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Ecumenical Councils Christianity, which began as an
obscure sect in Judea, survived and shaking off its Judaistic roots
developed in the cosmopolitan world of Greco-Roman pagan cults. As it
followed its natural path various sorts of local Christianity factions
such as Donatists, Novatians, Paulinists, Marcionites, Docetists,
Montanists, Meletians and Arians and many others emerged.
While some of these disappeared without becoming widespread heresies some
shook Christianity at its roots. The dissensions which were part of the
latter group rose from the concept of worshipping a being who was also a
man, a concept which had become more complex by the addition of the third
divine element, the Holy Spirit.
By the reign of Constantine the Great (324-37, sole ruler) it had become
possible to summon general councils which were called Ecumenical Councils
to find answers to such questions. It was believed that if all the bishops
came together the Holy Spirit would descend and guide their decisions. The
number and sort of participants and the decisions of these meetings,
however, would often be decided by the politics of the period, being
manipulated by the emperor.
There were seven such Ecumenical Councils before the disagreements between
Latin (Western) and Greek (Eastern) Christians prevented the holding of
any more councils recognized by the whole Church. Except the last one
which dealt with Iconoclasm the main topic of the councils was to answer
the questions about the Person of Jesus or the Holy Spirit or to reassert
the already defined dogma against heretical views such as Arianism,
Monophysitism, and alike.
However, in addition to such major questions, regulations about Church
discipline were also made. Apart from these Ecumenical Councils there were
some which the Roman Church regards as ecumenical, because the Roman
Church believes itself to be the one legitimate Christian communion in the
whole world; but these later councils were not attended by the
representatives of the Greek Orthodox Churches, and are not regarded by
those Churches, nor by the Anglican Church, as having been really
ecumenical.
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