History of Theology: Conciliar Era

Defining Councils

• A council is a meeting of all bishops from the Christian world, having a general scope.
• The term "ecumenical" refers to the impact and reach of the decisions made in these meetings throughout the Christian world.

Ecumenical Councils in Church History

• The great ecumenical councils of the 4th and 5th centuries were influenced by the first ecclesiastical meeting in Jerusalem, which discussed the inclusion of Gentiles in the faith community.
• The history of councils is complex, just like the history of the Christian Church itself, with varying importance, duration, and scope.

Differences in Council Acceptance

• Not all councils, despite being called ecumenical, were valid for the entire Christian Church.
• Different Christian traditions accept different councils, e.g., Protestants accept only the first four (Nicea, Constantinople, Ephesus, and Chalcedon), while the Eastern Orthodox Church accepts the first seven, including the 2nd and 3rd Councils of Constantinople.
• The Assyrian Church of the East rejects Ephesus and subsequent councils.

Brief Description of Councils: From Nicea to Constantinople II

• The five major councils (Nicea to Constantinople II) are widely accepted by the three main branches of Christianity (Catholicism, Orthodoxy, and Protestantism).
• These councils had significant theological, historical, and administrative importance for the Christian Church.

Importance of the Council of Nicea

• Nicea was the first council to unify the Eastern and Western Christian world, discussing the divinity of Jesus Christ.
• The council proclaimed the equality of nature between the Father and the Son and formulated the Nicene Creed.
• Nicea's decisions had a lasting impact on the Christian Church, setting a precedent for future disputes and influencing the development of Trinitarian doctrine.