the Seven Ecumenical Councils Flashcards
Nicaea I, Constantinople I, Epheseus, Chalcedon, Constantinople II, Constantinople III, Nicaea II
What are the seven ecumenical councils?
The seven ecumenical councils are the First Council of Nicaea, First Council of Constantinople, Council of Ephesus, Council of Chalcedon, Second Council of Constantinople, Third Council of Constantinople, and Second Council of Nicaea.
Which heresy was primarily addressed at the First Council of Nicaea?
The Arian heresy, which denied the divinity of Christ.
What year did the First Council of Nicaea take place?
325 AD.
Who called the First Council of Nicaea?
Emperor Constantine the Great.
What significant creed was established at the First Council of Nicaea?
The Nicene Creed.
True or False: The First Council of Constantinople reaffirmed the Nicene Creed.
True.
What heresy was addressed at the Council of Ephesus?
The Nestorian heresy, which said that Christ was two persons (divine and human) in one being.
In what year was the Council of Ephesus convened?
431 AD.
Which council is known for defining the hypostatic union?
The Council of Chalcedon.
What year did the Council of Chalcedon occur?
451 AD.
Who presided over the Council of Chalcedon?
Pope Leo I’s representatives.
What heresy was condemned at the Second Council of Constantinople?
Monophysitism - the belief that Christ had only one divine nature.
What year was the Second Council of Constantinople held?
553 AD.
Fill in the blank: The Third Council of Constantinople addressed the heresy of _____ .
Monothelitism - the idea that Christ had only one divine will.
What year did the Third Council of Constantinople take place?
680-681 AD.
What was the primary focus of the Second Council of Nicaea?
The veneration of icons.
In what year was the Second Council of Nicaea convened?
787 AD.
Who called the Second Council of Nicaea?
Empress Irene of Athens.
True or False: The decisions of the ecumenical councils are considered infallible by the Catholic Church.
True.
What is the total number of bishops that attended the First Council of Nicaea?
Approximately 318 bishops.
What major theological issue was settled at the First Council of Constantinople?
The divinity of the Holy Spirit.
What was the outcome of the Council of Ephesus regarding Mary?
Mary was declared Theotokos, meaning ‘God-bearer’.
How many total councils are recognized as ecumenical by the Eastern Orthodox Church?
Seven.
Which ecumenical council is often considered the last of the seven?
The Second Council of Nicaea.
What was a common theme among the ecumenical councils?
Combating heresies and defining orthodox Christian doctrine.
Fill in the blank: The Council of Chalcedon affirmed that Christ has two natures, divine and _____ .
human.
What was the primary heresy addressed by the Second Council of Constantinople?
The heresy of the Three Chapters (Nestorian works)
What is the Chalcedonian Definition?
A formalised creed by the Council of Chalcedon, which says that in the one person of Christ are perfectly united the divine nature and a human nature, and that this union is without confusion, mixture, separation, or division, each nature retaining its own attributes.
