The Word on Fire Show - Catholic Faith and Culture WOF 507: 1,700 Years of the Nicene Creed
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Sep 15, 2025 
Robert Barron, Bishop of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester, reflects on the 1,700-year legacy of the Nicene Creed, emphasizing its role in bridging Eastern and Western Christianity. He delves into the origins and historical significance of the creed, particularly the Arian controversy. Bishop Barron articulates the importance of the terms 'begotten' and 'made,' exploring their theological implications. He also discusses the necessity of Christ's dual nature for salvation, highlighting how these concepts shaped early Christian doctrine and continue to influence faith today.
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Parish Question That Frames The Creed
- Robert Barron recounts a parishioner asking whether the Creed's phrase "begotten, not made" means anything.
- He replies emphatically that it means everything and frames the Creed as the standing-or-falling point of Christianity.
Three Centuries Of Christological Reflection
- Barron explains that by 325 the church had wrestled for three centuries with Jesus' dual identity as human and divine.
- That persistent question set the stage for the decisive theological confrontation at Nicaea.
Arius And The Catchphrase
- Barron tells Arius's story: an Alexandrian priest who taught the Logos was the highest creature, not truly God.
- Arius popularized the phrase "there was a time when he was not" and spread a view that made Jesus quasi-divine and quasi-human.
