Write about the first four ecumenical councils. What was the date and place of each? Who was the heretic and what was his heresy? Who was the champion of orthodoxy and what was his position? What was the outcome of each council?.
The term ecumenical council refers to a universal gathering of Christian bishops to resolve urgent issues affecting the whole church. The term ecumenical literally means world wide. These councils and their decrees were absolutely crucial to the development of Christianity from the fourth century forward. The councils were not a perfect institution because they were often influenced by emperors, and never fully represented the array of ideas held by other bishops who weren't invited. People were sent into exile, killed, excommunicated, and victimized by acts of physical violence during the debates. There were many councils called to discuss the relevant issues of the time, however there.
are only four that are recognized by the Catholic, Orthodox, and most mainstream .
Protestant churches. Those four councils are the ones that meet at Nicaea (325), Constantinople (381), Ephesus (431), and Chalcedon (451). .
The first council was held in 325 AD in the town of Nicaea. This council was convened by the emperor Constantine because he thought the kingdom was threatened by all the arguing. The issue that provoked the meeting of the council was weather Christ was divine or just a prophet. Arius is considered to be the heretic, and is known as the worst heretic of all time. A heretic is a person who preaches heresy, a false teaching or teaching that is opposed to orthodoxy. Orthodoxy is what is believed by most Christians in most places at most times. Arius preaches that Christ was not divine, and his argument comes from a scriptural position. Arius argued that only God the Father could be called God in the full sense of the word. Only the father could be said to be without beginning.
