History of the Second Vatican Council

This article provides a historical-theological picture of the Second Vatican Council (Vatican II). By examining the main phases leading up to the council, the actual proceedings of Vatican II, and its reception, the article will highlight the main actors and debates that shaped the council’s theology. In light of the centrally defined axes that make up the four conciliar constitutions – Sacrosanctum Concilium, Dei Verbum, Lumen Gentium, and Gaudium et Spes – the development around the sacramental understanding of the church, revelation, ecclesiology, and the relationship between the church and the modern world will form a common thread in this contribution. At the same time, however, particular attention will be paid to the other theological themes debated at the council, which are reflected in the sixteen conciliar documents. In particular, the development of thinking on ecumenism, religious freedom, and the relationship to non-Christian religions will be highlighted, since these themes were not only particular points of debate at the council but would also define discussions around the post-conciliar reception – a reception that took place worldwide and was shaped by the particularities of each context, but was equally determined by the historical/theological debate surrounding the hermeneutics of Vatican II.