Timeline of Christianity - First Seven Ecumenical Councils

First Seven Ecumenical Councils

Constantine called the First Council of Nicaea in 325 to unify Christology, also called the first great Christian council by Jerome, the first ecumenical, decreed the Original Nicene Creed, but rejected by Nontrinitarians such as Arius, Theonas, Secundus of Ptolemais, Eusebius of Nicomedia, and Theognis of Nicaea who were excommunicated, also addressed Easter controversy and passed 20 Canon laws such as Canon VII which granted special recognition to Jerusalem.

• 325 The First Council of Nicaea
• 325 The Kingdom of Aksum (Modern Ethiopia and Eritrea) declares Christianity as the official state Religion becoming the 2nd country to do so
• 325 Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, ordered by Constantine
• 326, November 18 Pope Sylvester I consecrates the Basilica of St. Peter built by Constantine the Great over the tomb of the Apostle.
• 328-373 Athanasius, bishop of Alexandria, first cite of modern 27 book New Testament canon
• 330 Old Church of the Holy Apostles, dedicated by Constantine
• 330, May 11: Constantinople solemly inaugurated. Constantine moves the capital of the Roman Empire to Byzantium, renaming it New Rome
• 331 Constantine commissioned Eusebius to deliver 50 Bibles for the Church of Constantinople
• 335 Council in Jerusalem, reversed Nicaea's condemnation of Arius, consecrated Jerusalem Church of the Holy Sepulchre
• 337? Mirian III of Iberia (present-day Georgia) adopts Christianity.
• 337, May 22: Constantine the Great dies. Baptized shortly prior to his death
• 341-379 Shapur II's persecution of Persian Christians
• 343? Catholic Council of Sardica, canons confirmed by Pope Julius
• 350? Julius Firmicus Maternus
• 350? Codex Sinaiticus(א), Codex Vaticanus Graecus 1209(B): earliest Christian Bibles, Alexandrian text-type
• 350? Ulfilas, Arian, apostle to the Goths, translated Greek NT to Gothic
• 350? Comma Johanneum 1Jn5:7b-8a(KJV)
• 350? Aëtius, Arian, "Syntagmation": "God is agennetos (unbegotten)", founder of Anomoeanism
• 350? School of Nisibis founded
• 353-367 Hilary, bishop of Poitiers
• 355-365 Antipope Felix II, Arian, supported by Constantius II, consecrated by Acacius of Caesarea
• 357 Council of Sirmium, issued so-called Blasphemy of Sirmium or Seventh Arian Confession, called high point of Arianism
• 359 Council of Rimini, Dated Creed (Acacians); Pope Liberius rejects Arian creed of council
• 360 Julian the Apostate becomes the last non-Christian Roman Emperor.
• 363-364 Council of Laodicea, canon 29 decreed anathema for Christians who rest on the Sabbath, disputed canon 60 named 26 NT books (excluded Revelation)
• 366-367 Antipope Ursicinus, rival to Pope Damasus I
• 367-403 Epiphanius, bishop of Salamis, wrote Panarion against heresies
• 370-379 Basil the Great, Bishop of Caesarea
• 370? Doctrine of Addai at Edessa proclaims 17 book NT canon using Diatessaron (instead of the 4 Gospels) + Acts + 15 Pauline Epistles (inc. 3 Corinthians) Syriac Orthodox Church
• 370 (d. ca.) Optatus of Milevis who in his conflict with the sectarian Donatists stressed unity and catholicity as marks of the Church over and above hiliness, and also that the sacraments derived their validity from God, not from the priest.
• 372-394 Gregory, Bishop Of Nyssa
• 373 Ephrem the Syrian, cited Western Acts
• 374-397 Ambrose, governor of Milan until 374, then made Bishop of Milan
• 375-395 Ausonius, Christian governor of Gaul
• 379-381 Gregory Nazianzus, Bishop of Constantinople
• 380, February 27: Emperor Theodosius I issues the Edict of Thessalonica declaring Nicene Christianity as the state church of the Roman Empire
• 380, November 24: Emperor Theodosius I is baptised.
• 381 First Council of Constantinople, 2nd ecumenical, Jesus had true human soul, Nicene Creed of 381
• 382 Catholic Council of Rome under Pope Damasus I sets the Biblical Canon, listing the inspired books of the Old Testament and the New Testament (disputed)
• 383? Frumentius, Apostle of Ethiopia
• 385 Priscillian, first heretic to be executed?
• 386 Cyril of Jerusalem wrote compellingly of catholicity of the Church
• 390? Apollinaris, bishop of Laodicea, believed Jesus had human body but divine spirit
• 391: The Theodosian decrees outlaw most pagan rituals still practiced in Rome.
• 396-430 Augustine, bishop of Hippo, considered the founder of formalized Christian theology (Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers)
• 397? Saint Ninian evangelizes Picts in Scotland
• 398-404 John Chrysostom Patriarch of Constantinople, see also List of Patriarchs of Constantinople, (Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers)
• 400: Jerome's Vulgate Latin edition and translation of the Bible is published.
• 400? Ethiopic Bible: in Ge'ez, 81 books, standard Ethiopian Orthodox Bible
• 400? Peshitta Bible in Syriac (Aramaic), Syr(p), OT + 22 NT, excludes: 2Pt, 2-3Jn, Jude, Rev; standard Syriac Orthodox Church Bible
• 406 Armenian Bible, translated by Saint Mesrob, standard Armenian Orthodox Bible
• 410, 24 August: Sack of Rome by Alaric and the Visigoths.
• 412-444 Cyril, bishop of Alexandria, coined Hypostatic union
• 418-419 Antipope Eulalius rival to Pope Boniface I
• 420 St. Jerome, Vulgate translations, Latin scholar, cited expanded ending in Mark after Mark 16:8, Pericope of the Adultress addition to John (John 7:53-8:11) (Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers)
• 423-457 Theodoret, bishop of Cyrrhus, noted Tatian's Diatesseron in heavy use, wrote a Church History
• 431 Council of Ephesus, 3rd ecumenical, repudiated Nestorianism, decreed Mary the Mother of God, forbid any changes to Nicene Creed of 381, rejected by the Persian Church, leading to the Nestorian Schism.
• 432 St Patrick begins mission in Ireland. Almost the entire nation is Christian by the time of his death in a conversion that is both incredibly successful and largely bloodless.
• 440-461 Pope Leo the Great, sometimes considered the first pope (of influence) by non-Catholics, stopped Attila the Hun at Rome, issued Tome in support of Hypostatic Union, approved Council of Chalcedon but rejected canons in 453
• 449 Second Council of Ephesus, Monophysite: Jesus was divine but not human
• 450? Codex Alexandrinus(A): Alexandrian text-type; Codex Bezae(D): Greek/Latin Gospels + Acts; Codex Washingtonianus(W): Greek Gospels; both of Western text-type
• 450? std. Aramaic Targums, Old Testament in Aramaic
• 450? Socrates Scholasticus Church History of 305-438; Sozomen Church History of 323-425
• 451 Council of Chalcedon, 4th ecumenical, declared Jesus is a Hypostatic Union: both human and divine in one, Chalcedonian Creed, rejected by Oriental Orthodoxy
• 455: Sack of Rome by the Vandals. The spoils of the Temple of Jerusalem previously taken by Titus are allegedly among the treasures taken to Carthage.
• 456? Eutyches of Constantinople, Monophysite
• 465? Prosper of Aquitaine
• 476, September 4 Emperor Romulus Augustus is deposed in Rome, marked by many as the fall of the Western Roman Empire
• 484-519 Acacian Schism, over Henoticon divides Eastern (Greek) and Western (Latin) churches
• 491 Armenian Orthodox split from East (Greek) and West (Latin) churches
• 495 May13 Vicar of Christ decreed a title of Bishop of Rome by Pope Gelasius I
• 496 Clovis I, King of the Franks, baptized
• 498-499,501-506 Antipope Laurentius, rival of Pope Symmachus, Laurentian schism
• 500? Incense introduced in Christian church service, first plans of Vatican
• 524 Boethius, Roman Christian philosopher, wrote: "Theological Tractates", Consolation of Philosophy; (Loeb Classics) (Latin)
• 525 Dionysius Exiguus defines Christian calendar (AD)
• 527 Fabius Planciades Fulgentius
• 529 Benedict of Nursia established his first monastery in the Abbey of Monte Cassino, Italy, where he wrote the Rule of St Benedict
• 530 Antipope Dioscorus, possibly a legitimate Pope
• 535-536 Unusual climate changes recorded
• 537-555 Pope Vigilius, involved in death of Pope Silverius, conspired with Justinian and Theodora, on April 11, 548 issued Judicatum supporting Justinian's anti-Hypostatic Union, excommunicated by bishops of Carthage in 550
• 541-542 Plague of Justinian
• 543 Justinian condemns Origen, disastrous earthquakes hit the world
• 544 Justinian condemns the Three Chapters of Theodore of Mopsuestia (died 428) and other writings of Hypostatic Union Christology of Council of Chalcedon
• 550 St. David converts Wales, crucifix introduced
• 553 Second Council of Constantinople, 5th ecumenical, called by Justinian
• 556-561 Pope Pelagius I, selected by Justinian, endorsed Judicatum
• 563 Columba goes to Scotland to evangelize Picts, establishes monastery at Iona
• 567 Cassiodorus
• 589 Catholic Third Council of Toledo, Reccared and the Visigoths convert from Arianism to Catholicism and Filioque clause is added to Nicene Creed of 381
• 590-604 Pope Gregory the Great, whom many consider the greatest pope ever, reforms church structure and administration and establishes Gregorian Chant, Seven deadly sins ...
• 591-628 Theodelinda, Queen of the Lombards, began gradual conversion from Arianism to Catholicism
• 596 St. Augustine of Canterbury sent by Pope Gregory to evangelise the Jutes
• 600? Evagrius Scholasticus, Church History of AD431-594
• 604 Saxon cathedral created (by Mellitus) where St Paul's Cathedral in London now stands
• 609 Pantheon, Rome renamed Church of Santa Maria Rotonda
• 612? Bobbio monastery in northern Italy
• 613 Abbey of St. Gall in Switzerland
• 614 Khosrau II of Persia conquered Damascus, Jerusalem, took Holy Cross of Christ
• 624 Battle of Badr, considered beginning of Islamic Empire
• 625 Paulinus of York comes to convert Northumbria
• 628 Babai the Great, pillar of Church of the East, died
• 628-629 Battle of Mut'ah, Heraclius recovered Cross of Christ and Jerusalem from Islam until 638
• 632 Eorpwald of East Anglia baptized under influence of Edwin of Northumbria
• 634-644 Umar, 2nd Sunni Islam Caliph, capital at Damascus, conquered Syria in 635, defeated Heraclius at Battle of Yarmuk in 636, conquered Egypt and Armenia in 639, Persia in 642
• 635 Cynegils of Wessex baptized by Bishop Birinus
• 664 Synod of Whitby unites Celtic Christianity of British Isles with Roman Catholicism
• 680-681 Third Council of Constantinople, 6th ecumenical, against Monothelites, condemned Pope Honorius I, Patriarch Sergius I of Constantinople, Heraclius' Ecthesis
• 681-686 Wilfrid converts Sussex
• 687-691 Dome of the Rock built
• 690? Old English Bible translations
• 692 Orthodox Quinisext Council, convoked by Justinian II, approved Canons of the Apostles of Apostolic Constitutions, Clerical celibacy, rejected by Pope Constantine
• 698 Fall of Carthage
• 711-718 Umayyad conquest of Hispania
• 717-718 Second Arab siege of Constantinople
• 718-1492 Reconquista, Iberian Peninsula retaken by Roman Catholic Visigoth monarchs
• 718 Saint Boniface, archbishop of Mainz; an Englishman, given commission by Pope Gregory II to evangelize the Germans
• 720? Disentis Abbey of Switzerland
• 730-787 First Iconoclasm, Byzantine Emperor Leo III bans Christian icons, Pope Gregory II excommunicates him
• 731 English Church History written by Bede
• 732 Battle of Tours stops Islam from expanding westward
• 750? Tower added to St Peter's Basilica at the front of the atrium
• 752? Donation of Constantine, granted Western Roman Empire to the Pope, later proved a forgery
• 756 Donation of Pepin recognizes Papal States
• 781 Nestorian Stele, Daqin Pagoda, Jesus Sutras, Christianity in China
• 787 Second Council of Nicaea, 7th ecumenical, ends first Iconoclasm
• 793 Sacking of the monastery of Lindisfarne marks the beginning of Viking raids on Christendom.