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The Ecumenical Councils
Most of these councils addressed questions of Jesus' divine and human natures. Other councils addressed the Trinity, Mary, and the use of religious imagery in worship. During these councils, the participants also discussed and agree upon non-dogmatic subjects, such as church administration, discipline, and ordination practices.
It was during these Ecumenical Councils that the Nicene Creed was defined. The Nicene Creed is the statement of faith of all Catholic and many Protestant churches.
It is to the Gospels, these seven Ecumenical Councils, and the Apostles' Council of Jerusalem, that the Old Catholics look for the essentials of the Christian faith.
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 | First Ecumenical Council
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First Council of Nicea, A.D. 325
This council was called by the Roman Emperor Constantine the Great. It was in response to the heresy of Arianism, which said Jesus was not divine, but merely human.
The Nicean Council declared that Jesus was both human and divine and it denounced Arianism as heresy. The Council also defined the first part of what would later be called the Nicene Creed. 318 bishops attended this Council.
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| Second Ecumenical Council
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First Council of Constantinople, A.D. 381
This council was called by Roman Emperor Theodosius 1. It was in response to the heresy of Macedonianism which said the Holy Spirit was merely one of Gods powers and not a person like God the Father and God the Son.
The Council defined the doctrine of the Holy Trinity that God is three persons God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. This doctrine along with other articles was added to the Nicene Creed. 150 bishops attended this Council.
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| Third Ecumenical Council
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Council of Ephesus, A.D. 431
This council was called by Byzantine Emperor (Eastern Empire) Theodosius II, grandson of Theodosius I. It was in response to the heresy of Nestorianism, which said Jesus was merely a man in whom the Word of God dwelled (as in a temple). Nestorianism also taught that Mary, Jesus mother, was merely the mother of Christ, not Mother of God.
The Council declared that Jesus Christ is completely God and completely man (although without sin) and that Mary is rightly called the Mother of God. Furthermore, the Council declared that the Nicene Creed, defined during the first two Councils, was complete and never to be changed. 200 bishops attended.
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| Fourth Ecumenical Council
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Council of Chalcedon, A.D. 451
This council was called by Byzantine Emperor (Eastern Empire) Marcian. It was in response to the Monophysitism, which said Jesus human nature was transformed by his divine nature, making him divine and not human.
The Council declared, as it did in previous councils, that Jesus was both fully human (though without sin) and divine. 630 bishops attended.
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| Fifth Ecumenical Council
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Second Council of Constantinople, A.D. 553
This council was called by Byzantine Emperor (Eastern Empire) Justinian the Great. It was called due to the persistence of the Nestorian and Monophysite heresies. The Council confirmed, again, the dual nature of Jesus Christ as both God and man. 165 bishops attended.
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| Sixth Ecumenical Council
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Third Council of Constantinople, A.D. 680-681
This council was called by Byzantine Emperor (Eastern Empire) Constantine the IV. Like the previous Council, it was called to deal with the persistence of the heresies about the human and divine nature of Jesus Christ. The Council declared that Jesus was fully man and fully divine and that the two natures exist with no confusion, no change, no separation, no division. 170 bishops attended.
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| Seventh Ecumenical Council
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Second Council of Nicea, A.D. 787
Called by the Byzantine Empress (Eastern Empire) Irene, this Council considered the question of icons: art which depicted Jesus, Mary, and the saints. This included crucifixes. Many Christians, particularly in the East, venerated icons. Others considered this idolatry and sought to destroy icons. These opponents are the source of todays word iconoclasts (Greek for image destroyer).
The Council declared that religious icons are not idols, but only representations. Therefore icons could be used to venerate Our Lord, Mary, and the saints, and had to be respected. However, icons were not to be worshipped for themselves. 367 bishops attended.
These are the statements of faith defined by the united Church. Along with the Gospels and the Apostles Council of Jerusalem, they form the essential, shared faith of all Old Catholics.
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| © Old Catholic SourceBook, last changed on 12-28-2009 |
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