<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">
<p>Whilst Bullinger’s CHP accepts the decisions of the first four ecumenical councils, no description has been produced concerning their criteria. Based on the common features of Nicaea, Constantinople, Ephesus and Chalcedon, the Apostles’ Council of Jerusalem would fit the pattern, with one exception: it had neither been convened nor supervised by secular rulers. Why did the strongly Bible-oriented Reformers fail to ‘renumber’ the ecumenical councils starting with the one in Jerusalem, as they did e.g. with the Decalogue or the sacraments? Apparently, they acquiesced in the already established state of affairs to appease the contemporary secular powers, whilst preserving Chalcedon’s Christological and soteriological heritage.</p>
</abstract>

Whilst Bullinger’s CHP accepts the decisions of the first four ecumenical councils, no description has been produced concerning their criteria. Based on the common features of Nicaea, Constantinople, Ephesus and Chalcedon, the Apostles’ Council of Jerusalem would fit the pattern, with one exception: it had neither been convened nor supervised by secular rulers. Why did the strongly Bible-oriented Reformers fail to ‘renumber’ the ecumenical councils starting with the one in Jerusalem, as they did e.g. with the Decalogue or the sacraments? Apparently, they acquiesced in the already established state of affairs to appease the contemporary secular powers, whilst preserving Chalcedon’s Christological and soteriological heritage.

The Number and Authority of the Ecumenical Councils in the Second Helvetic Confession

Perichoresis

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Whilst Bullinger’s CHP accepts the decisions of the first four ecumenical councils, no description has been produced concerning their criteria. Based on the...

The Number and Authority of the Ecumenical Councils in the Second Helvetic Confession

Published Online: Sep 05, 2023

Page range: 40 - 54

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/perc-2023-0021

Keywords
Second Helvetic Confession, Apostolic Council, ecumenical council, Bullinger, Swiss Reformation, church and magistrate

© 2023 István Pásztori-Kupán, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

The Number and Authority of the Ecumenical Councils in the Second Helvetic Confession

Published Online: Sep 05, 2023

Page range: 40 - 54

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/perc-2023-0021

KeywordsSecond Helvetic Confession, Apostolic Council, ecumenical council, Bullinger, Swiss Reformation, church and magistrate

© 2023 István Pásztori-Kupán, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Keywords
Second Helvetic Confession, Apostolic Council, ecumenical council, Bullinger, Swiss Reformation, church and magistrate