Seven Ecumenical Councils

Question 1

First

Answer 1

First Council of Nicaea (325)

Question 2

Second

Answer 2

First Council of Constantinople (381)

Question 3

Third

Answer 3

First Council of Ephesus (431)

Question 4

Fourth

Answer 4

Council of Chalcedon (451)

Question 5

Fifth

Answer 5

Second Council of Constantinople (553)

Question 6

Sixth

Answer 6

Third Council of Constantinople (680-681)

Question 7

Seventh

Answer 7

Second Council of Nicaea (787)

Question 8

First - conclusions

Answer 8

Convened to determine the relationship between God the Father and God the Son.

Created the Nicene Creed and agreed that Jesus is of the same essence and is begotten from the Father, determining that Jesus is not a creature.

Question 9

Second - conclusions

Answer 9

Reconfirmed that the Son is begotten, not made, and added the Holy Spirit into the text.

Updated the Nicene Creed and added Filioque, that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son (the addition of Filioque was another anti-Arian jab).

One baptism, resurrection of the dead, one holy catholic apostolic church.

Condemned Apollinarism, the teaching that Jesus had a human body but a divine mind.

Didn’t include Western bishops or Roman legates, but was later accepted by them as ecumenical.

Question 10

Third - conclusions

Answer 10

Convened to settle debates on Nestorianism, specifically theotokos vs. christokos. Nestorius was deposed, Nestorianism was denounced, and the Virgin Mary was proclaimed as Theotokos.

Question 11

Fourth - conclusions

Answer 11

Miaphysites vs. dyophysites.
One nature vs. two natures

Denounced monophysitism, solidified the Hypostatic Union and the two natures of Christ, and created the Chalcedonian Definition.

Accepted by Eastern Orthodoxy, Roman Catholics, and most Protestants

Question 12

Fifth - conclusions

Answer 12

Convened in an effort to conciliate monophysite Christians (spoiler alert: it didn’t work). Resulted in a permanent split between the dyophysites and the monophysites/miaphysites

Condemned the Three Chapters and other writings supporting Nestorius.

Question 13

Sixth - conclusions

Answer 13

Convened to try and unite everyone by focusing on our agreement of Christ’s wills. Reconfirmed Christ’s two wills, divine and human, and repudiated monothelitism.

Not considered a full council by the Eastern Orthodox church, instead considered an extension of the previous council.

Question 14

Seventh - conclusions

Answer 14

Questions over the second commandment and worshiping idols.

Looked at differing Christian theories of art.

Rejected the conclusions of the Synod of Hieria and restored the veneration of icons and ended the first phase of iconoclasm.

Not considered a full council by the Eastern Orthodox church, instead considered an extension of the previous council.

Question 15

First - date

Answer 15

325 AD

Question 16

Second - date

Answer 16

381 AD

Question 17

Third - date

Answer 17

431 AD

Question 18

Fourth - date

Answer 18

451AD

Question 19

Fifth - date

Answer 19

553 AD

Question 20

Sixth - date

Answer 20

680-681 AD

Question 21

Seventh - date

Answer 21

787 AD