The Council of Ephesus was convened in Asia Minor to settle the Nestorian controversy over whether Mary should be called Theotokos (God-bearer) or Christotokos (Christ-bearer). The council affirmed the title Theotokos, upholding the unity of Christ's two natures in one person. This decision shaped Christological orthodoxy and the development of Marian devotion in both Eastern and Western Christianity.

The title Theotokos inspired centuries of Marian poetry and hymnody, from the Greek Akathist Hymn to the medieval lyrics of Jacopone da Todi. The council's Christological definitions influenced the theological language of Christian verse, particularly in the Eastern Orthodox poetic tradition.