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Why You Should Read
Decoding Nicea

Decoding Nicea tells the real story of how the peaceful worshipers of a crucified Palestinian prophet came to influence the greatest empire on earth. In giving the details of the most famous religious council on earth, the First Council of Nicea, Paul Pavao explains how locking hands with the Roman Emperor Constantine changed Christianity and how Christianity went on to change the western world.

What Others Say

Despite its historical rigor, Decoding Nicea is an always interesting page-turner. The 21st Annual Writer's Digest Self-Published Book Awards called it "absorbing and well-researched." 

J.T Tancock, "The Welsh Apologist," wrote, "I felt strangely warmed by his almost revelatory main thesis, humoured by his destruction of many a myth ... and the book's material is still churning around in my head." He added, "The book ... should be compulsory reading for Bible college students on the Christology or Church History modules!!"

Despite J.T.'s more scholarly recommendation, an older friend of my parents that had never read a church history book emailed me to say, "Very interesting, easy to read, well documented, and in a style that is like you talking to me." He ordered two more signed copies for his "buddies."

You can also read all the Amazon reviews.

Why You Should Read Decoding Nicea

• If you are a Christian and you are at all interested in church history, the Council of Nicea (or Nicaea) is easily the most important of the ancient councils.
• The book is a page-turner. Like I hope this site does, Decoding Nicea makes readers realize that history, by definition, is the most exciting stories and interesting facts of all time.
• Decoding Nicea answers many questions about how things changed. How did we get from the churches we read about in the Bible to the multitude of denominations today? Many of the reasons have to do with Nicea.
• The Church's transfer from being persecuted to persecuting others and each other rouses the emotions and stuns the mind. I tell the story based on histories written in the century immediately following Nicea.

Where to Buy the Book

You can buy Decoding Nicea at Amazon or Barnes & Nobles. Both of them discount the book on an irregular basis. I get no commission from either link, but I wrote the book, so I always get royalties when it sells.

Where to Go from Here

This site emphasizes Pre-Nicene Christianity, but I do have a somewhat thorough section on the Reformation. Both of those have a number of links to brief biographies of important figures. My best page on Roman Catholicism is on the origin of the papacy. I also put a lot of effort into the quote section. 

Here is a link back to the home page.