What was the Quinisext Council?

The Quinisext Council, also known as the Council of Trullo, was a regional church council held in Constantinople in 692 AD. Before this council, the Christian church had six ecumenical (church-wide) councils to discuss various theological questions. Quinisext means “fifth-sixth.” This council gave a series of 102 proclamations (called Canons) about the conclusions of the fifth and sixth church-wide councils. The Quinisext Council did not establish the church’s position on an important doctrinal question. It listed the Eastern church’s sources of authority and provided specific guidance on Christian behavior and practice.

The first official church council met at Nicaea in modern Turkey in 325 AD. The church debated the doctrine of the Trinity at Nicaea. In 381 AD, the Christian church continued discussing the Trinity at the Council of Constantinople. Two more councils followed in the fifth century AD. The Council of Ephesus (431 AD) and the Council of Chalcedon (451 AD) met to examine the connection between Jesus’ humanity and divinity. These first four church councils were well-attended by Christian leaders from all over the Roman Empire. They discussed foundational Christian doctrines.

The Council of Chalcedon divided the church in the Eastern Roman Empire over the precise connection between Jesus’ divinity and humanity. The fifth church council met in 553 AD to try to unite the Eastern church on this doctrine. In 681 AD, the church met again to try to bring the Eastern church together. The fifth and sixth church councils met in Constantinople, but they left the Christian church confused about their findings. Then a group of bishops from the Eastern church gathered at the Quinisext Council in 692 AD to clarify the church’s beliefs on a variety of issues.

The Eastern bishops met in the domed hall of the imperial palace in Constantinople. This portion of the imperial palace was called the Trullo. Thus, their meeting also became known as the Council of Trullo. The bishops did not debate important questions of doctrine at the council. Instead, they issued 102 rulings that clarified the teachings of previous councils and answered specific questions of Christian practice. For example, the council reaffirmed the Eastern church’s approval of the six church-wide councils in the history of the Christian church.

The Council of Trullo further defined the Eastern church’s sources of authority. The bishops proclaimed the importance of various regional councils for the Eastern church. The council further emphasized the teachings of various church fathers as authoritative for the Eastern church. One of the main purposes of the Council of Trullo was to clarify the Eastern church’s sources of authority among the early councils and the writings of the church fathers.

The Quinisext Council also answered various practical questions. The Eastern bishops disagreed with the Western church’s practice of requiring all clergy to remain single. In Canon 6, the Council of Trullo taught that it was lawful for people in the Eastern church to marry before they joined the clergy, but not afterward. This became an important distinction between the Eastern and Western churches. The council further defined the meaning of the Lord’s Supper and condemned corruption. Also, in Canon 91, the Council of Trullo condemned abortion and advised the penalty for murder for those who poisoned a fetus.

Many Protestants are not familiar with the Quinisext Council. The council repeated the findings of more famous councils, such as the Council of Nicaea and the Council of Chalcedon. The Council of Trullo’s importance lies in clarifying the sources of authority for the Eastern church. It also provided specific instructions on questions of Christian morality and practice. The Council of Trullo illustrated the emerging divisions between the Eastern and Western churches. They disagreed over whether members of the clergy should be married and the authority of the pope in Rome. The Quinisext Council is important for understanding which authorities the medieval church considered significant.