The spread of doctrines and the ecumenical councils within the Byzantine empire

Abstract

With the rise of Christianity in the middle of the first century A.D, a new type of religious educational institution began to appear. At the end of the second century, the first catechetical school was founded in Alexandria (Egypt). Episcopal schools and schools for exegetes (interpreters of the Holy Scriptures) were established in Jerusalem, Rome, and other cities of the Roman Empire. A system of religious educational institutions gradually developed, including bishops’ (Episcopal), catechetical, and pastoral monks’ schools, as well as boarding schools at monasteries. During the Byzantine period, religious seminaries were founded by the Armenian-Gregorian and Georgian churches. Catholic religious educational institutions differed little from Orthodox religious schools, and had a strictly expressed religious and professional tendency. Councils were two types: Ecumenical Councils (ecumenical worldwide pertaining to ecumenical lands) and local or spatial councils. Ecumenical councils were held many times in the first centuries and witnessed them representative from all over the world. The main reason for holding these councils was the rise of bizarre doctrines which must be investigated and examined and making decisions about them and their innovators. 19th councils, of the Ecumenical councils were held starting with the first council of Nicaea in 325 A.D until council of Basel, Ferrara, and Florence in 1431-1445 A.D. The orthodoxies did not admit any decisions, but of the first- seven councils whose last one of them was in Second Council of Nicaea in 787 A.D.