The Ecumenical Councils of the Catholic Church: A History Paperback – September 1, 2009

Church Councils span some two thousand years of trying to define details of the Roman Church (except for the earlier Councils which were all inclusive) and its belief systems. This is done against significant political backdrops. Nicea was mandated by Constantine amidst the complexity of early Christology, and then as the West dominated, the Medieval ones dealt with the improvement in quality of the religious, to Trent and the Reformation and then to Vatican I and then Vatican II.This book presents the issues, the highlights, the principals, and some of the conflicts. It does not delve into details so if that is what you are seeking this is not is. However as a first introduction this is superb.I did not sense any inclination to shape the narrative. It seems to present a fair, balanced and complete discussion of all of the Councils. If one seeks more detail, it is available but most like more difficult to digest. Also to obtain the detail it is critical to understand the details of the historical environment. For example, the Avignon papacy is highly complex in the development of the French monarchy as well as the other changes in European culture and politics.Yet for an initial introduction this is one of the best I have seen and worth the read.

Not sure how this could have been done any better within 200 pages. It is the best summary of the Catholic Ecumenical Councils I've ever read. Nearly every sentence was insightful. It's probably the easiest, most captivating, and unvarnished way to learn of the history and foundations of the Catholic Church. If church history is even slightly of interest to you, you'll love this book!

In this work, Kelly has crafted a readable and succinct, “greatest hits” examination of the 21 councils considered to be ecumenical by the Roman Catholic Church. As suggested in the introduction, councils need to be understood within their historical framework and Kelly carefully offers the important historical moments that link each council to the next. Clearly, the councils are not stand-alone events; they arise from the situation of the church and the will of the pope. For example, Kelly notes several occurrences between the Council of Constantinople (381) and the Council of Ephesus (431) that created the need for a council; Rome was sacked, Christian asceticism lead to the development of monasticism, and the rise of heresies (Gnosticism, Apollinarianism, and Nestorianism) lead to a need to deal with theological issues. All of these created the historical moment where a council was called upon to stabilize, strengthen, and clarify issues that directly impacted the Church. As Kelly emphasizes, councils do not seek to explain mysteries of Christianity, but to help establish a collective understanding. No doubt, Kelly himself contributes to the understanding of faith and the Church with his own summaries and analyses of the councils offered in this volume.

Good read to understand basic outline of Councils. There are many unfamiliar words to me . homoousins? Monarchian theologians?Could someone recommend a Catholic Dictionary for these type words? Hahn's is good but only covers common English Catholic definitions.

This book provides a general overview of the ecumenical councils through Vatican II. It provides references to documents but is not bogged down with the nuances and detail of complicated theological issues. The book is well-written and likely intended as a text for a college level course in the ecumenical councils. It is suitable for any adult who wants to examine the councils that shaped the faith from the 4th to the 20th centuries.

I couldn't bring myself to say "Down and Dirty" for this is an excellent work on the Ecumenical Councils. Dr. Kelly organizes the councils into groups by the heresies with which the dealt. It is a concise look at the history of heresies that the church has dealt with over the years. He speaks of the main theologians involved and what those gathered at the councils did to hold on to orthodoxy.

very good.

the best book on the councils in readable English and at times actually exciting