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Orthodox Religion practice questions

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Question 1Scripture (Old and New Testament)

Which book opens the Old Testament in the canonical order used by most Orthodox editions?

  1. Isaiah
  2. Psalms
  3. Proverbs
  4. Genesis Correct answer.

Explanation

The Orthodox Old Testament follows the Septuagint-based ordering, which begins with the Pentateuch, and Genesis stands first as the account of creation and the patriarchs. Psalms and Proverbs belong to the wisdom and poetic books, which come later.

Question 2Scripture (Old and New Testament)

According to the Gospel of John, what was the first sign Jesus performed in Cana of Galilee?

  1. Feeding five thousand people
  2. Calming a storm on the lake
  3. Healing a paralytic by the pool
  4. Turning water into wine Correct answer.

Explanation

John 2:1-11 records the wedding at Cana where Jesus changed water into wine, and the evangelist explicitly calls this the beginning of signs. The other miracles occur later in the narrative or in different Gospels.

Question 3Scripture (Old and New Testament)

Which prophet received the call in the temple with the thrice-repeated 'Holy, holy, holy' vision?

  1. Isaiah Correct answer.
  2. Jeremiah
  3. Ezekiel
  4. Amos

Explanation

Isaiah 6 describes the prophet's vision of the Lord on a throne with seraphim crying 'Holy, holy, holy,' followed by the cleansing of his lips and his commissioning. This passage is also echoed in Orthodox liturgical hymns.

Question 4Scripture (Old and New Testament)

In the Sermon on the Mount, which group does Jesus name first among the Beatitudes?

  1. The poor in spirit Correct answer.
  2. The meek
  3. The peacemakers
  4. The pure in heart

Explanation

Matthew 5:3 begins the Beatitudes with 'Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.' The remaining clauses follow in a sequence that moves from poverty of spirit toward persecution.

Question 5Scripture (Old and New Testament)

Which apostle is described in the Gospels as having denied Jesus three times before the rooster crowed?

  1. John
  2. Thomas
  3. James
  4. Peter Correct answer.

Explanation

All four Gospels record Peter's threefold denial in the courtyard, followed by the crowing of the rooster and his weeping. The episode is tied to his later restoration in John 21.

Question 6Scripture (Old and New Testament)

What does the Greek term 'Christos,' applied to Jesus, translate into English?

  1. Savior
  2. Anointed One Correct answer.
  3. Lord
  4. Teacher

Explanation

'Christos' renders the Hebrew 'Mashiach,' meaning anointed, and corresponds to the title Messiah. It is a title of office rather than a personal name, though it functions as a name in Christian usage.

Question 7Scripture (Old and New Testament)

Which Old Testament figure is described as building an ark at God's command to preserve his family and the animals from the flood?

  1. Moses
  2. Job
  3. Noah Correct answer.
  4. Abraham

Explanation

Genesis 6-9 recounts God's instruction to Noah to build the ark, the flood, and the covenant sign of the rainbow. Noah is also listed among the righteous in later scriptural and liturgical references.

Question 8Scripture (Old and New Testament)

Which Gospel begins with the words 'In the beginning was the Word'?

  1. Luke
  2. Mark
  3. Matthew
  4. John Correct answer.

Explanation

John's prologue opens with the Logos hymn, identifying the Word as existing with God from the beginning. The other Gospels begin with genealogy, fulfillment of prophecy, or the ministry of John the Baptist.

Question 9Scripture (Old and New Testament)

In the book of Exodus, what is the final plague that prompts Pharaoh to release the Israelites?

  1. Darkness over Egypt
  2. The plague of locusts
  3. The death of the firstborn Correct answer.
  4. The plague of frogs

Explanation

Exodus 11-12 describes the death of the firstborn as the tenth and climactic plague, connected with the institution of Passover and the marking of doorposts with lamb's blood. The earlier plagues prepare for this final judgment.

Question 10Scripture (Old and New Testament)

Which New Testament letter contains the 'love chapter' that praises love as greater than faith and hope?

  1. Hebrews
  2. 1 Corinthians Correct answer.
  3. Romans
  4. Galatians

Explanation

1 Corinthians 13 concludes that faith, hope, and love abide, and that the greatest of these is love. The chapter sits within Paul's discussion of spiritual gifts in the Corinthian community.

Question 11Scripture (Old and New Testament)

Which Old Testament book tells of a righteous man who loses his children and health yet refuses to curse God?

  1. Lamentations
  2. Ecclesiastes
  3. Ruth
  4. Job Correct answer.

Explanation

The book of Job narrates the loss of his possessions, children, and health, followed by dialogue about divine justice and God's speeches from the whirlwind. Job's refusal to curse God is central to the prologue.

Question 12Scripture (Old and New Testament)

In the parable of the prodigal son, what does the father do when he sees the returning son from a distance?

  1. He assigns the son the status of a hired servant
  2. He waits for the son to reach the house
  3. He sends servants to test the son's intentions
  4. He runs, embraces him, and orders a feast Correct answer.

Explanation

Luke 15:20-24 portrays the father running to meet the son, embracing him, and ordering the fatted calf for celebration. The father's initiative expresses divine mercy and forgiveness in the parable's setting.

Question 13Scripture (Old and New Testament)

Which prophet is commanded to marry a woman of harlotry as a sign of Israel's unfaithfulness?

  1. Zephaniah
  2. Hosea Correct answer.
  3. Joel
  4. Micah

Explanation

Hosea 1-3 uses the prophet's marriage and the naming of his children as symbolic acts portraying Israel's covenant unfaithfulness and God's enduring love. The imagery of adultery runs through the book.

Question 14Scripture (Old and New Testament)

What is the significance of the title 'Son of Man' as Jesus uses it in the Gospels?

  1. It is a term reserved for the Jewish high priest
  2. It echoes Daniel's heavenly figure and emphasizes his authority and suffering Correct answer.
  3. It identifies him as a descendant of David only
  4. It designates him as a teacher of the law

Explanation

The title draws on Daniel 7, where one like a son of man receives dominion, and Jesus applies it to his authority, suffering, and future coming. It combines messianic exaltation with the vocation of the suffering servant.

Question 15Scripture (Old and New Testament)

Which event in Acts marks the public beginning of the apostolic preaching in Jerusalem?

  1. The council in Jerusalem
  2. The stoning of Stephen
  3. The descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost Correct answer.
  4. The conversion of Saul

Explanation

Acts 2 describes the outpouring of the Spirit at Pentecost and Peter's sermon, which leads to the first mass conversion. This event inaugurates the church's witness from Jerusalem outward.

Question 16Scripture (Old and New Testament)

Which Gospel contains the Magnificat, the hymn of Mary beginning 'My soul magnifies the Lord'?

  1. Mark
  2. Matthew
  3. John
  4. Luke Correct answer.

Explanation

Luke 1:46-55 records the Magnificat in the context of the visitation to Elizabeth, and the canticle is used in Orthodox daily prayer. The other Gospels do not include the infancy narratives in this form.

Question 17Scripture (Old and New Testament)

How does the Orthodox canon of the Old Testament generally differ from the shorter Hebrew canon?

  1. It orders the books alphabetically
  2. It omits the Psalms
  3. It replaces the prophets with the apostolic writings
  4. It includes additional books such as Wisdom and Sirach Correct answer.

Explanation

Orthodox editions follow the longer Septuagint tradition and include books such as Wisdom, Sirach, and Maccabees, often called deuterocanonical or anaginoskomena. These are read in the church though distinguished from the Hebrew protocanon.

Question 18Scripture (Old and New Testament)

In the Genesis creation account, what is created on the first day?

  1. The sun and moon
  2. Birds and fish
  3. Light, separated from darkness Correct answer.
  4. The dry land and seas

Explanation

Genesis 1:3-5 records God's command for light to appear, followed by the separation of light from darkness and the naming of day and night. The luminaries come on the fourth day and living creatures later.

Question 19Scripture (Old and New Testament)

Which epistle contains the great Christological hymn about Christ emptying himself and taking the form of a servant?

  1. Ephesians
  2. Colossians
  3. Philippians Correct answer.
  4. 1 Timothy

Explanation

Philippians 2:5-11 presents the kenosis hymn, moving from Christ's self-emptying to his exaltation and the name above every name. The passage is a cornerstone of Orthodox Christology and hymnography.

Question 20Scripture (Old and New Testament)

Which Gospel account includes the woman at the well in Samaria and the dialogue about living water?

  1. John Correct answer.
  2. Luke
  3. Matthew
  4. Mark

Explanation

John 4 narrates the encounter at Jacob's well, where Jesus speaks of living water and the worship in spirit and truth. The episode also leads to the conversion of many Samaritans in the narrative.

Question 21Scripture (Old and New Testament)

How does the Letter to the Hebrews present the relationship between the Mosaic sacrifices and Christ's sacrifice?

  1. Christ's sacrifice is symbolic and non-atonement
  2. Both are equally repeated in the liturgy
  3. Christ's sacrifice is superior and offered once for all Correct answer.
  4. The Mosaic sacrifices remain the only valid offerings

Explanation

Hebrews argues that the repeated animal sacrifices could not perfect the conscience, while Christ, the eternal high priest, offers himself once for all and sits at the right hand of God. This argument grounds the Orthodox understanding of the Eucharist as participation in the one sacrifice.

Question 22Scripture (Old and New Testament)

In the book of Daniel, what does the vision of the four beasts culminate in?

  1. The coming of one like a son of man with everlasting dominion Correct answer.
  2. The return of Elijah
  3. The rebuilding of the temple by Cyrus
  4. The restoration of Babylon's throne

Explanation

Daniel 7 describes four beasts representing successive kingdoms, followed by the Ancient of Days and one like a son of man receiving everlasting dominion. This imagery shapes later messianic and apocalyptic expectation.

Question 23Scripture (Old and New Testament)

Which New Testament passage is the principal scriptural basis for the Orthodox veneration of the Theotokos as 'blessed among women'?

  1. The annunciation and visitation in Luke 1 Correct answer.
  2. The ascension in Acts 1
  3. The wedding at Cana in John 2
  4. The transfiguration in Matthew 17

Explanation

Luke 1 records Gabriel's greeting and Elizabeth's exclamation that Mary is blessed among women, words echoed in the liturgical hymn 'More honorable than the cherubim.' The passage underlies the church's Marian veneration.

Question 24Scripture (Old and New Testament)

How do the synoptic Gospels and John differ in their chronology of the cleansing of the temple?

  1. John omits it entirely
  2. All four place it during the final week
  3. The synoptics place it near the end, while John places it early in the ministry Correct answer.
  4. Only Matthew records the event

Explanation

The synoptics place the temple cleansing during the final week in Jerusalem, while John 2 sets it early in Jesus's ministry, raising the question of whether there were two actions or a chronological arrangement by each evangelist. Orthodox exegesis has traditionally accepted the possibility of two cleansings.

Question 25Scripture (Old and New Testament)

Which Old Testament passage is most directly applied to Christ's suffering in Isaiah and used in Orthodox Holy Week services?

  1. The servant songs of Isaiah 52-53 Correct answer.
  2. The covenant renewal in Joshua 24
  3. The creation hymn of Genesis 1
  4. The wisdom poem of Proverbs 8

Explanation

Isaiah 52-53 describes the suffering servant who is wounded for transgressions and bears the sins of many, a passage read in Holy Week and applied to Christ in the New Testament. The other passages concern creation, covenant renewal, and personified wisdom.

Question 26Scripture (Old and New Testament)

In the Orthodox canonical ordering, which book follows the four Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles as the first of the apostolic letters?

  1. The First Epistle of Peter
  2. The Epistle to the Romans Correct answer.
  3. The Epistle of James
  4. The Epistle to the Hebrews

Explanation

The Orthodox New Testament orders the Pauline corpus immediately after Acts, and Romans stands first among Paul's letters because of its length and doctrinal weight. The general or catholic epistles (James, Peter, John, Jude) come after the Pauline letters, and Hebrews is traditionally placed within or at the end of the Pauline collection.

Question 27Scripture (Old and New Testament)

Psalm 109 (LXX 108), 'The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand,' is cited in the New Testament chiefly to establish which point?

  1. That the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem
  2. That Christ's priesthood and exaltation surpass those of the Levitical order Correct answer.
  3. That Elijah must precede the Messiah
  4. That the temple would be destroyed within a generation

Explanation

This royal psalm is applied to Christ's session at the right hand of God and, in Hebrews, to the argument that his priesthood differs from and exceeds the Aaronic priesthood. The New Testament use ties the psalm to exaltation and priestly mediation rather than to birthplace or eschatological timetables.

Question 28Scripture (Old and New Testament)

In the Orthodox lectionary, the reading of the Gospel of John at the Paschal (Easter) Liturgy is which passage?

  1. The raising of Lazarus
  2. The appearance to Thomas
  3. The wedding at Cana
  4. The prologue, 'In the beginning was the Word' Correct answer.

Explanation

The Paschal Liturgy opens with John 1:1-17, the prologue on the eternal Word, proclaimed in many languages to announce the resurrection as the revelation of the Word made flesh. The raising of Lazarus is read at Lazarus Saturday, and the Thomas appearance on the Sunday after Pascha.

Question 29Scripture (Old and New Testament)

When the Old Testament speaks of God 'repenting' (for example, in Genesis 6 or Jonah 3), Orthodox interpretation typically explains this language how?

  1. As an anthropomorphic expression accommodating divine condescension to human language Correct answer.
  2. As a change in God's eternal purpose brought about by human action
  3. As a reference to the repentance required of the angels
  4. As evidence that the biblical authors held inconsistent views of God

Explanation

Patristic exegesis treats such expressions as anthropomorphic condescension, in which Scripture speaks of God in human terms so that limited creatures may grasp his dealings with them. God's nature remains unchanging; the 'repentance' describes the changed relation of the creature to God, not a mutation in the divine will.

Question 30Scripture (Old and New Testament)

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus declares that he has come not to abolish the Law and the Prophets but to do what?

  1. To postpone them until the end of the age
  2. To fulfill them Correct answer.
  3. To interpret them only for Israel
  4. To replace them with a new law

Explanation

Matthew 5:17 records Jesus' statement that he came not to destroy the Law or the Prophets but to fulfill them, a key text for Orthodox teaching that the Gospel completes rather than cancels the Old Testament. The Sermon then deepens the commandments rather than setting them aside.

Question 31Dogmatic Theology and the Ecumenical Councils

Which council defined the doctrine of the Trinity by affirming that the Son is homoousios (of one essence) with the Father and by issuing a creed later expanded with the Nicene-Constantinopolitan form?

  1. The First Council of Nicaea (325) Correct answer.
  2. The Council of Ephesus (431)
  3. The Second Council of Nicaea (787)
  4. The Council of Chalcedon (451)

Explanation

The First Ecumenical Council at Nicaea in 325 addressed Arianism by confessing the Son as homoousios with the Father, producing the core of what became the Nicene Creed. The Constantinopolitan expansion of 381 later completed the article on the Holy Spirit.

Question 32Dogmatic Theology and the Ecumenical Councils

The term Theotokos, solemnly affirmed at the Council of Ephesus in 431, literally means what in relation to the Virgin Mary?

  1. Mother of all believers
  2. Ever-virgin
  3. God-bearer Correct answer.
  4. Bearer of the Creator

Explanation

Theotokos combines theos (God) and tokos (bearer or one who gives birth), so it is conventionally rendered 'God-bearer.' Ephesus defended the title against Nestorius because it safeguards the unity of the person of Christ.

Question 33Dogmatic Theology and the Ecumenical Councils

The Council of Chalcedon (451) confessed that Christ is made known in two natures. Which formula best states its definition?

  1. Two persons, one divine and one human, joined morally
  2. Two natures united without confusion, change, division, or separation Correct answer.
  3. A single divine person with a single blended will
  4. One nature of the incarnate Word, as Cyril taught

Explanation

Chalcedon taught one person, the Son, in two natures, divine and human, acknowledged 'without confusion, without change, without division, without separation.' These four adverbs guard against both monophysite blending and Nestorian separation.

Question 34Dogmatic Theology and the Ecumenical Councils

Which council is credited with the definitive condemnation of iconoclasm and the articulation of the distinction between latreia and proskynesis?

  1. The First Council of Constantinople (381)
  2. The Second Council of Nicaea (787) Correct answer.
  3. The Council of Trullo (692)
  4. The Council of Hieria (754)

Explanation

The Seventh Ecumenical Council, held at Nicaea in 787, restored the veneration of icons and distinguished the worship (latreia) owed to God alone from the veneration (proskynesis) given to images. It is the council that settled the first iconoclast controversy.

Question 35Dogmatic Theology and the Ecumenical Councils

In Orthodox dogmatics, the term perichoresis is used primarily to describe what?

  1. The procession of the Holy Spirit from the Father alone
  2. The mutual indwelling and interpenetration of the three divine persons Correct answer.
  3. The union of divine and human natures in Christ
  4. The indwelling of grace in the baptized believer

Explanation

Perichoresis denotes the mutual indwelling, interpenetration, and coinherence of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit without confusion of persons. It is a Trinitarian term, though it is sometimes analogically applied to the two natures of Christ.

Question 36Dogmatic Theology and the Ecumenical Councils

The Filioque clause added to the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed is rejected by the Orthodox Church chiefly because it alters the confession of what?

  1. The virginity of Mary
  2. The resurrection of the body
  3. The consubstantiality of the Son
  4. The procession of the Holy Spirit Correct answer.

Explanation

The Orthodox objection is that the Latin addition changes the article on the Holy Spirit's procession, making the Spirit proceed from the Father 'and the Son.' This touches the monarchy of the Father within the Trinity, a point debated at the Photian and later medieval controversies.

Question 37Dogmatic Theology and the Ecumenical Councils

The term hypostasis, as used in the Chalcedonian definition and in Orthodox Trinitarian theology, most closely means what?

  1. A mode of divine energy
  2. A council decree
  3. A general essence shared by many individuals
  4. A concrete, distinct person or subsistence Correct answer.

Explanation

Hypostasis denotes a concrete, individual subsistence or person, as distinguished from ousia, the common essence. Chalcedon confessed one hypostasis of the Son in two natures, distinguishing person from nature.

Question 38Dogmatic Theology and the Ecumenical Councils

Which early council is traditionally numbered first among the ecumenical councils and was convoked in 325 at the initiative of Emperor Constantine?

  1. The Council of Sardica (343)
  2. The First Council of Nicaea Correct answer.
  3. The Council of Antioch (341)
  4. The Council of Carthage (397)

Explanation

The Council of Nicaea in 325 is universally received as the First Ecumenical Council, summoned by Constantine to resolve the Arian controversy. It produced the original creed and twenty disciplinary canons.

Question 39Dogmatic Theology and the Ecumenical Councils

At the Council of Chalcedon, the term enhypostaton was used in the debate over how the human nature of Christ subsists. Which statement best captures the Orthodox understanding?

  1. The human nature subsists in the person of the Word, so it has no independent human hypostasis Correct answer.
  2. The human nature is absorbed into the divine nature
  3. The human nature exists only as an appearance without reality
  4. The human nature constitutes a separate human person alongside the Word

Explanation

Orthodox Christology holds that Christ's human nature is enhypostatic: it has its existence in the eternal hypostasis of the Son rather than in a separate human person. This preserves both the full reality of the humanity and the unity of the one person.

Question 40Dogmatic Theology and the Ecumenical Councils

The Third Ecumenical Council at Ephesus (431) condemned Nestorius. What was the core Christological error attributed to him?

  1. Dividing Christ into two persons so that the title Theotokos is improper Correct answer.
  2. Teaching that Christ had no human soul
  3. Claiming that the Son was created by the Father
  4. Denying the divinity of the Holy Spirit

Explanation

Nestorius resisted calling Mary Theotokos because he distinguished the man born of Mary from the divine Word, tending toward two subjects in Christ. Ephesus affirmed the unity of the person and the legitimacy of the title.

Question 41Dogmatic Theology and the Ecumenical Councils

The First Council of Constantinople (381) is especially associated with which doctrinal contribution to the creed?

  1. The condemnation of iconoclasm
  2. The definition of the two natures of Christ
  3. The addition of the Filioque
  4. The article on the Holy Spirit and the confession of the Spirit as Lord and giver of life Correct answer.

Explanation

Constantinople I expanded the creed's pneumatology, confessing the Holy Spirit as Lord, giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and is worshipped together with the Father and the Son. This answered the Pneumatomachi who denied the Spirit's divinity.

Question 42Dogmatic Theology and the Ecumenical Councils

In Orthodox Trinitarian theology, the monarchy of the Father refers to what?

  1. The Father's authority to govern the Church through councils
  2. The Father as sole cause or source of the Son's generation and the Spirit's procession Correct answer.
  3. The Father's role as judge at the last judgment
  4. The priority of the Father in the order of creation only

Explanation

The monarchy of the Father expresses that the Father is the sole cause (aitia) within the Trinity, from whom the Son is begotten and the Spirit proceeds. This principle grounds the Orthodox critique of the Filioque as introducing two causes.

Question 43Dogmatic Theology and the Ecumenical Councils

The term oikonomia, as distinguished from theologia in Orthodox dogmatics, refers to what?

  1. The administration of church property
  2. The rules governing fasting
  3. The doctrine of God in himself, apart from creation
  4. God's activity in creation, providence, and salvation history Correct answer.

Explanation

In Orthodox usage theologia concerns the doctrine of God in himself, especially the Trinity, while oikonomia denotes God's saving activity toward creation. The distinction is classically associated with the Cappadocians and Palamite synthesis.

Question 44Dogmatic Theology and the Ecumenical Councils

Which council condemned Monothelitism by teaching that Christ possesses two wills and two natural energies?

  1. The Council of Chalcedon (451)
  2. The Council of Ephesus (431)
  3. The Second Council of Nicaea (787)
  4. The Third Council of Constantinople (680-681) Correct answer.

Explanation

The Sixth Ecumenical Council at Constantinople in 680-681 condemned Monothelitism and affirmed two natural wills and energies in Christ, without opposition, in the one person. This completed the Chalcedonian logic of two natures.

Question 45Dogmatic Theology and the Ecumenical Councils

A student argues that because Christ has two natures, he must also have two acting subjects. How does Orthodox dogmatics respond?

  1. It rejects this, since the one hypostasis of the Word acts through both natures Correct answer.
  2. It holds that the divine nature alone acts and the humanity is passive
  3. It denies that Christ has a human nature at all
  4. It agrees, since each nature must have its own person

Explanation

Orthodox Christology insists on one hypostasis who acts through both natures, so that the acts are predicated of the one person. This avoids both Nestorian two-subject Christology and the monophysite suppression of the humanity.

Question 46Dogmatic Theology and the Ecumenical Councils

The doctrine of theosis, often rendered deification, is best described in Orthodox dogmatics as what?

  1. The moral imitation of Christ by human effort alone
  2. The absorption of the soul into the divine essence at death
  3. The creature's participation in the divine life through grace, without becoming God in essence Correct answer.
  4. The belief that human beings become a fourth person of the Trinity

Explanation

Theosis holds that the human person is called to participate in the divine energies and life by grace, becoming 'god by grace' while remaining creature by nature. The essence/energies distinction safeguards the Creator-creature difference.

Question 47Dogmatic Theology and the Ecumenical Councils

The Palamite distinction between the essence and energies of God was defended in the fourteenth century against which position?

  1. The claim that the Son is subordinate to the Father
  2. The claim that icons are idols
  3. The claim that the Spirit proceeds from the Father alone
  4. The claim that God is wholly unknowable and unparticipable in every respect Correct answer.

Explanation

Gregory Palamas defended the real distinction between God's unknowable essence and his participable energies against Barlaam, who held that any participation in God would compromise divine simplicity. The councils of 1341 and 1351 in Constantinople vindicated Palamas.

Question 48Dogmatic Theology and the Ecumenical Councils

Which phrase from the Chalcedonian definition most directly excludes monophysitism?

  1. 'In two natures, without confusion, without change' Correct answer.
  2. 'And was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary'
  3. 'For us men and for our salvation'
  4. 'Begotten of the Father before all ages'

Explanation

The phrase 'in two natures, without confusion, without change' expressly denies the blending or absorption of the humanity into the divinity. This is the clause that directly refutes monophysite teaching.

Question 49Dogmatic Theology and the Ecumenical Councils

The term 'ecumenical' as applied to the seven councils means what in Orthodox usage?

  1. A council held in a major city
  2. A council received by the whole Church as authoritative in faith Correct answer.
  3. A council convoked only by a bishop of Rome
  4. A council whose decrees are merely advisory

Explanation

An ecumenical council is one received by the whole Church as expressing the faith, not merely one held in a prominent location. Reception, not only convocation, is decisive in Orthodox understanding.

Question 50Dogmatic Theology and the Ecumenical Councils

The condemnation of Origenism and of the teaching that the resurrection body is not the same body was associated with which council?

  1. The Council of Ephesus (431)
  2. The Fifth Ecumenical Council (Constantinople II, 553) Correct answer.
  3. The First Council of Nicaea (325)
  4. The Council of Chalcedon (451)

Explanation

Constantinople II in 553 addressed the Three Chapters controversy and condemned certain Origenist and related propositions. It also affirmed the resurrection of the same body, opposing spiritualizing views.