Ecumenical conference in Münster: Nicaea in the focus of religious studies!

Ecumenical conference in Münster: Nicaea in the focus of religious studies!

An international double conference on the Council of Nicaea will take place in Münster from October 15th to 17th, 2025. It is organized by the University of Münster in cooperation with the Pontifical Gregorian University. Led by dogmatics professor Michael Seewald and Philipp G. Renczes SJ, the conference focuses on the role of the Council of Nicaea for ecumenism and the dialogue between Judaism and Islam. This event will attract researchers from nine different countries, including theologians, philosophers, historians, Judaizers and Islamic scholars, who will examine the meaning of the Council. The University of Münster reports that...

Particularly noteworthy are the contributions of international speakers such as Piero Coda from Italy, Alfred Bodenheimer from Switzerland, Nadine Abbas from Lebanon, Ben Quash from Great Britain, Friederike Nüssel from Germany and Vincent Holzer from France. These participants will discuss the historical, philosophical and interreligious implications of the Council of Nicaea in various formats.

The Council of Nicaea and its historical significance

The first ecumenical council took place in Nicaea, modern-day Turkey, in 325 AD. Emperor Constantine, who convened the council, saw himself as a “bishop for external affairs” and sought to resolve theological disputes within the Roman Empire. Before his reign, it was unthinkable for an emperor to call a council because Christians were sometimes persecuted. Katholisch.de describes that… Constantine's religious policy favored a major change that initiated the transition from paganism to Christianity.

Around 1,800 bishops were invited to the council, but only 200 to 300 showed up. The Roman bishop Sylvester I was not personally represented among the participants; instead he sent two legates. A central point of contention was the teaching of the priest Arius from Alexandria, which was rejected by the council. Ultimately, the bishops adopted a creed that established the nature of Christ as “of one being with the Father,” a decision that had a profound impact on the theological landscape.

The current challenges and discussions

A key goal of the conference in Münster is to shed light on the internal diversity of Christianity and its relationships with Judaism and Islam. The different interpretations of the Nicene Creed in different Christian traditions and cultures are discussed. Michael Seewald highlights that the beliefs of church members today often differ from historical beliefs, which will be a central line of discussion.

In addition, the conference will also examine the acceptance of the Nicene Creed from Jewish and Islamic perspectives. This will make a valuable contribution to interreligious understanding. In preparation for the ecumenical Nicea commemoration in November, where Pope Leo XIV plans to travel to Iznik and Istanbul, the conference will help to better understand the historical roots but also the current challenges in interreligious dialogue.