Councils and Synods

From the very early church, Christian communities gathered together to discuss problems. 

Councils in the Early Church

By mid-second century this practice had been institutionalized.    These meetings were called councils or synods. There is not much information about synods before the fourth century.   

 Canon  means rule in Greek.  Has no meaning in Roman and Greek Law

Western Councils

Council of Arles 314 Called by Constantine --- Letter and canons sent to Pope Silvester
Elvira: Earliest Canons Council of Cologne 346  Trial of Eufrata, who had denied Christ was God (Eufrata Christum Deum negat)

Council of Valence 374 Ecclesiastical discipline

After the Emperor Constantine began the process of tolerating then adopting Christianity, councils flourished.  The Council of Nicaea is the first Ecumenical (universal) council.  The first four ecumenical councils,  were given a special place in the traditions of the church. 

Constantine and the Council of Nicaea (325)

Tanner Translations

Nicaea (325)

Constantinople  I (381)

Ephesus (431)

 
Pope Gregory the Great (590-604) compared the first four councils to the four Gospels.  From the mid-fifth century, the papacy claimed the right to approve the acts of councils.  The first eight Ecumenical Councils were held in the Greek speaking Mediterranean.

Chalcedon (451)

Constantinople II (553)

Constantinople III (680-681)

Nicaea II (787)

Constantinople IV (869-870)

Decrees of the Ecumenical Councils, 1: Nicaea I-Lateran V, 2: Trent-Vatican II, ed. Norman P. Tanner. 2 Volumes. London-Washington, D.C.: Sheed & Ward and Georgetown University Press, 1990 (Greek-Latin texts with facing English translation) 


 Council of Nicaea
 
 
Further Bibliography of Sources

Most Comprehensive Early Modern Edition of Conciliar Canons and Acta:  The most complete collection of conciliar canons is: Johannes Dominicus Mansi (1692-1769), Sacrorum conciliorum nova et amplissima collectio : in qua,prćter ea quć Phil. Labbeus et Gabr. Cossartius S.J. et novissime Nicolaus Coleti in lucem edidere, ea omnia insuper suis in locis optime disposita exhibentur quć Johannes Dominicus Mansi ... evulgavit ... 56 Volumes. Florentić : Expensis Antonii Zatta Veneti, 1759-[1927].

Early Church Councils and Sources:  Cuthbert Hamilton Turner (ed.) Ecclesiae Occidentalis Monumenta Iuris Antiquissima Canonum et Conciliorum Graecorum interpretationes Latinae. Edidit Cuthbert Hamilton Turner. 2 volumes. Oxford 1899-1939. Reprint: Hildesheim 2011.

An entirely arbitrary bibliography of modern editions that concentrates on the early Middle Ages:

Councils, Czech. Synody a statuta olomoucké diecéze období středověku, ed. Pavel Krafl, Práce Historického ústavu AV ČR; Opera Instituti hisorici Pragae, Řada/Series B, Editiones, Svazek, 2. Praha: Historického ústavu AV ČR, 2003.

Councils, English. Councils and Synods with Other Documents Relating to the English Church, 2: A.D. 1205-1313, Part 1: 1205-1265. Edited by F.M Powicke and Christopher R. Cheney. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1964. 1998 ($5.00)

Councils, African.  Concilia Africae a. 345-a. 525.  Edited Charles Munier.  Corpus Christianorum, Series Latina, 149. Turnholt: Brepols, 1974

Councils, French. Concilia Galliae, A. 314 - A. 506. Edited Charles Munier. Corpus Christianorum, Series Latina, 148. Turnholt: Brepols, 1963. Concilia Galliae, A. 511 - A. 695 Edited Charles de Clercq. Corpus Christianorum, Series Latina, 148 A. Turnholt: Brepols, 1963.

Councils, German.  Konzilien der karolingischen Teilreiche 843-859. Ed. Wilfried Hartmann. Monumenta Germaniae Historica, Concilia 3. Hannover: Hahnsche Buchhandlung, 1984.

Councils, German. Konzilien der karolingischen Teilreiche 860-874. Ed. Wilfried Hartmann. Monumenta Germaniae Historica, Concilia 3. Hannover: Hahnsche Buchhandlung, 1998.

Instructions for Holding Councils:  Die Konzilsordines des Früh- und Hochmittelalters. Edited by Herbert Schneider. Monumenta Germaniae Historica, Ordines de celebrando concilio. Hannover: Hahnsche Buchhandlung, 1996.