Original Research - Special Collection: The Creed of Nicaea after 1700 Years

The Council of Nicaea on baptism

Abraham van de Beek
In die Skriflig/In Luce Verbi | Vol 60, No 2 | a3230 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/ids.v60i2.3230 | © 2026 Abraham van de Beek | This work is licensed under CC Attribution 4.0
Submitted: 25 July 2025 | Published: 05 August 2026

About the author(s)

Abraham van de Beek, Department of Systematic Theology, Faculty of Theology, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa

Abstract

The canons of the Council of Nicaea mention baptism three times: solid education into baptism is required, baptism by heretics is refuted, and baptism by schismatics is accepted. This article deals with the background of these decisions in the theology of that time, with special attention to the differences between Rome and the rest of Christianity.
The Western tradition culminated in Augustine’s theology on baptism, which dates from the Roman practice of the third century up to the Council of Nicaea.


Keywords

Nicaea; baptism; heretics; schismatics; East and West; Augustine

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Crossref Citations

1. The Creed of Nicaea after 1700 years
Nico Vorster
In die Skriflig/In Luce Verbi  vol: 60  issue: 1  year: 2026  
doi: 10.4102/IDS.v60i2.3299