Guno צְבִי
We fight, We win, Am Yisrael Chai
The essay, written by Dr. Thomas Paul Schirrmacher, German theologian and former Secretary General of the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA), appears in "Their Lord and Ours: The Enduring Legacy of Nicaea," a collection of scholarly contributions marking the 1,700th anniversary of the council published as part of the World of Theology series by the WEA's Theological Commission. Schirrmacher's contribution titled "Nicaea and the Separation of the Christian Church From Its Jewish Roots" was highlighted in Bonn Profiles on May 15.
While affirming the theological weight of the Nicene Creed, Schirrmacher argues that decisions made at Nicaea — and the broader atmosphere of Emperor Constantine's reign — drove Christianity toward a distinct, non-Jewish identity in ways that were not primarily grounded in biblical reasoning.
A key example, according to the essay, was the council's decision to decouple the date of Easter from the Jewish Passover calendar. Schirrmacher characterizes this as emblematic of a wider effort to define Christian identity in opposition to Jewish practice, driven by anti-Jewish attitudes that were prevalent in the Roman world of the fourth century.
Constantine's own policies and public rhetoric toward Jews receive critical attention in the essay. Schirrmacher describes the emperor's posture as openly hostile, and argues it left a lasting imprint on Christian attitudes and legislation in the centuries that followed.
While affirming the theological weight of the Nicene Creed, Schirrmacher argues that decisions made at Nicaea — and the broader atmosphere of Emperor Constantine's reign — drove Christianity toward a distinct, non-Jewish identity in ways that were not primarily grounded in biblical reasoning.
A key example, according to the essay, was the council's decision to decouple the date of Easter from the Jewish Passover calendar. Schirrmacher characterizes this as emblematic of a wider effort to define Christian identity in opposition to Jewish practice, driven by anti-Jewish attitudes that were prevalent in the Roman world of the fourth century.
Constantine's own policies and public rhetoric toward Jews receive critical attention in the essay. Schirrmacher describes the emperor's posture as openly hostile, and argues it left a lasting imprint on Christian attitudes and legislation in the centuries that followed.
