Term
The Great Church
Also known as Ante-Nicene Period
The period of early Christianity from approximately 180 to 313 AD, spanning the time between primitive Christianity and the legalization of the religion.
Filed underChurch History
Definition
Used in the historiography of early Christianity to mean the period of about 180 to 313, between that of primitive Christianity and that of the legalization of the Christian religion in the Roman Empire, corresponding closely to what is called the Ante-Nicene Period.
Last revised August 14, 2026