using Sacred Images?
- Why Do Orthodox Christians Pray to Saints? Is It Biblical?
- Is the Trinity Biblical, or Was It Invented Later?
- The Intercession of the Saints in the Ancient Church
- Christ’s Divinity Did Not Begin at Nicaea
- Fasting Was Ordinary Christian Practice
- The Eucharist as the Church’s Offering
- The Eucharist Is More Than a Memorial
- Baptism Is More Than an Outward Symbol
- Mary and Eve: An Early Christian Reading of Salvation
- “Jesus Is a Relationship, Not a Religion”—Is That Actually Christian?
- Why Didn’t God Just Make Us Angels? The Orthodox Christian View of Human Embodiment
- (Video) The sin Saul left alive.
- (Video) Fasting: the forgotten biblical practice
- (Video) What Was the Council of Nicaea? A Quick Intro
- (Video) Did Jesus Really Rise from the Dead?
- (Video) Do You Want the Whole Map?
- (Video) Jude 1:3: The Faith Once Delivered
- The Resurrection Evidence Cheat Sheet
- Christianity vs. Islam
- Early Church Fathers Quick Reference Guide
- The Bible Canon Timeline
- Non-Christian Sources for Jesus
- The Seven Ecumenical Councils
- Orthodox vs. Catholic vs. Protestant
- The Nicene Creed: Line-by-Line Study Guide
- Mormonism vs. Nicene Christianity
- Arguments for God's Existence
- New Testament Manuscript Evidence
- Bundle: The Evidence Starter Pack
- Bundle: The Historic Faith Pack
- The First 500 Years of Christianity
- Core Christian Doctrines Reference
- Messianic Prophecy Reference Sheet
- The Problem of Evil: A Study Guide
- Gospel Reliability Reference Chart
- The Great Schism Explained
- Major World Religions at a Glance