Dr. Dafydd Daniel

So it's been a period of unrest for the Empire Amateur Church and persecution for Christians, which does feed into Nicaea, because part of the struggle, sort of internal politics of the church, and part of Constantine's concern, is the fact that after those periods of persecution, you have certain Christian groups coming. are claiming to be the true church.

So it's been a period of unrest for the Empire Amateur Church and persecution for Christians, which does feed into Nicaea, because part of the struggle, sort of internal politics of the church, and part of Constantine's concern, is the fact that after those periods of persecution, you have certain Christian groups coming. are claiming to be the true church.

So it's been a period of unrest for the Empire Amateur Church and persecution for Christians, which does feed into Nicaea, because part of the struggle, sort of internal politics of the church, and part of Constantine's concern, is the fact that after those periods of persecution, you have certain Christian groups coming. are claiming to be the true church.

And this is most famously with the Donatists in Africa. I mean, one of Constantine's first acts in 314, so even before he's in towards Nicaea, is to have the Council of Arles, which is to try and quiet these Donatists. So the Donatists oppose people who apostatized during the persecution. They surrendered the Bible, surrendered their faith. Now they want to come back into the church.

And this is most famously with the Donatists in Africa. I mean, one of Constantine's first acts in 314, so even before he's in towards Nicaea, is to have the Council of Arles, which is to try and quiet these Donatists. So the Donatists oppose people who apostatized during the persecution. They surrendered the Bible, surrendered their faith. Now they want to come back into the church.

And this is most famously with the Donatists in Africa. I mean, one of Constantine's first acts in 314, so even before he's in towards Nicaea, is to have the Council of Arles, which is to try and quiet these Donatists. So the Donatists oppose people who apostatized during the persecution. They surrendered the Bible, surrendered their faith. Now they want to come back into the church.

and the Donatists refusing. And the same thing is happening in Egypt with a chap called Militius. And so the Militians are also this group that don't necessarily seem suspect in their orthodoxy, unlike Arius and others that we'll come to, but they are claiming to be the real church of the spiritual church, the church of saints. So again, there's a threat of schism and separation.

and the Donatists refusing. And the same thing is happening in Egypt with a chap called Militius. And so the Militians are also this group that don't necessarily seem suspect in their orthodoxy, unlike Arius and others that we'll come to, but they are claiming to be the real church of the spiritual church, the church of saints. So again, there's a threat of schism and separation.

and the Donatists refusing. And the same thing is happening in Egypt with a chap called Militius. And so the Militians are also this group that don't necessarily seem suspect in their orthodoxy, unlike Arius and others that we'll come to, but they are claiming to be the real church of the spiritual church, the church of saints. So again, there's a threat of schism and separation.

Yes. Yeah, exactly right. No, exactly right. I mean, the status of Christianity, even as a religion in the empire, has been much debated, right? It's only in that Edict of Milan that Christianity actually becomes officially recognized as a religion. I mean, that's part of a significant stage, right? It's not even viewed as religion at that point.

Yes. Yeah, exactly right. No, exactly right. I mean, the status of Christianity, even as a religion in the empire, has been much debated, right? It's only in that Edict of Milan that Christianity actually becomes officially recognized as a religion. I mean, that's part of a significant stage, right? It's not even viewed as religion at that point.

Yes. Yeah, exactly right. No, exactly right. I mean, the status of Christianity, even as a religion in the empire, has been much debated, right? It's only in that Edict of Milan that Christianity actually becomes officially recognized as a religion. I mean, that's part of a significant stage, right? It's not even viewed as religion at that point.

And yes, as you say, there's unrest about the status of the church, the status of Christianity. Is it a suspect cult? Is it something serious or not? Even before this point, You've had the persecution of Decius in 250s. After that is what's known as the little piece of the church, the sort of 40 years or so between that persecution and the great persecution.

And yes, as you say, there's unrest about the status of the church, the status of Christianity. Is it a suspect cult? Is it something serious or not? Even before this point, You've had the persecution of Decius in 250s. After that is what's known as the little piece of the church, the sort of 40 years or so between that persecution and the great persecution.

And yes, as you say, there's unrest about the status of the church, the status of Christianity. Is it a suspect cult? Is it something serious or not? Even before this point, You've had the persecution of Decius in 250s. After that is what's known as the little piece of the church, the sort of 40 years or so between that persecution and the great persecution.

And then we've got this, the Emperor Aurelian, and he is already asked to try and decide a controversy about another heresy, which is still being debated at the time of the Nicene Church.

And then we've got this, the Emperor Aurelian, and he is already asked to try and decide a controversy about another heresy, which is still being debated at the time of the Nicene Church.

And then we've got this, the Emperor Aurelian, and he is already asked to try and decide a controversy about another heresy, which is still being debated at the time of the Nicene Church.

which is known as Sibelianism, with this extraordinary character, Paul of Samosata, who's a bishop of Antioch, who claims the privilege of the Queen Zenobia, who's sort of a next part of Egypt and Syria from the empire. So yeah, already the empire has been involved in trying to decide what's going on.

which is known as Sibelianism, with this extraordinary character, Paul of Samosata, who's a bishop of Antioch, who claims the privilege of the Queen Zenobia, who's sort of a next part of Egypt and Syria from the empire. So yeah, already the empire has been involved in trying to decide what's going on.