The Seven Ecumenical Councils

The Seven Ecumenical Councils: Foundations of Orthodox Christian Doctrine  

The Seven Ecumenical Councils were a series of crucial gatherings in the early history of the Christian Church, held between the 4th and 8th centuries. These councils addressed theological and doctrinal disputes, shaping the beliefs and practices of Christianity and safeguarding the Orthodox faith against heresies.

1. First Council of Nicaea (325)  

The First Council of Nicaea was convened by Emperor Constantine to address the Arian heresy, which denied the full divinity of Jesus Christ. Arius, a presbyter from Alexandria, taught that Christ was a created being and not co-eternal with the Father.  

The council, led by figures such as St. Athanasius, affirmed the homoousios doctrine—that Christ is of the same essence as the Father. This was enshrined in the Nicene Creed, which remains a cornerstone of Christian theology.  

Church Fathers on Nicaea:

- St. Athanasius wrote extensively against Arianism in On the Incarnation, stating: "The Son is not a creature, but the eternal Word of the Father, begotten, not made."  

- The council declared: "We believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, begotten from the Father, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one essence with the Father."  

For further reading, see the [Nicene Creed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicene_Creed) and historical accounts of the [Council of Nicaea](https://angelusnews.com/faith/council-of-nicaea-1700-years/).

2. First Council of Constantinople (381)  

This council reaffirmed the Nicene Creed and further clarified the Church's teachings on the Trinity and the divinity of the Holy Spirit. It condemned the Macedonian heresy, which denied the Holy Spirit’s divine nature.  

Church Fathers on Constantinople:

- St. Gregory of Nazianzus defended the Holy Spirit’s divinity, stating:  "The Holy Spirit is truly God, proceeding from the Father, equal in glory and worship."  

This council expanded the Nicene Creed into the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed l, which remains central to Orthodox liturgy.

3. Council of Ephesus (431)  

The Council of Ephesus addressed the teachings of Nestorius, who argued that Mary should not be called Theotokos ("God-bearer") but only Christotokos ("Christ-bearer"). The council affirmed that Christ is one divine Person and that Mary is rightly called Theotokos.  

Church Fathers on Ephesus:

- St. Cyril of Alexandria wrote: "If anyone does not confess that Emmanuel is truly God, and that the Holy Virgin is therefore Theotokos, let him be anathema."  

For more details, see the [Council of Ephesus](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Council_of_Ephesus).

4. Council of Chalcedon (451)  

This council addressed the Monophysite controversy, rejecting the teachings of Eutyches, who claimed that Christ had only one nature. The council affirmed the two natures of Christ one divine and one human, united in one Person, without confusion or separation.  

Church Fathers on Chalcedon:

- The Chalcedonian Definition states: "We confess one and the same Christ, Son, Lord, only-begotten, in two natures, without confusion, without change, without division, without separation."  

For further reading, see the [Council of Chalcedon](https://www.gci.org/articles/the-council-of-chalcedon-and-the-two-natures-controversy/).

5. Second Council of Constantinople (553)  

This council condemned the Three Chapters, writings associated with Nestorianism and Monophysitism, reaffirming the teachings of previous councils on Christ’s nature and the Trinity.

6. Third Council of Constantinople (680-681)  

This council addressed the Monothelete heresy, which denied that Christ had two wills (divine and human). The council affirmed that Christ possesses two wills, in accordance with His two natures.

Church Fathers on Constantinople III:

- St. Maximus the Confessor defended the doctrine, stating:  "Christ has two wills, divine and human, in perfect harmony, as He is truly God and truly man."

7. Second Council of Nicaea (787)  

This council addressed the Iconoclast controversy, affirming the veneration of icons as legitimate and condemning iconoclasm. The council declared that icons are not worshiped but venerated, as they serve as windows to the divine.

Church Fathers on Nicaea II:

- St. John of Damascus wrote: "We do not worship images, but through them, we honor the ones depicted."  

For more details, see the [Second Council of Nicaea](https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/3819.htm).

Conclusion

These councils produced essential doctrinal statements and creeds that continue to be authoritative in the Christian Church. They established the boundaries of Orthodoxy, defended the faith against heresies, and shaped Christian theology for centuries.