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The republican Christian, or the Christian republican — the devotee of a republic — lives with an apparent profound contradiction. On the one hand, the Christian charter, mandate and promise leave Christians no choice but to seek ways to realize and express oneness and unity in Christ. It is hard to avoid the explicitness of …
Continue reading “American Ecumenism: Separatism, Separation and Schism”
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Not since the year 787 has the Christian world gathered in an assembly to which the whole church, or something close to that, eventually granted the status of “ecumenical council.” In that year, the bishops of East and West gathered at the Second Council of Nicaea: a meeting which, apart from its importance for other …
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The past 20 years or so since the time of the Second Vatican Council have been a remarkable period for ecumenical breakthroughs. Not only have there been theological convergences, but mainline churches have developed a new ecumenical ethos. From church bureaucracies to the pews, mainline churches have begun to learn and practice mutual respect for …
Continue reading “Building a New Ecumenism Through Contextual Theology”
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An Opening Word The ecumenical movement, which is the movement of the people of God in the inhabited earth, is in a rapid transition to a radically new world. We are experiencing great trends that change the present world into a radically different world. And yet we do not have a definitive analytical grasp of …
Continue reading “Civil Society: Unity and Oikos (the House of God)”
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The ecumenical movement is in a period of kairos. The remainder of this decade — indeed, of this century — represents a pivotal time for Christian reconciliation. The appearance of the Baptism, Eucharist, and Ministry agreement of the World Council of Churches’ Faith and Order Commission, the theological consensus statement of the Consultation on Church …
Continue reading “Covenanting: New Directions for Ecumenism”
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Dedicated to my friends and teachers of UTC, the living and those who have, sadly, passed away since my stay in 1997, with deep gratitude for their hospitality and help in cultural and intellectual bridge-building. Without them, this study would not have been possible. The plurality of Christianity in general, of theological positions in particular, …
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Cities are a vehicle through which large numbers of people come together to solve problems and create the good things of life. This coming together has a multiplier effect on human productivity. Great libraries, symphony orchestras, universities, factories, hospitals, even wonderful things like professional football teams, require an urban base. And given the urban base, …
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In 1963 a book titled Unity in Mid-Career (Macmillan) caused considerable stir in ecumenical circles. On the book’s cover the following sentence was added to the title: “Can the movement toward Christian unity survive as a living force or is it headed for premature senility?” Fourteen church leaders and theologians contributed critical essays on the …
Continue reading “Fourteen Years After ‘Unity in Mid-Career’”
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Every ecumenical venture carries with it two experiences. One is unique and particular, shaped by the character of the Christian traditions that are coming together. It is rational and quite conscious. The other experience is a vague, distant, almost unconscious discomfort that lurks beneath the surface and raises fears and insecurities in the hearts of …
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Do Protestants need the papacy? Given the recent fascination with the pontificate of John Paul II and with the election of Benedict XVI, it would seem that the papacy is on the Protestant horizon in a way that would have been unthinkable even a generation ago. This may be the result of savvy marketing, the …
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A contemporary reader of the New Testament letter we call 1 Corinthians is likely to be a little puzzled by the amount of attention it gives to whether the Corinthian Christians could cat meat that had been offered to pagan idols. Chapters 8-10 treat this question, though not in a straight line entirely free of …
Continue reading “Interfaith ‘Prayer:’ What Is It and Should We Do It?”
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The name of the Theotokos expresses the whole mystery of God’s saving dispensation. — St. John of Damascus (655-750) In the doctrine and worship of Mary there is disclosed the one heresy of the Roman Catholic Church which explains all the rest. — Karl Barth (1886-1968) It is precisely such practices that Karl Earth …
Continue reading “Protestants and Marian Devotion — What about Mary?”
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One of the questions we may rightly ask at the beginning of a new century is what is ahead for ecumenism and the ecumenical movement. What is the balance sheet in this year 2000? We are reaping the results of the dramatic changes that took place in 1989 with the end of the cold war …
Continue reading “Reimagining Ecumenism for the 21st Century”
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A bit of history is needed in order to understand the present-day ecumenical options. I shall start with the year in which my own ecumenical involvement began. Fifty-five years ago, in 1950, there was general agreement, at least in France where I was then studying, on the goal of ecumenism and how to attain it. …
