Council of Constantinople (AD 381)
| Date | May-July, AD 381 |
| Location | Constantinople; Church of Hagia Eirene |
| Summoned by | Theodosius I |
| Chaired by | Melitius of Antioch; Gregory Nazianzus; Nectarius (successively) |
| Number of Participants | c. 150 bishops; c. 36 “Macedonian” bishops were also invited |
| Purpose | To deal with ongoing attempts to modify the Christology of the Council of Nicaea, and to speak to the new questions about the deity of the Holy Spirit |
| Key Events | The death of Melitius; the brief election to the bishopric and chairmanship of Gregory; the election of Nectarius; the condemnation of the Macedonians, Eunomians, Sabellians, and Appolinarians; the adoption of the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed |
| Ancient Descriptions | Socrates HE 5.8, 9; Sozomen HE 7.7-11; Theodoret HE 5.6-8; Rufinus HE 2.19 |
Surviving Documents:
Canons and Synodal Letters (NPNF2 14:170-189)
Bibliography
C. Kannengiesser, “Constantinople (Istanbul)” in The Encyclopedia of the Early Church, (New York: Oxford University Press, 1992).
Frederick W. Norris, “Constantinople” in The Encyclopedia of Early Christianity, (New York: Garland Publishing, 1990).
R.P.C. Hanson, The Search for the Christian Doctrine of God, (New York: T&T Clark, 1988).
Created by JCB and PSAM
Last updated: 1-28-2026 by GLT
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