Remembering Nicea: A Contested Legacy
Melbourne, July 1-3
In 2025, ANZATS will hold a joint conference with the Australasian Centre for Wesleyan Research and the Christian Research Association. If your association would also like to participate, please contact us HERE.
2025 marks the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, the first ecumenical Christian council, held from May-July 325 CE. This meeting of bishops discussed issues such as the nature of Jesus’ divinity and humanity, the dating of Easter, and the construction of the first part of the Nicene Creed. It also saw the beginning of early canon law. The council has been seen as a high-water mark of orthodoxy but also as an exercise in silencing and oppressing dissident voices.
The tussle between orthodoxy and inclusion continues today with differences over the role and ordination of women, the inclusion of LGBTQI+ people within the church, ongoing colonisation and racism, sacramental observance, and declining church attendance and membership, at least in the West. The Catholic Church through its Synod on Synodality (which includes Protestant guests) is discovering new forms of conciliarism that draw upon the ancient Ecumenical Councils but also seek to reflect the greater inclusiveness of the contemporary world in fresh ways.
This joint conference will consider the debates that have shaped and continue to shape the church and whether the Council of Nicaea provides a model of ecumenical consensus or of imperial repression. Papers are invited that engage with this theme from a range of perspectives and disciplines, including biblical, historical, systematic and practical theology, biblical studies, or sociology. Papers on current research not related to the conference theme may also be considered.
If you have any questions or concerns, please get in touch via our contact page: https://anzats.edu.au/contact-us/
Timeline:
November 2024 – Call for Papers Released
14th February 2025 – Abstracts and Emerging Scholar Papers due
1st March – Registrations Open
1st April – Finalists for Emerging Scholar Notified
23rd June – Registrations Close
30th June – Stations of the Cross Walk and Opening Reception
1-3 July – Conference, Pilgrim Theological College, 29 College Cres, Parkville
| Time | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday |
| 8.00 | Stations of the Cross Walk | Student Breakfast Registration | Women’s Breakfast | |
| 9.00 | Worship/Devotion | Worship/Devotion | Worship/Devotion | |
| 9.30 | Welcome Keynote 1: | Keynote 2: | Keynote 3: | |
| 11.00 | Morning Tea | |||
| 11.30 | Parallel Papers 1 | Open Space Conversation | Parallel Papers 5 | |
| 12.40 | Lunch ANZATS AGM (Tue) | |||
| 14.00 | Parallel Papers 2 | Parallel Papers 3 | Wrap up Conversation | |
| 15.40 | Afternoon Tea | |||
| 16.00 | Workshops | Parallel Papers 4 | ||
| 17.00 | Opening Reception and Welcome to Country | |||
| 18.00 | Conference Dinner | |||
Accomodation
There are a range of accomodation options in Parkville and surrounds. There are a limited number of rooms available at McClean House (https://pilgrim.edu.au/maclean-house/) which is next door to Pilgrim. For those staying in the city centre, Pilgrim is accessible via the no. 19 tram.
There is limited on street parking at Pilgrim
Stations of the Cross Walking Tour
On Monday, 30th July we will be hosting a walking tour of a range of Melbourne CBD sites including a number of city churches who have a sculptural depiction of the stations of the cross. This is a free event and your registration helps us to know what numbers to expect.
If you would like to join this tour but have mobility issues, please let us know so that we can accomodate you.
Women’s Breakfast
The AUT is once again hosting women scholars for breakfast on Wednesday 2nd July. Full details of the gathering will be distributed closer to the conference. If you are planning on attending the women’s breakfast please sing up here:
Women Scholars’ Breakfast hosted by Australian University of Theology
Student Breakfast
ANZATS is offering a free breakfast to any student attendees at the conference. If you are planning to come please tick the student breakfast option on the registration.