In the history of our Catholic faith, the first seven councils of the Church are some of the greatest works of developing and understanding the orthodox faith. Register for this course to explore the history and theology of these councils, to help you understand the bedrock of our faith.
Special notes: Course materials are provided free. This is Part One of a 2-Part course.
Total classes: 12
Duration: 55 minutes per class
Prerequisite: None
Suggested grade level: 10th to 12th grade
Suggested credit: One full semester Theology or History
Instructor: Inshal Chenet
Course description: In a similar way to how understanding the federalist papers helps us understand the constitution, understanding the first seven councils of the Church helps us understand the creed itself. These church councils were convened by Roman Emperors and attended by the oikoumene, the bishops of the known world. Convened to deal with church-shattering theological crises, these counsels and the ideas found here make up the majority of the Catechism now. We will be considering each council, the events leading up to the council, and the theological definitions coming from them.
Course outline:
Week 1: What is an Ecumenical Council?
Week 2: The Council of Jerusalem
Week 3: The effects of the Council of Jerusalem
Week 4: The Gnostics
Week 5: Arias
Week 6: The Council of Nicaea
Week 7: Midterm Review
Week 8: Political Arianism
Week 9: The Council of Constantinople
Week 10: Nestorius
Week 11: The Council of Ephesus
Week 12: Final Review
Course materials: Readings will be provided FREE by the instructor as PDF files.
Homework: Each week, students will be required to read a short selection from the Councils of approximately 15-20 pages per week. Some of the reading can be somewhat dense and the instructor will help the students with understanding. Students will take a short-answer quiz each week, graded by the instructor.
- Teacher: Inshal Chenet