1. 2.3 – Church Councils and Creeds

2. What is a Church Council? A meeting of the leaders of the church to settle a problem or dispute, and/or to give spiritual guidance to Christians.

3. More About Church Councils The very first council occurred in 50 A.D. in Jerusalem. It is known as the Council of Jerusalem. After it, the next council came in 325 A.D. and was known as the Council of Nicaea. Since the Council of Jerusalem, there have been 21 other church councils, starting with Nicaea. The most recent church council was the Second Vatican Council, also known more simply as Vatican II – from 1962 to 1965. It was so-named because the council was held at the Vatican. An earlier council had also been held there, known as Vatican I.

4. What is a Church Creed? A Creed is a statement or summary of beliefs.

5. More About Church Creeds The most famous Christian Creed is known as the Nicaean Creed. It was written in 325 A.D. at the Council of Nicaea. It was written to summarize what all Christians were expected to believe. At the Council, 2 groups were fighting: followers of Arius vs. followers of Athanasius. The Nicaean Creed supported the teachings of Athanasius, and rejected the teachings of Arius.

6. Next Slide: A List of ALL 21 Church Councils But these are the Councils you will need to know: Jerusalem, 50 AD Nicaea, 325 AD Chalcedon, 451 AD IV Lateran, 1215 AD Constance, 1414 to 1418 AD Basle & Florence, 1431 to 1445 AD Trent, 1545 to 1563 AD Vatican I, 1869 to 1870 AD Vatican II, 1962 to 1965 AD

8. In this Slide Presentation, each Council is given a different background color. This is meant to help you follow the presentation more easily.

9. First crisis of the early Church : Should the Gentiles (non-Jews) be accepted into the Church? Must they also become Jewish and follow the law of Moses? Council of Jerusalem ( Acts 15)- set the stage for opening Christianity’s doors to those of any nationality or culture

10. Paul argued that Gentile Christian converts need not undergo circumcision or follow the strict very Jewish Laws

11. Example of a Very Strict Jewish Law Using a Bible, look up the following Jewish Law in the Old Testament: Exodus 21:17 Do you agree with this law? As a teen-ager, how might it affect you?

12. Acts 15:1-12 Some who had come down from Judea were instructing the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised according to the Mosaic practice, you cannot be saved.” … It was decided that Paul, Barnabas, and some of the others should go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and presbyters about this question. They were sent on their journey by the church, and passed through Phoenicia and Samaria telling of the conversion of the Gentiles, and brought great joy to all. When they arrived in Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church, as well as by the apostles and the presbyters, and they reported what God had done with them. But some from the party of the Pharisees who had become believers stood up and said, “It is necessary to circumcise them and direct them to observe the Mosaic law.” The apostles and the presbyters met together to see about this matter. After much debate had taken place, Peter got up and said to them, “My brothers, you are well aware that from early days God made his choice among you that through my mouth the Gentiles would hear the word of the gospel and believe. And God, who knows the heart, bore witness by granting them the holy Spirit just as he did us. He made no distinction between us and them, for by faith he purified their hearts. Why, then, are you now putting God to the test by placing on the shoulders of the disciples a yoke that neither our ancestors nor we have been able to bear? On the contrary, we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they.” The whole assembly fell silent, and they listened while Paul and Barnabas described the signs and wonders God had worked among the Gentiles through them.

13.  Constantinople  Rome  Antioch  Jerusalem  Alexandria Council of Nicaea…325 A.D. This map shows the 5 most important churches in the 300s A.D.

15. Council of Nicaea, 325 A.D. In 313 A.D., the Roman Emperor Constantine legalized Christianity, ending the Age of Persecution. But Christians were divided among themselves. Constantine wanted to bring unity to the church. He convened the Council of Nicaea at the seaside resort of Nicaea, on the shores of the Black Sea. He wanted the Council to bring unity to Christianity, especially between two groups that were fighting – followers of Arius vs. followers of Alexander and Athanasius.

17. The Big Fight at Nicea The argument began in Alexandria, in Egypt. Arius, a priest in Alexandria, rejected the idea of God as a Trinity. For him, people who believed in the Trinity really believed in 3 gods, not 1 God. Arius also taught that Jesus was not divine. For him, Jesus was the “first creation” of the one God – even before God created Adam and Eve! The bishop of Alexandria (named Alexander) and especially a priest named Athanasius condemned Arius. A big issue at the Council of Nicaea involved deciding who was right, Arius or Athanasius. The Council voted to support Athanasius, and to condemn Arius. The Nicaean Creed was written to affirm the beliefs of Athanasius and to condemn the teachings of Arius.

18. Arius Arius lost the battle. Arius died of a severe case of diarrhea while on his way to accept the teachings of the Council of Nicaea. Some believe he was poisoned by his enemies. The icon on the left shows Arius in a latrine as he dies of diarrhea.

20. After the Council of Nicaea… Three other Church Councils refined the teachings of Nicaea. The most important was the Council of Chalcedon, 451 A.D. At this Council, the bishops affirmed that Jesus was “one person” but with 2 distinct natures – human nature & divine nature. Pope Leo the Great wrote his famous “Tome” to the bishops meeting at Chalcedon. In the Tome, he asserted Papal Primacy/Leadership of the Church – because of “apostolic succession” – “Peter speaks through Leo!”

21. Church Councils of the 4 th and 5 th centuries

22. The next set of slides summarizes the other important church councils…

23. IV Lateran Council (1215) Most important Council of Middle Ages, convened by Pope Innocent III First to use term “transubstantiation,” referring to Body and Blood of Christ Requires faithful to receive communion at least once a year, at Easter

24. IV Lateran Council, continued… Requires faithful to go to confession at least once a year Establishes system of private confession, penance, absolution, “seal of confessional” Reforms many church abuses – Lateran II had required priests to be celibate Requires Jews to wear special yellow badges and sends Dominicans to preach in synagogues Institutes the Inquisition

25. Constance (1414 to 1418) Ended Great Western Schism of 3 competing popes. Formally declared that church councils were the supreme authority in the Church (over even the Pope!), and mandated that church councils meet on a regular basis. This is known as CONCILIARISM – the idea that a council has more authority over the church than even the Pope. Condemned Bohemian priest-reformer Jon Hus as a heretic and burned him at the stake.

26. Jan Hus Catholic priest in early 1400s, before the time of Martin Luther, who lived in Bohemia (modern Czechoslovakia) and who wanted to reform church. He was accused of heresy and asked to defend himself at Council of Constance. The emperor promised him safety. Once at the Council, the promise of safety was withdrawn and he was burned at the stake. Bohemia erupted in protest. For many years, Catholicism suffered huge losses of membership there.

27. Florence (1431 to 1449) Affirmed list of 7 sacraments for first time Defined doctrine of Purgatory Attempted to reconcile East-West split but failed 1441 - Doctrine of Immaculate Conception was declared a pious belief consonant with Catholic theology

28. Trent (1545 to 1563) This Council met in order to respond to the Protestant Reformation that started in 1517 by Martin Luther. It issued more dogmatic decrees than any other council. It reformed the Catholic Church, but also condemned teachings of the Protestants.

29. Trent, cont... Baptism wipes out stain of Original Sin Declares that Christ instituted all seven sacraments Allows daily communion Reaffirms and elaborates doctrine of transubstantiation Rejects private reading of Bible and asserts the power of church’s magisterium as sole interpreter of Scripture

30. Trent, cont... Declares Mass to be a propitiatory sacrifice - to appease God Requires novitiate for religious orders Declares Purgatory exists and the souls therein can be helped by the offerings of the faithful Established first seminaries

31. Trent, cont... Warned Catholics against association with Protestants Outlawed Catholic marriages with Protestants Created an index of forbidden books Articulated official Catholic teaching on faith and grace and differentiated this teaching from Protestant thought

32. Trent, cont... The revelation of Jesus Christ is transmitted both through "written Scriptures and unwritten traditions" Rejected vernacular in liturgy or Scripture Promoted veneration of saints & Mary

33. Vatican I (1869 to 1870) Convened by Pope Pius IX as he was losing Papal States to Italian nationalists. Bishops had to flee Rome in middle of Council to escape invading armies of Italian nationalist Garibaldo Doctrine of Papal Infallibility: – Vote was 533 to 2 – about 55 were absent; some fled – Many bishops left Rome rather than vote - especially Americans

34. Vatican II (1962 to 1965) Convened by Pope John XXIII. He died midway through the Council, in 1963. The next Pope, Paul VI, continued the Council until it had finished its work.

35. Key Word “aggiornomento” = “opening a window to allow fresh air to blow in” This word was used to describe Vatican II. Vatican II’s goal was to bring the church up to date. “The essential teachings of the church must be communicated in a way that is helpful for real people living in the real world.”

36. The Council Meetings 4 sessions from 1962-1965 All bishops from around the world attended, along with many advisors! Observers were welcomed from Protestant, Eastern Orthodox churches along with lay observers. 2,500 people participated altogether.

37. Focus areas of Vatican Council II The Church Authority in the Church Ecumenism Non-Christian Religions The Church and the World The Church and the Bible The Liturgy Religious Freedom The Laity

38. The Church The Dogmatic constitution on the Church (Lumen Gentium) Church NOT defined as the hierarchy but defined as MYSTERY And as the PEOPLE of GOD Holiness is the vocation of all Christians The hierarchy gains their meaning from the entire people of God and the mystery of God’s love.

39. Authority in the Church Affirms the role of the pope as the supreme head of the Church..but in a new context Collegiality. The authority of the pope is seen as joined with all bishops as those called to authority in the church The concept of collegiality is one of mutual respect and cooperation. This concept does not diminish the Pope’s authority.

40. Ecumenism Ecumenism: The movement within the church that works toward greater unity among all Christians The Decree on Ecumenism: States that the church was not limited to the Catholic Church and that the reasons for the divisions between Christians came from both sides of the division.

41. Non-Christian Religions The church rejects nothing that is good and true in other religious faiths. Encourages dialogue in the search for spiritual and moral values Special respect and understanding should be given to the Jews;they are not to be blamed for the death of Jesus Christ. All kinds of persecution and discrimination are condemned

42. The Church and the World Very Important> Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World (Gaudium et Spes) Rejected “fortress mentality” > defensive and over protective. Like a fortress the Church wanted to preserve itself and protect us from the evils of the world. The church seeks to UNITE itself with humanity rather than separate itself from humanity. Aggiornamento - The church must update itself and show how faith should affect the way that Christians live in the world.

43. The Church and the World, cont. The church recognizes the importance and dignity of individual conscience. It recognized the advances of science and culture and taught that such advances need not threaten the church. It encourages a human solidarity in search of justice and peace on earth.

44. The Church and the Bible The church encourages Scriptural scholarship. The church encourages all its members – not just priests and theologians – to read and study the Bible, and meditate on it as a way to grow spiritually.

45. The Liturgy Now celebrated in the vernacular of the people. The priest faces the congregation Congregation is encouraged to participate in all facets of celebration. Greater flexibility in meeting the needs of special groups.( teen retreats, children’s liturgy etc.) Flexibility in terms of music.

48. Documents of Vatican II Dogmatic Constitution on the Church (Lumen Gentium), Nov. 21, 1964. Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation (Dei Verbum), Nov. 18,1965. Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy (Sacrosanctum Concilium), Dec. 4, 1963. Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World (Gaudium et Spes), Dec. 7, 1965. Decree on the Bishops' Pastoral Office in the Church (Christus Dominus), Oct. 28, 1965. Decree on the Church's Missionary Activity (Ad Gentes), Dec. 7, 1965. Decree on Ecumenism (Unitatis Redintegratio), Nov. 21, 1964. Decree on Eastern Catholic Church (Orientalium Ecclesiarum), Nov. 21, 1964. Decree on the Ministry and Life of Priests (Presbyterorum Ordinis), Dec. 7, 1965. Decree on Priestly Formation (Optatam Totius), Oct. 28, 1965. Decree on the Appropriate Renewal of the Religious Life (Perfectae Caritatis), Oct. 25, 1965. Decree on the Apostolate of the Laity (Apostolicam Actuositatem), Nov. 18, 1965. Decree on the Instruments of Social Communication (Inter Mirifica), Dec. 4, 1963. Declaration on Religious Freedom (Dignitatis Humanae), Dec. 7, 1965. Declaration on the Relationship of the Church to Non-Christian Religions (Nostra Aetate), Oct. 28, 1965. Declaration on Christian Education (Gravissimum Educationis), Oct. 28, 1965.