TRS – Dr. James Payton

At this week’s Theological Research Seminar, Dr. James Payton will be presenting, “The Impact of the Council of Nicaea: ‘Already/Not Yet’”

Read the abstract and his bio below.

All are welcome to attend in Camelford Hall (room 226) at McMaster Divinity College at 1:00pm or via livestream at the link below:

Join the Livestream
Password: z00m (Note that the password has zeros rather than “o”)

Abstract

From the vantage point of 1700 years, we can recognize the impact the 325 Council of Nicaea had on the development of the Christian church: it became the first ecumenical council and propounded what would become the first “fixed formula” creed of Christianity. This paper seeks to situate both the Council of Nicaea and the creed it propounded in their historical setting, recognizing that the participants did not and could not anticipate the impact the council and the creed would have.

Bio

Dr. Payton joined the faculty of McMaster Divinity College in 2021. He is Professor Emeritus of History at Redeemer University, where he taught Eastern European history and Church history. Before that, he served eight years as a pastor. Jim has also taught at Westminster Theological Seminary (Philadelphia), St. Stephen’s College (University of Alberta), Evangelical Theological Seminary (Osijek, Croatia), and Matthias Flacius Illyricus Faculty of Theology (Zagreb, Croatia).

He has been extensively involved in ecumenical and interfaith activities in both Eastern Europe and North America. He served as Executive Secretary (1998–2006) and as President (2006–2011) of CAREE (Christians Associated for Relationships with Eastern Europe), a UN-endorsed NGO which worked for peace, justice, and reconciliation in and for the region for more than forty years. He served as member (2006–2021) and Christian chair (2008–2011) of the National Muslim-Christian Liaison Committee. He has a wide range of academic specializations in history and historical theology, including the history of Eastern Europe, the intellectual history of Eastern Orthodoxy, the Reformation era, and a long-standing special interest in Patristics.

About TRS

The MDC Theological Research Seminar (TRS) is a bimonthly gathering for all MDC students and faculty. TRS meets from 1:00 PM to 1:50 PM on alternating Mondays, and includes about thirty minutes for the paper presentation and twenty minutes for discussion.

All advanced degree students are invited to present a paper and share your research with your colleagues. TRS is an excellent opportunity to “test drive” a paper you will be presenting at an upcoming conference and receive helpful feedback on your current research projects. Thinking about submitting an article to a journal and want some interaction first? TRS will provide it. Just published an article or an essay and want to share it us? TRS is an excellent opportunity to broadcast it.

This year the organizing committee consists of Dr. James Dvorak, Dr. Phil Zylla, and Dr. Gord Heath. To submit a paper, contact a member of the organizing committee.