Trinitarian Controversies: The Councils of Nicaea and Constantinople

These flashcards cover key vocabulary related to the Trinitarian controversies and the ecumenical councils addressed in the lecture notes.

Ecumenical Council

A convening of bishops to address issues and clarify doctrines within Christianity.

Trinity

The Christian doctrine describing the relationship of God as three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Modalism

The belief that God exists in three modes as Father, Son, and Spirit, rather than as three distinct persons.

Homoousios

A Greek term meaning 'of the same substance,' used in the Creed of Nicaea to describe the relationship between the Father and the Son.

Hypostasis

A term referring to the distinct persons of the Trinity, namely Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, as well as the divine substance shared among them.

Arianism

The belief, taught by Arius, that Christ was created by the Father and therefore not co-eternal with Him.

Nicene Creed

A statement of faith established at the first Council of Nicaea, affirming the divinity of the Son and the belief in one God.

Cappadocian Fathers

Three bishops who contributed to defining the relationship between the Trinity's persons and clarified the terms ousia and hypostasis.

Theodosius I

The Roman Emperor who made Nicene Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire with the Edict of Thessalonica.

Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed

An expanded version of the Nicene Creed, issued at the First Council of Constantinople, further clarifying the Christian belief regarding the Holy Spirit.