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An ecumenical council (or oecumenical council; also general council)〔(Encyclopaedia Britannica, "Council" )〕 is a conference of ecclesiastical dignitaries and theological experts convened to discuss and settle matters of Church doctrine and practice in which those entitled to vote are convoked from the whole world (oikoumene) and which secures the approbation of the whole Church. The word "ecumenical" derives from the Greek language , which literally means "the inhabited world",〔(American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language )〕 but which was also applied more narrowly to mean the Roman Empire. Bishops belonging to what became known as the Church of the East participated in none of the councils later than the second, and further noteworthy schisms led to non-participation by other members of what had previously been considered a single Christian Church. Later ecumenical councils thus included bishops of only parts of the Church as previously constituted and were rejected or ignored by Christians not belonging to those parts. The first seven Ecumenical Councils, recognised by both the eastern and western branches of Chalcedonian Christianity, were convoked by Christian Roman Emperors, who also enforced the decisions of those councils within the state church of the Roman Empire. Acceptance of councils as ecumenical and authoritative varies between different Christian denominations. Disputes over christological and other questions have led certain branches to reject some councils that others accept. == Acceptance of councils by denomination == The Church of the East (accused by others of adhering to Nestorianism) accepts as ecumenical only the first two councils. Oriental Orthodox Churches accept the first three.〔(Coptic Orthodox Christian Center, "The Coptic Church" )〕 Both the Eastern Orthodox Church and Roman Catholic Church recognise as ecumenical the first seven councils, held from the 4th to the 9th century. While the Eastern Orthodox Church accepts no later council or synod as ecumenical, the Roman Catholic Church continues to hold general councils of the bishops in full communion with the Pope, reckoning them as ecumenical. In all, the Roman Catholic Church recognises twenty-one councils as ecumenical. Anglicans and confessional Protestants accept either the first seven or the first four as ecumenical councils. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「ecumenical council」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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