The General Councils: A History of the Twenty-One Church Councils from Nicaea to Vatican II

by Christopher M. Bellitto

Tracing the story of the Catholic Church's 21 general councils is one of the best ways to learn about the 2,000-year course of Christianity, affirms church historian Christopher Bellitto. In this book, sister volume to his acclaimed Renewing Christianity, he offers readers a succinct history of the 21 general councils, beginning with the First Council of Nicaea in the year 325 and ending with the Second Vatican Council in the 1960s. Bellitto organizes the councils into four the councils of the early church, of the Middle Ages, of the Reformation and of modern times (Vatican I and II). And he introduces readers to the historical contexts, major tasks, achievements and failures of the councils and their impact on their times. Timely and informational, The General Councils is ideal for undergraduates and general readers. ―Ideal companion volume for Renewing Christianity ("Brilliant."―Library Journal). ―Written in accessible, non-technical language. ―A fast-paced read. †

Genres: History, Theology, Religion, Catholic

176 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2002

Reviews

[Joe Boenzi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I became aware of this book while teaching a course on the Church in the modern era. The book represents a survey of the 21 general (ecumenical) councils of the Church, from the Council of Nicea I (A.D. 325) to the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965). The book was first published by Paulist Press in 2002, which was the 40th anniversary of Vatican II.

Author Bellitto presents each council in the context of history, and within the group of general councils of each era surveyed. We are shown the difficulties faced by the Church, era by era, and the steps taken at a council or councils to address the issues of the day. Repetition and uniqueness in the context of councils also give the reader to understand that, while Councils are not very frequent (21 councils over 17 centuries), they are, indeed, an important part of the development of the Christian story. Vatican II, the council of our era, is given special, detailed consideration, both in terms of the process that Council endorsed in its day-to-day working over the 6 years from its convocation (25 January 1959) to its conclusion (8 December 1965), and in the first 20 years of its implementation.

A final comment that I could make would take up what the author Bellitto has to say about the lasting influence of General Councils. It takes decades, even centuries, for the Church to implement a Council's deliberations. That is why, Bellitto affirms, it is not proper to say that we are living in a post-Vatican II Church today, but in the Vatican II Church, since after a half century, we are still only beginning to scratch the surface of the Council's teaching, and have much yet to do before we can implement its provisions.

[Tim · Rating 5 out of 5]

A bird's eye view of the General Church Councils of the Roman Catholic Church from Nicaea (A.D. 325) till the Second Vatican (1962-1965). In one sense, an overview of this history of the RCC as seen through the controversies and concerns that brought about these twenty-one ecclesiastical conclaves (which I learned the word comes from the Latin, "cum klave," meaning "with key," or lock the door until a decision is made). In addition, it is a history of Christian thought pre-Reformation up to the Fifth Lateran Council (1512-15717), which ended just months before that faithful day in Wittenberg (31 October 1517, the posting of Luther's Ninety-Five Theses, and the beginning of the Protestant Reformation). A worthwhile read in the theological development of the larger Western church.

[Joe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very nice! It's hard to get too excited about a 200-page descriptive history book, but this is well done!

Unlike most histories that span such a long period of time, I thought it was consistently good throughout (most such histories seem strong in the beginning and weak at the end). It is concise and pretty good at presenting a non-polemical "view from nowhere." I'd recommend this to people getting familiar with Catholic Church history.

[J. · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short overview of the general councils that does a pretty good job of getting the key ideas without getting too deep.

[Eduardo Garcia-Gaspar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Leí este brevísimo libro después de leer italic text: The Catholic Enlightenment: The Forgotten History of a Global Movement. Esa obra hace referencia continua al Concilio de Trento como uno de enorme influencia en la ilustración católica que describe convincentemente.
La historia de los 21 concilios, hasta el Vaticano II, es necesariamente resumida, con las ventajas y desventajas que eso significa, pero para mis propósitos fue útil al darme una perspectiva histórica de ellos.
[Una aclaración sobre las estrellas que doy a las lecturas: menos de tres, la obra es mala o medio mala; tres estrellas significa que merece leerse; cuatro, que el lector perdería algo importante si lo la lee; y cinco estrellas, solamente a libros claramente excepcionales.]

[B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bellitto provides a very concise, readable account of the Roman Catholic Church's 21 general councils. Written from a Catholic perspective, the author provides good summaries of each council and is fairly frank about conciliar failures and problems.

[Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

A concise and readable overview.