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Nuance: Being Faithful in the Public SquareNuance is a podcast of The Collaborative helping Christians to faithfully live out their faith in their work. Author: The Collaborative
Nuance is a podcast of The Collaborative helping Christians to faithfully live out their faith in their work. We recognize most of life is not lived in black and white but rather lived in the gray, lived in the nuance. You can find more, including complementary spiritual exercises, at www.collaborativeorlando.com/nuance. Language: en Genres: Christianity, Religion & Spirituality, Society & Culture Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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Are You Accidentally a Heretic? The Trinity & Council of Nicea Explained with Dr. Jonathan Lett
Thursday, 14 May, 2026
What happens when the foundational beliefs of your faith are suddenly up for debate? 1700 years ago, a fractured early church gathered not to innovate, but to confess—and to say something out loud, together, in public.Understanding the nature of Jesus and the Trinity is the absolute bedrock of the Christian faith, yet many modern believers struggle to articulate it.In this episode of Nuance, host Case Thorp welcomes back Dr. Jonathan Lett to explore the legacy of the Council of Nicaea and why a 4th-century debate still matters today. Jonathan unpacks the controversy surrounding the Arian heresy and clarifies how the Nicene Creed was ultimately about reading Scripture rightly. Drawing on his deep theological expertise, he makes the case that the doctrine of the Trinity isn't just an abstract puzzle, but the very foundation for Christian prayer, worship, and vocation.From navigating ancient theological debates to understanding complex terms like "consubstantial," Jonathan helps modern believers see how the eternal relationship of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit directly shapes our daily lives.Key Topics Covered in This Episode:The Arian Heresy: Unpacking the 4th-century belief that Jesus was merely a created being and why getting this wrong threatens the Christian understanding of salvation.Reading Scripture Rightly: How the Council of Nicaea wasn't just about philosophical arguments, but about establishing the correct framework for interpreting the Bible.Begotten, Not Made: Decoding the complex, non-biological language of the Nicene Creed and why specific words were essential to defend the faith.Faith Seeking Understanding: Shifting from trying to intellectually solve the Trinity to actively participating in the eternal life of God through prayer and obedience.Trinitarian Vocation: How understanding God as a communal being changes how we approach our daily work and our role in the public sphere.Episode Resources: LeTourneau University: https://www.letu.edu/Jesus Wars by Philip Jenkins: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B095J2NQSL/ Theological Orations by Gregory of Nazianzus: https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/3102.htmFaith, Science, and Technology Initiative at LeTourneau University: https://www.letu.edu/academics/faith-science-technology-initiative/index.htmlNicea 2025: Why the Council of Nicea? - Dr. Jonathan Lett: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFqsqUCNZNYNicea 2025: What the Trinity Tells Us About Who God is - Dr. Jonathan Lett: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FO9Md6yYLx0#podcast #podcastclips #faith #vocation #publicsquare #theology #listen #nuance #listenable #christianpodcast #christianliving #faithandwork #publicsquareNuance is a podcast of The Collaborative where we wrestle together about living our Christian faith in the public square. Nuance invites Christians to pursue the cultural and economic renewal by living out faith through work every facet of public life, including work, political engagement, the arts, philanthropy, and more. Each episode, Dr. Case Thorp hosts conversations with Christian thinkers and leaders at the forefront of some of today's most pressing issues around living a public faith.Visit wecolabor.com for resources, events, and more.Timestamps0:00 Foundations Of The Trinity & Christian Faith 0:19 The Council Of Nicaea's 1700th Anniversary 2:13 Historical Background To 325 AD 2:28 Reading Scripture & Early Debates About the Trinity 3:40 Monotheism & the Son 5:33 Obedience, Exaltation, & Biblical Tension About Jesus 7:10 Struggling To Understand The Trinity In Theology Class 7:37 Is The Son Equal with the Father? 9:29 Humor, Heretics, and Chickens 10:48 Alexander Versus Arius 11:09 Arianism Explained 14:05 Why The Trinity Matters For Salvation 16:03 The Nicene Creed on Christ 17:16 Incarnation, Salvation, And Human Nature Healed 20:01 What is Not Assumed is Not Redeemed 20:55 Messy Church Councils 23:41 Israel’s Broken Story 29:19 The Creed as Communal Confession 31:56 Using Father ^ Son Language Without Biological Confusion 32:58 Begotten Not Made 35:49 Faith Seeking Understanding & Trinitarian Prayer 39:46 Nicene Creed & Christian Vocation 42:27 Closing Thoughts
