NNICENE ATLAS

The Council Explorer

The Seven Ecumenical Councils

Between 325 and 787 the whole Church gathered seven times to answer a crisis in faith. What they defined is the shared inheritance of every Nicene tradition.

  1. First Council
    AD 325
    1. First Council of Nicaea
    Nicaea, Bithynia · under Constantine I

    Convened to address the teaching of Arius, who held that the Son was a creature made by the Father.

    3 key decisions →
  2. Second Council
    AD 381
    2. First Council of Constantinople
    Constantinople · under Theodosius I

    Convened to settle continuing Arian and Macedonian controversies over the Holy Spirit.

    2 key decisions →
  3. Third Council
    AD 431
    3. Council of Ephesus
    Ephesus · under Theodosius II

    Convened against Nestorius, who divided Christ into two persons.

    2 key decisions →
  4. Fourth Council
    AD 451
    4. Council of Chalcedon
    Chalcedon · under Marcian

    Convened against Eutychian monophysitism, which collapsed Christ's two natures into one.

    2 key decisions →
  5. Fifth Council
    AD 553
    5. Second Council of Constantinople
    Constantinople · under Justinian I

    Convened to clarify Chalcedonian Christology and condemn the 'Three Chapters'.

    2 key decisions →
  6. Sixth Council
    AD 680–681
    6. Third Council of Constantinople
    Constantinople · under Constantine IV

    Convened against Monothelitism, the teaching of one will in Christ.

    1 key decision →
  7. Seventh Council
    AD 787
    7. Second Council of Nicaea
    Nicaea · under Constantine VI and Irene

    Convened to end the first wave of Iconoclasm.

    2 key decisions →