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Rev. Dr John Ngige Njoroge, executive secretary for Theology and Interfaith Relations at the All Africa Conference of Churches, spoke on Christian unity, a common Easter date, and challenges such as misleading theologies, issues which he views as central to the yearlong commemoration.
“The celebrations… [are] for the whole Christian fraternity. This is because this was the first ecumenical council that demonstrated the ability of Christians to come together and in consensus, to find solutions to challenges including theological disagreements or misunderstanding,” said Njoroge, a priest of the Orthodox Church in Kenya.
In 325 CE, Roman emperor Constantine I called for an assembly of bishops in the Bithynian City of Nicaea, (now Iznik City in Turkey) to deliberate controversies on the nature of Christ—both human and divine—a common date for Easter, and the formulation of a creed.
Attended by 318 bishops, the gathering defined God as one—an external existence of three persons—Father, Son and the Holy Spirit, produced the first version of the Nicene Creed—the statement of faith that Christian denominations still recite today—and laid the ground for early canon law.
The priest said the council formulated the Nicene Creed to respond to the heresies or wrong teachings of the time, an outcome applicable today, especially in Africa where spreading wrong teaching or misleading theologies threatens lives.
“It might not be possible to have such a council today in Africa to address the current heresies or misleading theologies because of the diversity of faith, however, African Christianity has a significant contribution to make in the Christian world, ecumenical movements, peace, and development,” he said.
According to Njoroge, the African conference plans to incorporate reflections on the Nicene Creed as an example of addressing misleading theologies at that time during a theological consultation in April.
“Amplifying the lessons learnt from the council and their significance to the mission of the church – particularly for Orthodox churches in Africa— comes to us as a challenge,” he said.
A common date for Easter has been divisive with the majority of African churches following the Gregorian calendar, according to the priest, and some Orthodox Christians following the Julian calendar, meaning they celebrate the feast at different dates.
“This comes with a lot of questions especially for the Orthodox who are the minority except in the Ethiopian Orthodox Church,” said Njoroge.
The anniversary is also drawing attention to church history, he said, especially the church in Egypt and Province of Carthage. Theologians such as St Athanasius, St Clement, St Cyprian of Carthage, and Augustine of Hippo, among others, as well as the catechetical school of Alexandria and monastic spirituality are known for their contributions to Christianity.
“African Christianity is rapidly growing, however, it is challenged today to make remarkable theological contributions to world Christianity,” he said.
Another significance is theo-political nature of the council, since it was assembled by emperor Constantine the Great, he explained, meaning there were some political interests on religion.
“Religion has a lot of influence in Africa today, and therefore it would be interesting to learn how Christianity in Africa can balance between being a prophetic voice as well as a key influencer on political issues,” said Njoroge.
As part of the anniversary, the World Council of Churches has planned activities towards the Sixth World Conference of Faith and Order.
Assembling church leaders, theologians, and ecumenists, the conference will convene from 24-28 October at the Logos Papal Centre of the Coptic Orthodox Church in Alexandra, Egypt, under the theme “Where now for visible unity?”
More details about the 6th World Conference on Faith and Order
