Wednesday, September 24, 2025

It is the 24th of September 2025. Welcome to the Christian History Almanac, brought to you by 1517 at 1517.org; I’m Dan van Voorhis.

Let’s talk sequels… can we identify the rare sequel more esteemed than the original? Perhaps The Godfather Part II deserves this praise… maybe Terminator 2- and I’d add The Empire Strikes Back as a contender.

Worst sequel? Jaws II is rightly panned, Speed II- Cruise Control was bad (‘cruise’ control because instead of a bus it was a cruise ship), and we all remember the sequel to Breakin’- that was Breakin’ 2: Electric Bugaloo… and this tortured introduction is all in service of a “sequel” of sorts. This year we have heard so much about the Council of Nicaea- convened 1700 years ago this year… but what about Nicaea 2- the second Council there in Turkey, which would be the 7th Ecumenical council and perhaps the church’s last unified word before the schisms that have marked the modern church.  

The “Seven” Ecumenical Councils, as many in the church have counted them, span from Nicaea in 325, and that council called by Constantine through Constantinople, Ephesus, and Chalcedon, followed by the Second and Third at Chalcedon, and then Nicaea 2, which commenced on this, the 24th of September in 787, over 450 years since the first.

It’s a curious story- how did it become the “last”? (for some, at least) How did it replace another council calling itself the 7th? And why do some reject its teachings?

The context is 8th-century Greek Imperial politics (and coups) and the introduction of Arab intruders. Led to a victory by a General named Leo III, the Byzantines finally found a capable ruler. But Leo III, now emperor, bucked both the Greek Patriarch and the Bishop of Rome in declaring all images used in church to be banished- he was an iconoclast. This may have been inspired by the Muslim injunction against images in worship (seen by some as more compatible with the Jewish tradition) or Origen’s numbering of the Ten Commandments, which isolates the “no images” injunction as the 2nd Commandment.

Leo’s son, Emperor Constantine V, would call a council at Hieira in 754 that condemned the use of images and called itself the 7th ecumenical council.

However, without any recognized patriarchs present, it was called the “headless” council. The question of images was still considered a live question.

With Constantine V’s death, his son, Leo IV, would become Emperor, and he was married to Irene, who herself was partial to iconography in church. When Leo IV died and his young son became Emperor, Irene would rule as regent in his place, and she would call the council that would become the Second Council of Nicaea. This council would follow the teachings of John of Damascus, himself a defender of Christianity against the incursion of Muslim teachings. Unlike Islam, which was strictly anti-image, John argued that in the incarnation and the bringing together of the divine and human natures in Christ, God himself had made the icon of himself for us.

Not only is the image of God appropriate in the image of Christ, but other images were sanctified not to be worshiped (latreia in Greek), but could be venerated (proskynēsis). That is, they can be honored and appreciated as they themselves point to Christ.

The Greek and Latin churches would both claim their own eighth councils in the coming centuries, and with the schism in the 11th century, the councils henceforth would be considered schismatic by their opposition, and so we generally only speak of 7 ecumenical councils, with this being the last.

Even still, some Protestants would shrink the number of “ecumenical” councils to the first 4. As many of these groups would adopt Origen’s numbering of the 10 Commandments with its injunction against images as standing alone as the 2nd commandment, this council would become more controversial.

But insofar as we traditionally talk of “7 Ecumenical Councils,” we remember the so-called 7th, the second of Nicaea, and the one that sought to legitimize the use of icons and images, which began on this, the 24th of September in 787. 

 The Last word for today comes from the daily lectionary and Luke 20 and 21:

45 While all the people were listening, Jesus said to his disciples, 46 “Beware of the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. 47 They devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will be punished most severely.”

As Jesus looked up, he saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. 2 He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. 3 “Truly I tell you,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others. 4 All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”

This has been the Christian History Almanac for the 24th of September 2025 brought to you by 1517 at 1517.org.

The show is produced by a man whose favorite sequel is a no-brainer: Three Ninjas: High Noon at Mega Mountain. He is Christopher Gillespie.

The show is written and read by a man who’s kidding- that’s my favorite... It’s the one with Hulk Hogan as Dave Dragon… I’m Dan van Voorhis.

You can catch us here every day- and remember that the rumors of grace, forgiveness, and the redemption of all things are true… Everything is going to be ok.