The Nicene Creed and the Nature of Christian Unity

Christ the Center

Leonardo De Chirico and Mark Gilbert join the program to discuss the enduring significance of the Nicene Creed as it marks its 1700th anniversary. Drawing from their recent edited volume, The Nicene Creed: The Nature of Christian Unity and the Meaning of Gospel Words (Matthias Media), the guests explore how shared creedal language can mask deep theological differences, particularly between evangelical and Roman Catholic traditions.

Leonardo De Chirico is a pastor of a Reformed evangelical church in Rome, a scholar of Roman Catholic theology, and a leader in the Reformanda Initiative, which seeks to equip evangelical engagement with Roman Catholicism. Mark Gilbert serves as a chaplain in Sydney, Australia, and leads the ministry Certainty for Eternity, which focuses on evangelism among those from Roman Catholic backgrounds. Both men bring rich theological and pastoral insight to bear on the question of unity in Christ.

The conversation traces the origins of the creed, its Trinitarian framework, and the implications of confessing shared historical truths while diverging in doctrinal substance—especially concerning Christology, the church, and salvation. Leonardo and Mark also share personal insights from their ministries engaging Roman Catholics, underscoring the need for unity rooted in biblical truth rather than institutional alignment or superficial consensus.

This episode invites thoughtful reflection on what true Christian unity looks like in light of Scripture, and how the creeds function as faithful, yet insufficient, summaries apart from a Reformed understanding of the gospel.

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Chapters

• 01:11 Introduction
• 04:03 Background to the Book
• 11:27 Can We Have Meaningful Unity with Roman Catholics?
• 17:31 Unity in Truth
• 25:32 The Trinitarian Theology of the Creed
• 29:31 The Christology of the Creed
• 38:16 The Scope and Usefulness of the Nicene Creed
• 44:31 The Work of Christ
• 51:50 Pursuing Christian Unity
• 57:55 Conclusion

Participants: Camden Bucey, Leonardo De Chirico, Mark Gilbert