St. Paul’s University recently hosted the Post-Nicaea Conference, an international theological gathering that brought together scholars, clergy, students, and ecumenical partners from across the world to reflect on the enduring legacy of the Council of Nicaea and its relevance for contemporary social transformation.
Held under the theme “Theological Bridges: Nicaea in Conversation with Decolonial Theology and Contemporary Movements for Social Change,” the conference built on the momentum of the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, commemorated globally in 2025 during the World Council of Churches Sixth World Conference on Faith and Order in Egypt.
More than 100 participants from diverse ecclesial, academic, and cultural backgrounds gathered at St. Paul’s University in Limuru for a week of vibrant dialogue, theological reflection, and ecumenical engagement. The conference emphasized intergenerational conversations, bringing together established scholars, church leaders, and emerging theologians.
Key ecumenical partners included the World Council of Churches (WCC), Council for World Mission (CWM), World Communion of Reformed Churches (WCRC), All-Africa Conference of Churches (AACC), National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK), and the Orthodox Seminary in Kenya.
With its 125-year legacy of ecumenical witness and theological education for social transformation, St. Paul’s University continues to provide a platform for critical theological conversations that address the pressing realities of our time.

Key Reflections from the Conference

Participants engaged in robust discussions that highlighted several important insights:

• Church and Empire: The Council of Nicaea emerged within complex relationships between church and imperial power, reminding contemporary Christians to remain attentive to the influence of political power in shaping theological discourse.
• The Creed’s Counter-Imperial Witness: Despite imperial oversight, the Nicene Creed affirms a powerful theological claim: Christ—not Caesar—is Lord, offering a vision that challenges unjust power structures.
• Human Dignity and Inclusion: The Nicene faith calls the Church to uphold the dignity of every human being, emphasizing that Christian unity must be inseparable from justice, inclusion, and respect for diverse identities.
• Justice and Peace: Participants affirmed that Christian unity must be expressed through just governance, peacebuilding, and resistance to systemic inequality.
• Holistic Flourishing: Theological reflection must engage contemporary issues such as ecological responsibility, public health, and community well-being, connecting doctrine with everyday lived realities in Africa and beyond.

A Call to Action
The conference concluded with a strong call for the global church to move toward transformative and decolonial theological engagement, including:

• Practical Decoloniality: Moving beyond rhetoric to concrete actions that dismantle colonial patterns in theology and church structures.
• Youth Inclusion: Ensuring that young people are fully involved in leadership, dialogue, and decision-making processes within church and theological spaces.
• Theology for Social Transformation: Reimagining theology as a tool for addressing urgent global challenges such as climate justice, gender justice, racial justice, and economic inequality.
• A Prophetic Church: Re-envisioning the church as a courageous space that centres marginalized voices and speaks prophetically in pursuit of justice and peace.
• Listening as a Spiritual Practice: Cultivating deep listening across generations and cultures as a pathway to healing divisions and fostering collaboration.

Looking Ahead
The Post-Nicaea Conference reaffirmed that the legacy of Nicaea is not simply a historical event but a living theological resource. In conversation with decolonial theology and contemporary movements for justice, the Nicene vision continues to inspire the church toward unity, justice, and transformative witness in today’s world.
Through gatherings such as this, St. Paul’s University remains committed to fostering theological dialogue that bridges tradition and contemporary realities, shaping a church that speaks meaningfully to the challenges of our time.