Nineteenth Century Theology Unit
Exploring the Council of Nicaea in the Nineteenth Century
2025 marks the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea. To commemorate this anniversary, the Nineteenth Century Theology Unit is organizing a session that explores the concept and doctrine of God, broadly understood, throughout the long nineteenth century. This anniversary provides an important occasion to reflect on the reception of the Nicene formula during an era characterized by the legacy of Enlightenment rationalism and Kant’s rejection of speculative metaphysics, and the recovery and reinterpretation of trinitarian thought following the respective philosophical projects of Hegel and Schelling. Against this backdrop, the nineteenth century posed both new challenges and opportunities for the understanding and articulation of the doctrine of God. As we commemorate this pivotal moment in the history of Christian thought, this session welcomes papers that focus on the reception, critique, and transformation of the Nicene formula throughout nineteenth-century theology. Papers may explore how “Nicene theology” shaped and was reshaped by key theological figures and movements of the Nineteenth Century in different regions of the world. Topics may include specific concepts and doctrines, such as the Trinity and Christology, as well as historical developments, such as different forms of confessionalism.
Our Unit focuses on major themes, thinkers, and movements in nineteenth century religious thought and theology — from the French Revolution to World War I — and on the relation of religious thought to its historical, political, and cultural contexts. Each year the Unit selects two or three focused topics and predistributes papers before the AAR sessions.