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{{Christianity}}
An '''Ecumenical Council''' (also sometimes '''Oecumenical Council''') or '''general council''' is a meeting of the [[bishop]]s of the church of the whole world who have come together to discuss matters of Church doctrine and practice.

The word is from the [[Greek language]] "{{polytonic|Οικουμένη}}", which means "inhabited", and was originally an other name for the territory of the [[Roman Empire]], because the earliest councils were all called in by [[Roman Emperor]]s. In later times it was used in the sense of "world-wide" or "general."

==List of ecumenical councils==
===The first seven Ecumenical Councils===
[[File:Good shepherd m2.jpg|thumb|220px|Fourth-century inscription, representing Christ as the Good Shepherd.]]

The period of [[Christianity]] from the [[First Council of Nicaea]] (325) to the [[Second Council of Nicaea]] (787) is called the period of the Seven Ecumenical Councils.

* 1. [[First Council of Nicaea]], ([[325]]) adopted the [[Nicene Creed]].
* 2. [[First Council of Constantinople]], ([[381]]); changed the text of the [[Nicene Creed]] into present form.
* 3. [[Council of Ephesus]], ([[431]]); proclaimed the Virgin [[Mary, mother of Jesus|Mary]] as the [[Theotokos]] (Greek Η Θεοτόκος, "God-bearer" or more commonly "Mother of God").
* 4. [[Council of Chalcedon]], ([[451]]); declared the doctrine of [[monophysitism]] to be wrong and adopted the [[Chalcedonian Creed]]. This and all following councils are not recognized by the [[Oriental Orthodox Church|Oriental Orthodox]] Communion.
* 5. [[Second Council of Constantinople]], ([[553]])
* 6. [[Third Council of Constantinople]], ([[680]]–[[681]]); affirmed that Christ had both human and divine wills.
** [[Quinisext Council]] (= Fifth and Sixth) or Council in [[Trullo]], ([[692]]); this council is accepted by the [[Eastern Orthodox Church]] as a part of the Third Council of Constantinople, but is rejected by Catholics.
* 7. [[Second Council of Nicaea]], ([[787]]); restoration of the veneration of [[icon]]s and end of the first [[iconoclasm]]. It is rejected by many [[Protestantism|Protestant]] denominations, who instead prefer the Council of Constantinople of 754, which condemned the veneration of icons.

== Further reading==
* Tanner, Norman P.  ''The Councils of the Church'', {{ISBN|0-8245-1904-3}}.
* Tanner, Norman P.  ''Decrees of the Ecumenical Councils'', {{ISBN|0-87840-490-2}}.

== Other websites ==
* [http://www.ellopos.net/blog/?p=103 The Seven Ecumenical Councils, Select Online Resources]
* [http://www.piar.hu/councils/~index.htm All Catholic Church Ecumenical Councils - All the Decrees] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120510042101/http://www.piar.hu/councils/~index.htm |date=2012-05-10 }}
* [http://www.geocities.com/trvalentine/orthodox/8-9synods.html The Eighth and Ninth Ecumenical Councils] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040710221551/http://www.geocities.com/trvalentine/orthodox/8-9synods.html |date=2004-07-10 }}
* [http://90.1911encyclopedia.org/C/CO/COUNCIL.htm Council] in the 1911 [[Encyclopædia Britannica]]
* [http://www.newadvent.org/library/almanac_14388a.htm Catholic Encyclopedia: The 21 Ecumenical Councils]
* [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04423f.htm Catholic Encyclopedia: General Councils]
* [http://www.legionofmarytidewater.com/faith.htm#epistomology Ecumenical Councils]
* [http://www.beavervalleysoftware.com/historysources/historycontent.aspx?product=Church+Councils&Topic=0 All Catholic Church Council Decrees including Trent and Vatican II]

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[[Category:Church councils]]