The Seven Ecumenical Councils: The Voice of the Undivided Church

Creeds, Canons, Letters, and Acts from the First Seven Councils

Between A.D. 325 and A.D. 787, the ancient Church convened seven Ecumenical Councils that would shape Christian doctrine for all time. These gatherings defended the full divinity of the Son and the Holy Spirit, affirmed the unity of Christ’s divine Person and the truth of His two natures, and upheld the venerable tradition of honoring holy images.

These councils clarified and defended the faith once delivered to the saints — the faith received through Scripture, apostolic tradition, and the worship of the Church. Their creeds, definitions, letters, and canons remain enduring expressions of the Christian faith.

Held during the centuries when East and West still lived in full sacramental communion, these councils represent the last great era of visible Christian unity. Bishops from across the Christian world — speaking Greek and Latin, facing different political realities — gathered to deliberate, refute error, and confess one Lord, one faith, and one baptism.

They remind us that unity is not an impossible ideal but a reality the Church once knew — and can know again.

The Seven Councils

1. Nicaea I (A.D. 325) — confessed the full divinity of the Son.
2. Constantinople I (A.D. 381) — confessed the full divinity of the Holy Spirit.
3. Ephesus (A.D. 431) — defended the unity of Christ’s divine Person.
4. Chalcedon (A.D. 451) — affirmed Christ in two natures, divine and human.
5. Constantinople II (A.D. 553) — further defended the Church’s confession of Christ.
6. Constantinople III (A.D. 680–681) — confessed the two wills of Christ, divine and human.
7. Nicaea II (A.D. 787) — upheld the rightful honor given to holy images.

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An Accessible Annotated Edition

This volume offers carefully selected key documents from all seven councils, accompanied by accessible introductions and annotations. Whether for study, devotion, or ecumenical understanding, these texts invite readers to encounter directly the faith of the undivided Church.