The third ecumenical council condemns Nestorius and confesses Mary as Theotokos, God-bearer; the Church of the East separates in the aftermath; the first lasting schism.
Tagged: Councils Catholic Christian Eastern Orthodox Oriental Orthodox
The Event
- Date
- 431 (exact)
- Era
- Patristic; Standard ecumenical periodization
- Location
- Ephesus; today Selçuk, Turkey
- Traditions
- Christianity
- Streams
- Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox
- Key figures
- Cyril of Alexandria, Nestorius
- Key texts
- The Twelve Anathemas of Cyril
Connections
- First Council of Constantinople; followed
Doctrines in Play
Primary Sources
- Cyril of Alexandria, Twelve Anathemas
- Acts of the Council of Ephesus
Secondary Sources
- Kelly, Early Christian Doctrines (Harper, 1978)
- Pelikan, The Christian Tradition, vols. 1–5 (Chicago, 1971–1989)
Provenance: HIST-0017; confidence 0.95; accessed 2026-10-26.
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