councilsecumenical

Councilecumenical is not a standard term in most languages; the conventional expression is ecumenical council. An ecumenical council is a formal assembly of bishops and other church leaders from across the Christian world convened to define doctrine, discipline, and practice with the aim of promoting unity among Christian churches. The word ecumenical comes from the Greek oikoumene, meaning the inhabited world, and synodos, meaning a meeting or assembly.

In the Catholic and many Protestant contexts, ecumenical councils are viewed as authoritative events that articulate binding doctrine or church discipline, though the exact authority can vary. In the Catholic Church, such councils are part of the teaching authority of the Church and are respected in union with the pope’s approval. In the Eastern Orthodox tradition, ecumenical councils are highly authoritative, with decisions understood within the shared patriarchal structure. Protestant traditions generally do not accord ecumenical councils the same level of binding authority, instead emphasizing scriptural primacy and historical creeds while engaging in ecumenical dialogue.

Historically, the most influential early councils include Nicaea (325), which produced the Nicene Creed; Constantinople (381), which expanded the creed; Ephesus (431), which affirmed Mary as Theotokos; and Chalcedon (451), which defined the two natures of Christ. Later councils addressed various Christological, trinitarian, and disciplinary issues and, in Western Christianity, culminated in Vatican II (1962–1965), often seen as the most recent turning point. The Eastern Orthodox tradition recognizes seven ecumenical councils, while the Catholic Church recognizes twenty-one. In modern usage, ecumenical councils also describe dialogues and cooperative efforts aimed at Christian unity beyond doctrinal definitions.