The Council of Nicaea created the blueprint for the Christian churches, but was it the blueprint for an institution dedicated to the salvation of mankind, or for a tool of statecraft to benefit the Emperor?
Early in the 4th century, a new religious doctrine threatened to split the Christian churches apart. The Roman Emperor grew tired of the debate. He needed a unified church to control his empire in ways that his legions couldn’t. In 325 AD, he summoned all Christian bishops throughout the empire to meet at Nicaea and end the debate once and for all. The Council of Nicaea created the blueprint for the Christian churches going forward, but was it the blueprint for an institution dedicated to the salvation of mankind, or for a tool of statecraft to benefit the Emperor?
Emperor Constantine I ended the persecution of Christians throughout the Roman Empire, but there was a price: Constantine needed a church to help him control the citizens of his empire. His closest friend, Hosius, was tasked with delivering a unified church to Constantine, but endless disagreements over theology threatened to make that task impossible.
Alexander, the Bishop of Alexandria, was the champion of a new religious doctrine – one that had little in common with the doctrine practiced for nearly 300 years. Arias, one of his priests, championed the old doctrine. The two men could not find common ground, and their debates were tearing the churches apart.
Hosius convinced Constantine to call a council of bishops to resolve the theological issues. But was the council meeting intended to truly and openly debate the issues of theology, or was it all for show as Constantine and Hosius pushed their own agenda on the churches of the empire?
Fourth Book in the Southern Swallow Series finds the Academician Li K'ai-men in exile on Hai-nan Island. China has a new invasion threat. A showdown between ingenuity and technology explodes as the Sung Dynasty tries to preserve itself.
Dublin 1941. A brutal murder. Mistaken identity. And barman Eamon Foley is running for his life.
Nine months later Foley is in a crowded pub, and his brother-in-law is shot dead.
