Without a belief in the Divinity of Jesus Christ, Chistianity is built on nothing. From the beginning the Church fostered this Credo. In the fourth century a priest named Arius attacked this belief. With the authority of the Council of Nicaea and the brilliance of Athanasius the Church defended this belief and proclaimed the Nicene Creed. The fourth-century Church was put in disarray because of the Arian heresy. At least half the bishops of the Church bought into this heresy. However, under the intelligent leadership of St.Athanasius, and despite the persecution of the Catholic believers, the Apostolic belief in Jesus as Divine has been maintained.