Declaration on the Way


Book Description

"The document ... is a declaration of the consensus achieved by Lutherans and Catholics on the topics of church, ministry, and eucharist as the result of ecumenical dialogue between the two communions since 1965. It is a consensus 'on the way, ' because dialogue has not yet resolved all the church-dividing differences on these topics."--Preface.




Ecumenism: A Guide for the Perplexed


Book Description

Ecumenism: A Guide for the Perplexed is a comprehensive introduction to the methods, achievements, and future prospects of the modern ecumenical movement. The authors begin the volume by charting out a serviceable definition of ecumenism, a term that has long been a source of confusion for students of theology and church history. They review the chronology of the modern ecumenical movement and highlight the major events, figures, accomplishments, and impasses. This historical survey is followed by critical examinations of three significant challenges for contemporary ecumenical theology and practice. Along the way, the authors provide commentary upon the difficulties and prospects that the ecumenical movement might anticipate as it enters this new millennium.




Hope in the Ecumenical Future


Book Description

This book offers fresh insights into the contemporary state of Ecumenism. Following the election of Pope Francis, there has been a significant thaw in ecumenical relations, and there are grounds for thinking that this will continue into the future. The twelve chapters, written both by experienced ecumenical theologians as well as younger scholars, that have been gathered together in this collection, offer one of the first detailed assessments of the impact of Francis’ papacy on ecumenical dialogue. Drawing on ecumenical methodology, as well as many practical examples and illustrations, the authors discuss the developments in culture and missiology as these affect the practice of ecumenism, particularly in response to theologies of hope as well as inter-religious dialogue and pluralism. What emerges is a clear sense of hope for the future in a rapidly changing world and even a sense of optimism that real ecumenical progress might be made.




Ecumenical Relations 1967


Book Description




Primacy in the Church from Vatican I to Vatican II


Book Description

The primacy of the bishop of Rome, the pope, as it was finally shaped in the Middle Ages and later defined by Vatican I and II has been one of the thorniest issues in the history of the Western and Eastern Churches. This issue was a primary cause of the division between the two Churches and the events that followed the schism of 1054: the sack of Constantinople by the crusaders in 1204, the appointment by Pope Innocent III of a Latin patriarch of Constantinople, and the establishment of Uniatism as a method and model of union. Always a topic in ecumenical dialogue, the issue of primacy has appeared to be an insurmountable obstacle to the realization of full unity between Roman Catholicism and the Orthodox Christianity. In this timely and comprehensive work, Maximos Vgenopoulos analyzes the response of major Orthodox thinkers to the Catholic understanding of the primary of the pope over the last two centuries, showing the strengths and weaknesses of these positions. Covering a broad range of primary and secondary sources and thinkers, Vgenopoulos approaches the issue of primacy with an open and ecumenical manner that looks forward to a way of resolving this most divisive issue between the two Churches. For the first time here the thought of Greek and Russian Orthodox theologians regarding primacy is brought together systematically and compared to demonstrate the emergence of a coherent view of primacy in accordance with the canonical principles of the Orthodox Church. In looking at crucial Greek-language sources Vgenopoulos makes a unique contribution by providing an account of the debate on primacy within the Greek Orthodox Church. Primacy in the Church from Vatican I to Vatican II is an invaluable resource on the official dialogue taking place between the Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church today. This important book will be of broad interest to historians, theologians, seminarians, and all those interested in Orthodox-Catholic relations.




Pentecostal Theology and Ecumenical Theology


Book Description

Pentecostal Theology and Ecumenical Theology: Interpretations, Intersections, and Inspirations is a collection of essays from both globally recognized and newer scholars on the complex relationship between Pentecostalism and the Ecumenical Movement.




Church-state Relations in Ecumenical Perspective


Book Description

"With one exception, these essays were delivered during the academic year 1956-66 to the graduate Seminar in Ecumenics conducted by Duquesne University (Pittsburgh) and the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary (United Presbyterian)." Includes bibliographical references. Table of Contents: Secularity and ecumenism / Daniel Callahan. -- The impact of ecumenism on Catholic church-state relations / Leonard Swidler. -- Jewish commitments in relations of church and state / Arthur Gilbert. -- Biblical concepts of community and state / John L. McKenzie, S.J. -- Moral society and immoral man / Michael Novak. -- Natural law in the teachings of St. Paul / Markus Barth. -- Natural law in the teachings of St. Thomas Aquinas / Michael Strasser. -- Natural law in the teachings of John Calvin / Arthur C. Cochrane. -- Contract and status in religion and law / Leo Pfeffer. -- Subsidiarity and the ecumenical establishment / Dean M. Kelley. -- Religion and conscience in constitutional law / Elwyn A. Smith.




The Fellowship of St Alban and St Sergius


Book Description

For centuries the Orthodox and the Anglican churches have been in dialogue; however, this association matured during the twentieth century, also known as the Age of Ecumenism, where both became members of the World Council of Churches and part of the Official Dialogue. Nevertheless, it is the work of individuals and ecumenical bodies who undertake an important role in educating people in both the West and the East. An example of such a society is the Fellowship of St Alban and St Sergius, an ecumenical body that promotes relations between various Christian denominations. This book analyses the history, theology and practice of the Fellowship. Issues such as Church relations, Orthodoxy, Anglicanism, iconography, the role of women in the Church, intercommunion and the role of Moscow within the Orthodox world are examined. As such, it will appeal to academics, theologians, hierarchs, churches and anyone interested in modern and ecumenical Theology.




The Oxford Handbook of Ecumenical Studies


Book Description

The Oxford Handbook of Ecumenical Studies is an unparalleled compendium of ecumenical history, information and reflection. With essay contributions by nearly fifty experts in their various fields, and edited by two leading international scholars, the Handbook is a major resource for all who are involved or interested in ecumenical work for reconciliation between Christians and for the unity of the Church. Its six main sections consider, respectively, the different phases of the history of the ecumenical movement from the mid-nineteenth century to the present; the ways in which leading Christian churches and traditions, Orthodox, Anglican, Methodist, Catholic, Lutheran, Reformed, Baptist, and Pentecostal, have engaged with and contributed to the movement; the achievements of ecumenical dialogue in key areas of Christian doctrine, such as Christology and ecclesiology, baptism, Eucharist and ministry, morals and mission, and the issues that remain outstanding; various ecumenical agencies and instruments, such as covenants and dialogues, the World Council of Churches, the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity and the Global Christian Forum; the progress and difficulties of ecumenism in different countries, areas and continents of the world, the UK and the USA, Africa, Asia, South America, Europe, and the Middle East, ; and finally two all-important questions are considered by scholars from various traditions: what would Christian unity look like and what is the best method for seeking it? This is a remarkably comprehensive account and assessment of one of the most outstanding features of Christian history, namely the modern ecumenical movement.