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Ecumenical Councils

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==Ecumenicity==
An [[ecclesiology|ecclesiological]] theory which has been popular since the time of the [[Slavophiles|Slavophile]] philosopher [[Alexei Stepanovich Khomiakov|Alexis Khomiakov]] first defined it is that ecumenicity—the idea that a particular council is of universal, infallible significance for the Church—is determined by the reception of the whole body of the Church. That is, while a particular council may declare itself to be ecumenical, it may later be regarded by the Church as being a [[Robber Council]], that is, a council which did not declare the truth but rather [[heresy]]. Likewise, a council may properly teach the truth but not be of universal significance for the Church. Such councils are usually termed ''local''. That a council must be "received" by the Church before it can be considered ecumenical is sometimes termed ''receptionism''.
Receptionism was formed primarily in opposition to [[Roman Catholic]] viewpoints on the same question. For the Roman Catholic Church, a council's ecumenicity is primarily determined by its ratification by the Pope of Rome. Orthodoxy does not have the same ecclesiological structure as Rome, however, and so Khomiakov and others attempted to formulate another model by which the infallibility of Ecumenical Councils may be determined.
The canons of the Ecumenical Councils are regarded within the Orthodox Church as universally authoritative, though not in a strictly constructionist sense. Their canons have often been repealed or revised by the decisions of local synods or even of later Ecumenical Councils. Nevertheless, their legislation is central to the Orthodox canonical tradition, and appeals to such canons are more frequently made than to any other source of canonical legislation.
== Seven or Nine Ecumenical Councils? ==As far as some Orthodox are concerned, since the [[Seventh Ecumenical Council]] there has been no synod or council List of the same scope as any of the Ecumenical councils. Local meetings of hierarchs have been called "pan-Orthodox," but these have invariably been simply meetings of local hierarchs of whatever Eastern Orthodox jurisdictions are party to a specific local matter. From this point of view, there has been no fully "pan-Orthodox" ('''Ecumenical''') council since 787. Unfortunately, the use of the term "pan-Orthodox" is confusing to those not within Eastern Orthodoxy, and it leads to mistaken impressions that these are ''ersatz'' ecumenical councils rather than purely local councils to which nearby Orthodox hierarchs, regardless of jurisdiction, are invited. Others, including 20th century theologians Fr. [[John S. Romanides]] and Fr. [[George Metallinos]] (both of whom refer repeatedly to the "Eighth and Ninth Ecumenical Councils"), Fr. [[George Dragas]], Metropolitan [[Hierotheos (Vlachos) of Nafpaktos]], and the 1848 [[Encyclical of the Eastern Patriarchs]] (which refers explicitly to the "Eighth Ecumenical Council" and was signed by the [[patriarch]]s of [[Church of Constantinople|Constantinople]], [[Church of Jerusalem|Jerusalem]], [[Church of Antioch|Antioch]], and [[Church of Alexandria|Alexandria]] as well as the [[Holy Synod]]s of the first three), regard other synods beyond the [[Seventh Ecumenical Council]] as being ecumenical. Those who regard these councils as ecumenical often characterize the limitation of Ecumenical Councils to only seven to be the result of Jesuit influence in Russia, part of the so-called "[[Western Captivity of Orthodoxy]]." == List of Seven Ecumenical Councils ==* I. [[First Ecumenical Council|First Council of NicaeaNicea]], (325); repudiated [[Arianism]], adopted the [[Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed|Nicene Creed]].
* II. [[Second Ecumenical Council|First Council of Constantinople]], (381); revised the [[Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed|Nicene Creed]] into the present form used in the [[Orthodox Church|Eastern]] and [[Oriental Orthodox]] churches.
* III. [[Third Ecumenical Council|Council of Ephesus]], (431); repudiated [[Nestorianism]], proclaimed the Virgin Mary as the Mother of God (Greek, [[Theotokos|Θεοτόκος]]).
* VI. [[Sixth Ecumenical Council|Third Council of Constantinople]], (680-681); repudiated [[Monothelitism]], affirmed that Christ had both human and Divine wills.
**[[Quinisext Council|Quinisext/Penthekte Council]] (= Fifth and Sixth) or Council in Trullo, (692); mostly an administrative council that raised some local [[canon]]s to ecumenical status and established principles of clerical discipline. It is not considered to be a full-fledged council in its own right because it did not determine matters of doctrine. This council is accepted by the [[Orthodox Church]] as a part of the [[Sixth Ecumenical Council]], but that is rejected by [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholics]].
* VII. [[Seventh Ecumenical Council|Second Council of NicaeaNicea]], (787); restoration of the veneration of [[icons]] and end of the first [[iconoclasm]].
== Seven or Nine Ecumenical Councils? ==
As far as some Orthodox are concerned, since the [[Seventh Ecumenical Council]] there has been no synod or council of the same scope as any of the Ecumenical councils. Local meetings of hierarchs have been called "pan-Orthodox," but these have invariably been simply meetings of local hierarchs of whatever Eastern Orthodox jurisdictions are party to a specific local matter. From this point of view, there has been no fully "pan-Orthodox" ('''Ecumenical''') council since 787. Unfortunately, the use of the term "pan-Orthodox" is confusing to those not within Eastern Orthodoxy, and it leads to mistaken impressions that these are ''ersatz'' ecumenical councils rather than purely local councils to which nearby Orthodox hierarchs, regardless of jurisdiction, are invited.
The next two are regarded as ecumenical Others, including 20th century theologians Fr. [[John S. Romanides]] and Fr. [[George Metallinos]] (both of whom refer repeatedly to the "Eighth and Ninth Ecumenical Councils"), Fr. [[George Dragas]], Metropolitan [[Hierotheos (Vlachos) of Nafpaktos]], and the 1848 [[Encyclical of the Eastern Patriarchs]] (which refers explicitly to the "Eighth Ecumenical Council" and was signed by some in the [[Orthodox patriarch]]s of [[Church of Constantinople|Constantinople]], [[Church of Jerusalem|Jerusalem]], [[Churchof Antioch|Antioch]] but not by , and [[Church of Alexandria|Alexandria]] as well as the [[Holy Synod]]s of the first three), regard other Orthodox Christians, synods beyond the [[Seventh Ecumenical Council]] as being ecumenical. Those who instead consider them regard these councils as ecumenical often characterize the limitation of Ecumenical Councils to only seven to be important local councilsthe result of Jesuit influence in Russia, part of the so-called "[[Western Captivity of Orthodoxy]]."
===Eight and Ninth===
These two are regarded as ecumenical by some in the [[Orthodox Church]] but not by other Orthodox Christians, who instead consider them to be important local councils.
* VIII. [[Eighth Ecumenical Council|Fourth Council of Constantinople]], (879-880); restored St. [[Photius the Great]] to his see in Constantinople and anathematized any who altered the [[Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed]], abrogating the decrees of the [[Robber Council of 869-870]]. This council was at first accepted as ecumenical by the West but later repudiated in favor of the robber council in 869-870 which had deposed Photius.
* IX. [[Ninth Ecumenical Council|Fifth Council of Constantinople]], (1341-1351); affirmed [[hesychasm|hesychastic]] theology according to St. [[Gregory Palamas]] and condemned the Westernized philosopher [[Barlaam of Calabria]].
#The Encyclical Letter of Saint Photius (867)
#The First Letter of [[Michael I Cerularius of Constantinople|Michael Cerularius]] to Peter of Antioch (1054)
#The decisions of ‘the Councils of Constantinople in 1341 and 1351 on the Hesychast Controversy
#The Encyclical Letter of Saint [[Mark of Ephesus ]] (1440-1441).
#The Confession of Faith by Gennadius, Patriarch of Constantinople (1455-1456)
#The Replies of [[Jeremias II Tranos of Constantinople|Jeremias]] the Second to the Lutherans (1573-1581)#The Confession of Faith by [[Metrophanes (Kritopoulos) of Alexandria|Metrophanes Kritopoulos ]] (1625)#The Orthodox Confession by [[Peter Mogila|Peter of Moghila]], in its revised form (ratified by the Council of Jassy, 1642)
#The Confession of Dositheus (ratified by the Council of Jerusalem, 1672)
#The Answers of the Orthodox Patriarchs to the Non-Jurors (1718, 1723)
== External links ==
*[http://www.oca.org/OCchapter.asp?SID=2&ID=5 The Councils] - Fr. [[Thomas Hopko]]'s outline of the Ecumenical Councils (in "the rainbow series" [[Orthodox_Catechisms_in_English|catechism]])
*[http://home.it.net.au/~jgrapsas/pages/Ecumenical_Councils.htm The Ecumenical Councils of the Orthodox Church] by the V. Rev. N. Patrinacos
*[http://www.geocities.com/trvalentine/orthodox/8-9synods.html The Eighth and Ninth Ecumenical Councils]
[[el:Οικουμενικές Σύνοδοι]]
[[fr:Concile œcuménique]]
[[mk:Вселенски собори]]
[[ro:Sinoade Ecumenice]]
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