Ecumenism
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Ecumenism (
The fact that all Christians belonging to
In 1920, the Ecumenical Patriarch of the Eastern Orthodox Church, Germanus V of Constantinople, wrote a letter "addressed 'To all the Churches of Christ, wherever they may be', urging closer co-operation among separated Christians, and suggesting a 'League of Churches', parallel to the newly founded League of Nations".[9] In 1937, Christian leaders from mainstream Christian churches resolved to establish the World Council of Churches, to work for the cause of Christian unity; it today includes churches from most major traditions of Christianity as full members, including the Assyrian Church of the East, the Old Catholic Church, the Oriental Orthodox Churches, the Lutheran World Federation, the Anglican Communion, the Baptist World Alliance, the Mennonite churches, the World Methodist Council, the Moravian Church, the Pentecostal churches and the World Communion of Reformed Churches, as well as almost all jurisdictions of the Eastern Orthodox Church;[10] the Roman Catholic Church participates as an observer, sending delegates to official gatherings.[11]
Many regional councils affiliated with the World Council of Churches, such as the Middle East Council of Churches, National Council of Churches in Australia and Christian Churches Together, work for the cause of Christian unity on the domestic level, with member denominations including churches from the Oriental Orthodox, Lutheran, Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Methodist, Anglican, and Reformed traditions, among others.[12][13]
Each year, many ecumenical Christians observe the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity for the goal of ecumenism, which is coordinated by the World Council of Churches and adopted by many of its member churches.[14]
The terms ecumenism and ecumenical come from the
Purpose and goal
The term ecumenism as it is now commonly used refers to interdenominational cooperation between different
Historically, the term "ecumenism" was originally used in the context of the larger ecumenical councils organised with the support of the
Historic divisions in Christianity
Christian denominations today
Christianity has not been a monolithic faith since the
The World Council of Churches counts 348 member churches, representing more than half a billion members of the major Christian traditions.[26] This, with the Catholic Church's 1.25 billion Christians,[27] indicates that 349 churches/denominations already account for nearly 80% of the world's Christian population.
One problem with the larger numbers is that single denominations can be counted multiple times. For example, the Catholic Church is a single church, or communion, comprising 24 distinct self-governing particular churches in full communion with the bishop of Rome (the largest being the Latin Church, commonly called "Roman Catholic"). Further, the Catholic Church's presence in each country is counted as a different denomination—though this is in no way an ecclesiologically accurate definition. This can result in the one Catholic Church being counted as 242 distinct denominations, as in the World Christian Encyclopedia.[28]
Additionally, single nondenominational congregations or megachurches without denominational affiliation are effectively counted each as its own denomination, resulting in cases where entire "denominations" may account for only a handful of people. Other denominations may be very small remnants of once larger churches. The United Society of Believers in Christ's Second Appearing (Shakers) have only two full members, for example, yet are a distinct denomination.
Most current divisions are the result of historical
- The Eastern Orthodox Church, the Oriental Orthodox Churches, and the Assyrian Church of the East;
- The Catholic Church (The Catholic Church is a hierarchical religious institution of universal scope, and sees itself and proclaims itself as the one commissioned by Jesus Christ to help walk the spiritual path to God);
- Reformed Churches, Waldensian Churches, among others) and Old Catholic Churches;
- PentecostalChurches;
- Christadelphians, La Luz del Mundo, Iglesia ni Cristo etc.) (Non-Nicene Christianity)[30][31][32][33]
In the United States, the historic racial/ethnic churches are sometimes counted as a distinct family of churches, though they may otherwise fit into any one of the previous categories.[34]
Some of these families are in themselves a single communion, such as the Catholic Church. Other families are a very general movement with no universal governing authority. Protestantism, for example, includes such diverse groups as
Ancient apostolic churches
The oldest lasting schism in Christianity resulted from fifth-century disagreements on Christology, heightened by philosophical, linguistic, cultural, and political differences.
The first significant, lasting split in historic Christianity, the so-called
As part of the then-ongoing Christological controversy, following the
Great Schism
Although the Christian world as a whole did not experience any major church divisions for centuries afterward, the
The political and theological reasons for the schism are complex. Aside from the natural rivalry between the
Both West and East agreed that the patriarch of
The resulting division remains, however, providing the Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church, both of which are globally distributed bodies and no longer restricted geographically or culturally to the "West" or "East", respectively. (There exist both Eastern Rite Roman Catholicism and Western Rite Orthodoxy, for example.) There is an ongoing and fruitful Catholic-Orthodox dialogue.
Western schisms and reformations
In Western Christianity, there were a handful of geographically isolated movements that preceded in the spirit of the
The Protestant Reformation began, symbolically, with the posting of
In
The
Further reform movements within Anglicanism during the 16th through 18th centuries, with influence from the Radical Reformation, produced the
The Methodist churches, which uphold
The Old Catholic Church split from the Catholic Church in the 1870s because of the promulgation of the
The
Three approaches to Christian unity
For some
For a significant part of the Christian world, one of the highest goals to be sought is the reconciliation of the various denominations by overcoming the historical divisions within Christianity. Even where there is broad agreement upon this goal, approaches to ecumenism vary. Generally, Protestants see fulfillment of the goal of ecumenism as consisting in general agreements on teachings about central issues of faith, with mutual pastoral accountability between the diverse churches regarding the teachings of salvation.[citation needed]
For Catholics and Orthodox on the other hand, the true unity of
For the Catholic and Orthodox churches, the process of approaching one another can be described as formally split in two successive stages: the "dialogue of love" and the "dialogue of truth".
Christian ecumenism can be described in terms of the three largest divisions of Christianity: Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Protestant. While this underemphasizes the complexity of these divisions, it is a useful model.
Catholicism
The Catholic Church has always considered it a duty of the highest rank to seek full unity with estranged communions of fellow Christians and, at the same time, to reject what it sees as a false union that would mean being unfaithful to or glossing over the teaching of sacred scripture and tradition.
Before the Second Vatican Council, the main stress was laid on this second aspect, as exemplified in canon 1258 of the 1917 Code of Canon Law:
- It is illicit for the faithful to assist at or participate in any way in non-Catholic religious functions.
- For a serious reason requiring, in case of doubt, the Bishop's approval, passive or merely material presence at non-Catholic funerals, weddings and similar occasions because of holding a civil office or as a courtesy can be tolerated, provided there is no danger of perversion or scandal.
The 1983
Some elements of the Catholic perspective on ecumenism are illustrated in the following quotations from the council's decree on ecumenism,
Every renewal of the Church is essentially grounded in an increase of fidelity to her own calling. Undoubtedly this is the basis of the movement toward unity … There can be no ecumenism worthy of the name without a change of heart. For it is from renewal of the inner life of our minds, from self-denial and an unstinted love that desires of unity take their rise and develop in a mature way. We should therefore pray to the Holy Spirit for the grace to be genuinely self-denying, humble. gentle in the service of others, and to have an attitude of brotherly generosity towards them. … The words of St. John hold good about sins against unity: "If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us". So we humbly beg pardon of God and of our separated brethren, just as we forgive them that trespass against us.[46]
Christians cannot underestimate the burden of long-standing misgivings inherited from the past, and of mutual misunderstandings and prejudices. Complacency, indifference and insufficient knowledge of one another often make this situation worse. Consequently, the commitment to ecumenism must be based upon the conversion of hearts and upon prayer, which will also lead to the necessary purification of past memories. With the grace of the Holy Spirit, the Lord's disciples, inspired by love, by the power of the truth and by a sincere desire for mutual forgiveness and reconciliation, are called to re-examine together their painful past and the hurt which that past regrettably continues to provoke even today.[47]
In ecumenical dialogue, Catholic theologians standing fast by the teaching of the Church and investigating the divine mysteries with the separated brethren must proceed with love for the truth, with charity, and with humility. When comparing doctrines with one another, they should remember that in Catholic doctrine there exists a "hierarchy" of truths, since they vary in their relation to the fundamental Christian faith. Thus the way will be opened by which through fraternal rivalry all will be stirred to a deeper understanding and a clearer presentation of the unfathomable riches of Christ.[48]
The unity willed by God can be attained only by the adherence of all to the content of revealed faith in its entirety. In matters of faith, compromise is in contradiction with God who is Truth. In the Body of Christ, "the way, and the truth, and the life" (Jn 14:6), who could consider legitimate a reconciliation brought about at the expense of the truth?...Even so, doctrine needs to be presented in a way that makes it understandable to those for whom God himself intends it.[49]
When the obstacles to perfect ecclesiastical communion have been gradually overcome, all Christians will at last, in a common celebration of the Eucharist, be gathered into the one and only Church in that unity which Christ bestowed on his Church from the beginning. We believe that this unity subsists in the Catholic Church as something she can never lose, and we hope that it will continue to increase until the end of time.[50]
While some Eastern Orthodox churches commonly rebaptize converts from the Catholic Church, thereby refusing to recognize the baptism that the converts have previously received, the Catholic Church has always accepted the validity of all the sacraments administered by the Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox churches.[citation needed]
The Catholic Church likewise has very seldom applied the terms "heterodox" or "heretic" to the Eastern Orthodox churches or its members, although there are clear differences in doctrine, notably about the authority of the Pope, Purgatory, and the filioque clause. More often, the term "separated" or "schismatic" has been applied to the state of the Eastern Orthodox churches.[citation needed]
Orthodoxy
The
Many theologians of the Eastern and Oriental Orthodoxies engage in theological dialogue with each other and with some of the Western churches, though short of full communion. The Eastern Orthodox have participated in the ecumenical movement, with students active in the
Historically, the relationship between the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Anglican Communion has been congenial, with the Patriarch of Constantinople in 1922 recognising Anglican orders as valid. He wrote: "That the orthodox theologians who have scientifically examined the question have almost unanimously come to the same conclusions and have declared themselves as accepting the validity of Anglican Orders."[54] Moreover, some Eastern Orthodox bishops have assisted in the ordination of Anglican bishops; for example, in 1870, the Most Reverend Alexander Lycurgus, the Greek Orthodox Archbishop of Syra and Tinos, was one of the bishops who consecrated Henry MacKenzie as the Suffragan Bishop of Nottingham.[55][self-published source] From 1910 to 1911, the era before World War I, Raphael of Brooklyn, an Eastern Orthodox bishop, "sanctioned an interchange of ministrations with the Episcopalians in places where members of one or the other communion are without clergy of their own".[56] Bishop Raphael stated that in places "where there is no resident Orthodox Priest", an Anglican (Episcopalian) priest could administer Marriage, Holy Baptism, and the Blessed Sacrament to an Orthodox layperson.[57] In 1912, however, Bishop Raphael ended the intercommunion after becoming uncomfortable with the fact that the Anglican Communion contained different churchmanships within Her, e.g. High Church, Evangelical, etc.[58] However, after World War I, the Fellowship of Saint Alban and Saint Sergius was organized in 1927, which much like the Anglican and Eastern Churches Association worked on ecumenism between the two Churches; both of these organisations continue their task today.[59]
In accordance with the
Protestantism
Protestants are involved in a variety of ecumenical groups, working in some cases toward organic denominational unity and in other cases for cooperative purposes alone. Because of the wide spectrum of Protestant denominations and perspectives, full cooperation has been difficult at times. Edmund Schlink's Ökumenische Dogmatik (1983, 1997) proposes a way through these problems to mutual recognition and renewed church unity.
Lutheranism
The Lutheran World Federation has several ongoing dialogues with respect to ecumenism:[63]
- Lutheran-Anglican[63]
- Lutheran-Mennonite-Roman Catholic[63]
- Lutheran-Orthodox[63]
- Lutheran-Reformed[63]
- Lutheran-Roman Catholic[63]
In 1999, the representatives of Lutheran World Federation and Catholic Church signed the
On
The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) and Roman Catholic Church joint event will highlight the 50 years of continuous ecumenical dialogue between Catholics and Lutherans and the joint gifts of this collaboration. The Catholic-Lutheran commemoration of 500 years of the Reformation is structured around the themes of thanksgiving, repentance and commitment to common witness. The aim is to express the gifts of the Reformation and ask forgiveness for division perpetuated by Christians from the two traditions.[68]
An ecumenical service was presided over by Bishop Munib Younan, the president of the Lutheran World Federation, Martin Junge , the General Secretary of the LWF, as well as Pope Francis, the leader of the Catholic Church.[69] Representatives from the Anglican Communion, Baptist World Alliance, Eastern Orthodox Church, and Salvation Army also participated in the predominantly Lutheran and Roman Catholic event.[70] Pope Francis, in a joint statement with Bishop Munib A. Younan, stated that "With gratitude we acknowledge that the Reformation helped give a greater centrality to sacred Scripture in the Church's life".[71]
Susan Wood, a
The
Anglicanism
The members of the Anglican Communion have generally embraced the Ecumenical Movement, actively participating in such organizations as the World Council of Churches and the
Each member church of the Anglican Communion makes its own decisions with regard to
Full communion has been established between Provinces of the Anglican Communion and these Churches:
- Old Catholic Churches of Europe
- Philippine Independent Church
- Mar Thoma Syrian Church of Malabar
- Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
- Moravian Church in America, Northern and Southern Provinces
Full communion has been established between the Anglican Churches of Europe (
The Episcopal Church is currently engaged in dialogue with the following religious bodies:
- Churches Uniting in Christ (CUIC)
- Eastern Orthodox Church
- Catholic Church
- Presbyterian Church USA
- United Methodist Church
- Reformed Episcopal Church and the Anglican Province of America
Worldwide, an estimated forty million Anglicans belong to churches that do not participate in the Anglican Communion [
Modern ecumenical movement
One understanding of the ecumenical movement is that it came from the Catholic Church's attempts to reconcile with Christians who had become separated over theological issues.
Earlier, Nicolaus Ludwig, Count von
The founding of the
The contemporary ecumenical movement gained speed through the 1910
After World War II, which had brought much devastation to many people, the church became a source of hope to those in need. In 1948, the first meeting of the World Council of Churches took place. Despite the fact that the meeting had been postponed due to World War II, the council took place in Amsterdam with the theme of "Man's Disorder and God's Design".[74] The focus of the church and the council following the gathering was on the damage created by the Second World War. The council and the movement went forward to continue the efforts of unifying the church globally in the mission of helping all those in need, whether physical, emotional, or spiritual. The movement led to an understanding amongst the churches that, despite difference, they could join together to be an element of great change, hope, and peace in the world. More importantly, the council and the movement lead to not only wider ecumenism but to the forming of councils amongst the denominations that connected churches across continental lines.[74] Today, the World Council of Churches sees its role as sharing "the legacy of the one ecumenical movement and the responsibility to keep it alive" and acting "as a trustee for the inner coherence of the movement".[85] Some scholars, such as Antoaneta Sabău, think that "the features that ecumenism may display today could testify against the idea of a diminished interest in ecumenical matters, and rather for the fact that essential concepts of ecumenism have already become integrative parts of contemporary theologies."[86]
Contemporary developments
Catholic–Orthodox dialogue
The mutual anathemas (excommunications) of 1054, marking the Great Schism between Western (Catholic) and Eastern (Orthodox) branches of Christianity, a process spanning several centuries, were revoked in 1965 by Pope Paul VI and the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople. The Catholic Church does not regard Orthodox Christians as excommunicated, since they personally have no responsibility for the separation of their churches. In fact, Catholic rules admit the Orthodox to communion and the other sacraments in situations where the individuals are in danger of death or no Orthodox churches exist to serve the needs of their faithful. However, Orthodox churches still generally regard Roman Catholics as excluded from the sacraments and some may even not regard Catholic sacraments such as baptism and ordination as valid.[87]
In November 2006,
A major obstacle to improved relations between the Orthodox and Catholic Churches has been the insertion of the Latin term
Continuing dialogues at both international and national level continues between the Roman Catholic and Orthodox Churches. A particularly close relationship has grown up between Pope Francis and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew. Both church leaders have in particular emphasized their common concern for refugees and persecuted Christians in the Middle East. The 2016 Pan-Orthodox Council that was held in Crete aroused great expectations for advances in Church unity. However, not all Orthodox churches participated and, as a result, the Russian Patriarch refused to recognize the council as a truly ecumenical gathering. A major milestone in the growing rapprochement between the Catholic and Orthodox churches was the 12 February 2016 meeting held in Havana, Cuba between Patriarch Kirill and Pope Francis. The two church leaders issued a Joint Declaration of Pope Francis and Patriarch Kirill at the conclusion of their discussions.
Episcopal–Russian Orthodox dialogue
The decision by the U.S. Episcopal Church to ordain Gene Robinson, an openly gay, non-celibate priest who advocates same-sex blessings, as bishop led the Russian Orthodox Church to suspend its cooperation with the Episcopal Church. Likewise, when the Church of Sweden decided to bless same-sex marriages, the Russian Patriarchate severed all relations with the Church, noting that "Approving the shameful practice of same-sex marriages is a serious blow to the entire system of European spiritual and moral values influenced by Christianity."[91]
Inter-Christian
Bishop Hilarion Alfeyev commented that the inter-Christian community is "bursting at the seams". He sees the great dividing line—or "abyss"—not so much between old churches and church families as between "traditionalists" and "liberals", the latter now dominating Protestantism, and predicted that other Northern Protestant Churches will follow suit and this means that the "ecumenical ship" will sink, for with the liberalism that is materializing in European Protestant churches, there is no longer anything to talk about.[92]
Organizations such as the
The Global Christian Forum (GCF) was founded in 1998 following the proposal of the then General Secretary of the WCC, Rev. Konrad Raiser, that a new, independent space should be created where participants could meet on an equal basis to foster mutual respect and to explore and address together common concerns through a
Influenced by the ecumenical movement, the "scandal of separation" and local developments, a number of United and uniting churches have formed; there are also a range of mutual recognition strategies being practiced where formal union is not feasible. An increasing trend has been the sharing of church buildings by two or more denominations, either holding separate services or a single service with elements of all traditions.
Opposition to ecumenism
Catholics
Most Traditionalist Catholics (such as Society of Saint Pius X, Society of Saint Pius V, Congregation of Mary Immaculate Queen, Slaves of the Immaculate Heart of Mary etc.) are almost universally opposed to ecumenism with other faith groups. Critics in the Catholic church are often critical of Vatican II documents that promote ecumenism, such as Nostra aetate and Unitatis redintegratio. Catholic opponents to ecumenism often cite preceding papal documents such as Mortalium Animos (1928) by Pope Pius XI, who considered the position that the Church of Christ can be divided into sections and that the Unity of the Church has not been achieved as a false opinion. Considering these notions, Pius XI continued "[T]he Apostolic See cannot on any terms take part in [non-Catholic] assemblies, nor is it anyway lawful for Catholics either to support or to work for such enterprises; for if they do so they will be giving countenance to a false Christianity, quite alien to the one Church of Christ. Shall We suffer, what would indeed be iniquitous, the truth, and a truth divinely revealed, to be made a subject for compromise? For here there is question of defending revealed truth."[94] Many traditional-leaning Catholics often strictly interpret the teaching of Extra Ecclesiam nulla salus ("outside the Church there is no salvation"), or that salvation can only be found in the Catholic Church.[95]
In November 2015 Pope Francis stirred controversy among Catholics when he addressed a gathering of Lutherans in Rome regarding the issue of inter-communion. Addressing the issue of a whether a Lutheran woman married to a Catholic man and attended mass together could receive communion together, Francis said that while he could not give permission for her to receive communion, if she would pray about it and come forward he could not deny her communion. Cardinal Robert Sarah and Bishop Athanasius Schneider reacted to the pope's comments saying it would almost never be acceptable for a non-Catholic to receive communion.[96] On the matter of inter-communion Sarah said "Inter-communion is not permitted between Catholics and non-Catholics. You must confess the Catholic Faith. A non-Catholic cannot receive Communion. That is very, very clear. It's not a matter of following your conscience."[96]
In early 2019 Barry C. Knestout, the 13th bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Richmond, gave permission to the Episcopal Diocese of Southern Virginia to ordain Susan B. Haynes as the new bishop at St. Bede Catholic Church in Williamsburg, Virginia. The Episcopal Diocese of Southern Virginia does not have a cathedral and usually rotates where it hosts ordinations and other events.[97] However the announcement was met with opposition by many Catholics who objected to holding a non-Catholic worship service and women's bishop ordination in a Catholic church. Over 3,000 people signed an internet petition objecting to the event. On 17 January the Episcopal Diocese of Southern Virginia announced it would no longer hold Haynes' ordination at St. Bede.[98]
Lutherans
Most churches following the doctrine of
Reformed Christians
When the
Anglicans/Episcopalians
William David Walker, who was the first bishop of North Dakota (1883–1896), and Western New York (1897–1917), was strongly opposed to dialogue with other denominations.[103] In his address to the 1914 Convention of the Diocese of Western New York, Walker said that "in my opinion while divided Christendom remains, separated sects are better apart—each peaceably working out its own salvation."[104]
Methodists
There are some members of the United Methodist Church who oppose ecumenical efforts which are "not grounded in the doctrines of the Church" due to concerns over theological compromise.[105] For example, an article published in Catalyst Online: Contemporary Evangelical Perspectives for United Methodist Seminarians stated that false ecumenism might result in the "blurring of theological and confessional differences in the interests of unity".[106]
The
1. The church warns all its members that the doctrine of "eternal security" ("once in grace, always in grace," the absolute final perseverance of the saints,) is not in accord with the teachings of the Scriptures. The Word of God plainly teaches the possibility of apostasy and eternal damnation. The scriptural references, as alleged proofs favoring this doctrine, may be showing to rest upon an assumption in each case that the Word of God will not substance. Therefore, all our people should exercise extreme caution in regard to the "eternal security" movement, whose teachings have been such a detriment to true Scriptural holiness and productive of lives of "sinning religion" in many; especially should they guard against financial support to the same.
2. We further warn against the modern "unknown tongues" and "commercialized healing" movements. We believe that the Holy Ghost distributes His gifts, "dividing to every man severally as He will," for the purpose of edification; and that it is perilous to teach that any one manifestation of the Spirit is necessary to, or an invariable accompaniment of, any work of divine grace. None of our people should support or affiliate with these movements, for their teachings also have done untold damage to the spread of genuine holiness throughout the world.[107]
Eastern Orthodox Christians
Practically, "the whole of Eastern Orthodoxy holds membership in the World Council of Churches".[108] Ecumenical Patriarch Germanus V of Constantinople's 1920 letter '"To all the Churches of Christ, wherever they may be', urging closer co-operation among separated Christians, and suggesting a 'League of Churches', parallel to the newly founded League of Nations" was an inspiration for the founding of the World Council of Churches. As such "Constantinople, along with several of the other Orthodox Churches, was represented at the Faith and Order Conferences at Lausanne in 1927 and at Edinburgh in 1937. The Ecumenical Patriarchate also participated in the first Assembly of the WCC at Amsterdam in 1948, and has been a consistent supporter of the work of the WCC ever since."[9]
Many Orthodox Christians support the cause of ecumenism as espoused by the Patriarch of Constantinople and their autocephalous Churches.[109]
However, some of the Eastern Orthodox laity vehemently oppose ecumenism with other Christian denominations. Such people view ecumenism, as well as interfaith dialogue, as potentially pernicious to Eastern Orthodox Church tradition—as a "weakening" of Eastern Orthodoxy itself.
Fr. Timothy Evangelinidis of the Orthodox Research Institute notes, "Orthodoxy also sees itself in a fragile position within the Ecumenical Movement. It is neither completely at home within ecumenism, nor is closed to other Christian groups wishing to dialogue with it."
Seventh-day Adventism
Some
Ecumenical organizations
Political parties
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Ecumenical symbols
Ecumenical symbol
The ecumenical symbol pre-dates the World Council of Churches (WCC), formed in 1948, but is incorporated into the official logo of the WCC and many other ecumenical organizations.
The church is portrayed as a boat afloat on the sea of the world with the mast in the form of a cross. These early Christian symbols of the church embody faith and unity and carry the message of the ecumenical movement.... The symbol of the boat has its origins in the gospel story of the calling of the disciples by Jesus and the stilling of the storm on Lake Galilee.[134]
Christian flag
Although originating in the Wesleyan tradition, and most popular among mainline and evangelical Protestant churches, the "Christian Flag" stands for no creed or denomination, but for Christianity. With regard to the Christian symbolism of the flag:
The ground is white, representing peace, purity and innocence. In the upper corner is a blue square, the color of the unclouded sky, emblematic of heaven, the home of the Christian; also a symbol of faith and trust. in the center of the blue is the cross, the ensign and chosen symbol of Christianity: the cross is red, typical of Christ's blood.[135]
An ecumenical Christian organization, the Federal Council of Churches (now succeeded by the National Council of Churches and Christian Churches Together), adopted the flag on 23 January 1942.[136]
Erroneous conflation of ecumenism with interfaith dialogue
While ecumenism refers to cooperation or efforts towards unity among
See also
- Gamaliel's principle
- Inclusivism
- Invisible church
- Irenicism
- One true church
- One true faith
- Postdenominationalism
- Religious pluralism
- Rimé movement
- Sectarianism
References
- ^ "Logo". World Council of Churches. Retrieved 6 August 2016.
- ^ "What are Ecumenical Relations?". Ecumenical and Inter-religious Affairs. Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
Ecumenical relations, also known as ecumenism, are the effort to seek Christian unity by cultivating meaningful relationships and understanding by and between the many different Christian churches and Christian Communities.
- ISBN 978-3-86309-254-2.
Ecumenism "is a movement towards the recovery of the unity of all believers in Christ, transcending differences of creed, ritual and policy, as well as interdenominational cooperation" (Getui 1997:91).
- ISBN 978-0-8054-6580-8.
- ^ ISBN 978-90-04-39780-4.foundation of Spiritual Ecumenism affirms that ecumenism is not our idea or goal, but rather Christ's will and prayer for us. Moreover, Christian unity already exists to some extent among all baptised Christians because of their relationship with Christ. Only through Christ is ecumenism possible. Kasper explains that Spiritual Ecumenism's fundamental Christological basis means that any ecumenical spirituality "will also be a sacramental spirituality." Baptism is "therefore a basic element of ecumenical spirituality."
Baptism into Christ unites all Christians, despite their divisions. It is relationship with Christ through baptism, which enables relationship with other Christians. According to Congar, "on the basis of the baptism which incorporates us into Christ and the Word which is our Christian norm, [ecumenism's] aim is to carry out the will and the prayer of Christ, which is that his disciples should be united." The Christological
- ^ a b "Becoming a Christian: The Ecumenical Implications of Our Common Baptism". World Council of Churches. 24 January 1997. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
- ^ John 17:20–23
- ^ ISBN 978-0-8028-0391-7.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-14-014656-1.
From the beginning of the twentieth century the Ecumenical Patriarchate has shown a special concern for Christian reconciliation. At his accession in 1902, Patriarch Joachim III sent an encyclical letter to all the autocephalous Orthodox Churches, asking in particular for their opinion on relations with other Christian bodies. In January 1920 the Ecumenical Patriarchate followed this up with a bold and prophetic letter addressed 'To all the Churches of Christ, wherever they may be', urging closer co-operation among separated Christians, and suggesting a 'League of Churches', parallel to the newly founded League of Nations. Many of the ideas in this letter anticipate subsequent developments in the WCC. Constantinople, along with several of the other Orthodox Churches, was represented at the Faith and Order Conferences at Lausanne in 1927 and at Edinburgh in 1937. The Ecumenical Patriarchate also participated in the first Assembly of the WCC at Amsterdam in 1948, and has been a consistent supporter of the work of the WCC ever since.
- ^ "Member list — World Council of Churches". oikoumene.org. 2014. Retrieved 12 November 2014.
- ISBN 978-1-62189-277-9.
Since its creation, it has also established a cordial cooperation with the World Council of Churches and regularly names Catholic observers at various ecumenical gatherings and invites observers of "fraternal delegates" of other churches or ecclesial communities to major events of the Catholic Church. The PCPCU publishes a journal called Information Service four times a year, in English and French. The WCC is the broadest and most inclusive among the many organized expressions of the modern ecumenical movement. It brings together 349 churches, denominations and church fellowships in more than 100 countries and territories throughout the world, representing over 560 million Christians and including most of the world's Orthodox churches, scores of Anglican, Baptist, Lutheran, Methodist and Reformed churches, as well as many United and Independent churches. ... It describes itself as a fellowship of churches which confess the Lord Jesus Chrsit as God and Savior according to the Scriptures and therefore seek to fulfill together their common calling to the glory of the one God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, with the goal of visible unity in one faith and one Eucharistic fellowship, expressed in worship and in common life in Christ.
- ^ "Churches". Middle East Council of Churches. Retrieved 9 October 2020.
- ^ "Member Churches". National Council of Churches in Australia. Retrieved 9 October 2020.
- ISBN 978-0-8146-8447-4.
The observance was renamed Universal Week of Prayer for Christian Unity in 1935. With the founding of the World Council of Churches in 1948 it became more universally adopted by the different denominations around the world, even as the dates of the observance may differ.
- ^ "ecumenical". Dictionary.com Unabridged (Online). n.d.
- ISBN 978-0-8091-3925-5.
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- ^ a b c d Tiegreen, Chris (28 March 2011). At His Feet. pp. 24–25, 34.
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- ^ "Global Christianity: A Report on the Size and Distribution of the World's Christian Population" (PDF). Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life. December 2011. Retrieved February 21, 2019 – via International Center for Law and Religion Studies.
- ^ "WCC Member Churches". World Council of Churches. January 2018.
- ^ "World Mission Day: Catholic Church Statistics 2015". Official Vatican News Network.
- ^ "The Facts and Stats on '33,000. Denominations'". Evangelical Catholic Apologetics.
- ISBN 978-1-107-13660-1.
Contemporary Quakers worldwide are predominately evangelical and are often referred to as the Friends Church.
- ISBN 978-1-7252-6010-8.
From this nexus at Albury Park would eventually emerge the openly-restorationist Catholic Apostolic Church, in which both Drummond and London Scots preacher, Edward Irving (1792-1834), would figure prominently. Significant for the purposes of this discussion is the fact that the Catholic Apostolic Church would distinguish itself not only for its bold claim to exercise the charismata of the Apostolic age, but also for its lavish liturgies borrowed from the pre-Reformation church, both East and West.
- ISBN 978-1-4982-3145-9.
The Second Great Awakening (1790-1840) spurred a renewed interest in primitive Christianity. What is known as the Restoration Movement of the nineteenth century gave birth to an array of groups: Mormons (The Latter Day Saint Movement), the Churches of Christ, Adventists, and Jehovah's Witnesses. Though these groups demonstrate a breathtaking diversity on the continuum of Christianity they share an intense restorationist impulse. Picasso and Stravinsky reflect a primitivism that came to the fore around the turn of the twentieth century that more broadly has been characterized as a "retreat from the industrialized world."
- ISBN 978-0-8308-2755-8.
- ISBN 978-1-351-90583-1.
However, Swedenborg claimed to receive visions and revelations of heavenly things and a 'New Church', and the new church which was founded upon his writings was a Restorationist Church. The three nineteenth-century churches are all examples of Restorationist Churches, which believed they were refounding the Apostolic Church, and preparing for the Second Coming of Christ.
- ^ "Organizational Plan". Christian Churches Together in the U.S.A.
- ^ Chapman, J. (1911). "Monophysites and Monophysitism". in The Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. Retrieved June 4, 2009
- ^ Anglican and Episcopal History. Historical Society of the Episcopal Church. 2003. p. 15.
Others had made similar observations, Patrick McGrath commenting that the Church of England was not a middle way between Roman Catholic and Protestant, but "between different forms of Protestantism," and William Monter describing the Church of England as "a unique style of Protestantism, a via media between the Reformed and Lutheran traditions." MacCulloch has described Cranmer as seeking a middle way between Zurich and Wittenberg but elsewhere remarks that the Church of England was "nearer Zurich and Geneva than Wittenberg."
- ^ "Bruderhof – Fellowship for Intentional Community". Fellowship for Intentional Community. Retrieved 2018-01-17.
- ^ Balmer 2004, pp. vii–viii.
- ^ Noll 2004, p. 45.
- ^ "A Quickness of the Spirit". Catholic Charismatic Renewal.
- ^ Edmund Schlink, Ökumenische Dogmatik (1983), pp. 694–701; also his "Report," Dialog 1963, 2:4, 328.
- ^ Edmund Schlink, Ökumenische Dogmatik (1983), pp. 707–08; also Skibbe, A Quiet Reformer 1999, 122–24; Schlink, The Vision of the Pope 2001.
- ^ “A Church in Dialogue: Towards the Restoration of Unity Among Christians” (The Episcopal Commission for Christian Unity, Religious Relations with the Jews, and Interfaith Dialogue of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, 2014), 9, 11. Online at http://www.cccb.ca/site/images/stories/pdf/A_Church_in_Dialogue_long_version_EN.PDF.
- ^ "Directory For The Application Of Principles And Norms On Ecumenism". Archived from the original on 2008-10-08. Retrieved 2006-09-27.
- ^ Encyclical Ad Petri cathedram
- ^ Unitatis Redintegratio 6–7
- ^ Encyclical Ut unum sint, 2
- Unitatis Redintegratio, 11 [1]
- ^ Encyclical Ut unum sint, 18–19
- Unitatis Redintegratio, 4 [2]
- ^ "Orthodox churches (Eastern)". oikoumene.org. Retrieved 2014-02-11.
- ^ "Orthodox churches (Oriental)". oikoumene.org. Retrieved 2014-02-11.
- ISBN 978-0-14-014656-1.
- ^ The Ecumenical Patriarch on Anglican Orders Archived January 25, 2002, at the Wayback Machine
- ISBN 978-1-60034-517-3.
In 1870, the Greek Orthodox Archbishop of Syra and Tinos, the Most Reverend Alexander Lycurgus, paid a visit to the British Isles. During his time in England, Archbishop Lycurgus was invited by the Lord Bishop of London, John Jackson, to join with him in consecrating Henry MacKenzie as the Suffragan Bishop of Nottingham. Archbishop Lycurgus agreed to assist, and on 2 February 1870, he joined in the laying on of hands with the Bishop of London at the consecration of Bishop MacKenzie. Thus the Apostolic Succession in the Greek Orthodox Church was passed on to the Bishops of the Anglican Communion, and through them to the Christian Episcopal Churches in the United States of America and the Dominion of Canada.
- ^ Herbermann, Charles (1912). The Catholic Encyclopedia: An International Work of Reference on the Constitution, Doctrine, Discipline, and History of the Catholic Church. Robert Appleton. p. 149.
This A.E.O.C.U. is particularly active in the United States, where the existence side by side of Westerns and Easterns offers special facilities for mutual intercourse. It is due mainly to its instances that the orthodox Bishop Raphael of Brooklyn recently sanctioned an interchange of ministrations with the Episcopalians in places where members of one or the other communion are without clergy of their own-a practice which, as coming from the Orthodox side, seemed strange, but was presumably justified by the "principle of economy" which some Orthodox theologians unaccountably advocate (see Reunion Magazine, Sept., 1910).
- ^ Journal of the Proceedings of the One Hundred and Ninth Annual Convention of the Protestant Episcopal Church. The Rumford Press. 1910. p. 411. Retrieved 15 April 2014.
Inasmuch as there is a variance between your and our Churches in these matters, I suggest that, before any marriage Service is performed for Syrians desiring the services of the Protestant Episcopal Clergy, where there is no Orthodox Priest, that the Syrians shall first procure a license from me, their Bishop, giving them permission, and that, where there is a resident Orthodox Priest, that, the Episcopal Clergy may advise them to have such Service performed by him. Again, in the case of Holy Baptism, that, where there is no resident Orthodox Priest, that the Orthodox law in reference to the administration of the Sacrament be observed, namely immersion three times, with the advice to the parents and witnesses that, as soon as possible, the child shall be taken to an Orthodox Priest to receive Chrismation, which is absolutely binding according to the Law of the Orthodox Church. Furthermore, when an Orthodox Layman is dying, if he confesses his sins, and professes that he is dying in the full communion of the Orthodox Faith, as expressed in the Orthodox version of the Nicene Creed, and the other requirements of the said Church, and desires the Blessed Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ, at the hands of an Episcopal Clergyman, permission is hereby given to administer to him this Blessed Sacrament, and to be buried according to the Rites and Ceremonies of the Episcopal Church. But, it is recommended that, if an Orthodox Service Book can be procured, that the Sacraments and Rites be performed as set forth in that Book. And now I pray God that He may hasten the time when the Spiritual Heads of the National Churches, of both yours and ours, may take our places in cementing the Union between the Anglican and Orthodox Churches, which we have so humbly begun; then there will be no need of suggestions, such as I have made, as to how, or by whom, Services shall be performed; and, instead of praying that we "all may be one" we shall known that we are one in Christ's Love and Faith. Raphael, Bishop of Brooklyn.
- ^ Herbermann, Charles (1912). The Catholic Encyclopedia: An International Work of Reference on the Constitution, Doctrine, Discipline, and History of the Catholic Church. Robert Appleton. p. 149.
This A.E.O.C.U. is particularly active in the United States, where the existence side by side of Westerns and Easterns offers special facilities for mutual intercourse. It is due mainly to its instances that the orthodox Bishop Raphael of Brooklyn recently sanctioned an interchange of ministrations with the Episcopalians in places where members of one or the other communion are without clergy of their own-a practice which, as coming from the Orthodox side, seemed strange, but was presumably justified by the "principle of economy" which some Orthodox theologians unaccountably advocate (see Reunion Magazine, Sept., 1910), The concordat did not, however last very long' Bishop Raphael seems not to have understood, at first, the motley character of the Episcopalian communion, but having come to realize it, quickly revoked his concession (Russian Orthodox American Messenger, 28 Feb., 1912).
- ^ Church Quarterly Review. London: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge. January–March 1964.
In 1927, the "Fellowship of St Alban and St Sergius" was founded, becoming, like the "Anglican and Eastern Church Association", one of the chief focal points of these contacts.
- ISBN 978-1-4128-3298-4.
Seminaries were closed, churches turned into museums or centers for atheist propaganda, the clergy rigidly controlled, the bishops appointed by the state.
- ^ Gerhard Simon (1974). Church, State, and Opposition in the U.S.S.R. University of California Press.
On the other hand the Communist Party has never made any secret of the fact, either before or after 1917, that it regards 'militant atheism' as an integral part of its ideology and will regard 'religion as by no means a private matter'. It therefore uses 'the means of ideological influence to educate people in the spirit of scientific materialism and to overcome religious prejudices..' Thus it is the goal of the C.P.S.U. and thereby also of the Soviet state, for which it is after all the 'guiding cell', gradually to liquidate the religious communities.
- ^ Rev. Thomas Hoffmann; William Alex Pridemore. "Esau's Birthright and Jacob's Pottage: A Brief Look at Orthodox-Methodist Ecumenism in Twentieth-Century Russia" (PDF). Demokratizatsiya. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 September 2011. Retrieved 19 October 2009.
The Methodists continued their ecumenical commitments, now with the OC. This involved a continuance of financial assistance from European and American resources, enough to reopen two OC seminaries in Russia (where all had been previously closed). OC leaders wrote in two unsolicited statements: The services rendered... by the American Methodists and other Christian friends will go down in history of the Orthodox Church as one of its brightest pages in that dark and trying time of the church.... Our Church will never forget the Samaritan service which... your whole Church unselfishly rendered us. May this be the beginning of closer friendship for our churches and nations. (as quoted in Malone 1995, 50–51)
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ a b c d e f "Ecumenical Relations". Lutheran World Federation. 2020. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
- ^ "News Archives". UMC.org. July 20, 2006. Retrieved 10 October 2013.
- ^ "CNS Story: Methodists adopt Catholic-Lutheran declaration on justification". Catholicnews.com. July 24, 2006. Archived from the original on July 25, 2006. Retrieved 10 October 2013.
- ^ Heneghan, Tom. “Reformed Churches Endorse Catholic-Lutheran Accord on Key Reformation Dispute.” Religion News Service (6 July 2017).
- ^ MacKinnon, Angus (25 January 2016). "500 years after reformation, Pope knocks on Lutherans' door". Yahoo News. Archived from the original on 23 February 2017. Retrieved 22 February 2017.
Pope Francis will celebrate the 500th anniversary of the Reformation by attending an ecumenical service in Sweden as a guest of the Lutheran Church, the Vatican said Monday. In a highly symbolic act of reconciliation that would even recently have been unthinkable for a Catholic pontiff, Francis will visit the Swedish city of Lund on 31 October for a commemoration jointly organised by his own inter-faith agency and the Lutheran World Federation (LWF).
- ^ a b "Preparations to commemorate 500 years since the Reformation". Holy See Press Office. 1 June 2016. Retrieved 22 February 2017.
- ^ "Pope Francis to travel to Sweden for joint Reformation commemoration". Vatican Radio. 26 January 2016. Retrieved 22 February 2017.
- ^ Agnew, Paddy (25 January 2016). "Pope to attend ceremony marking 500 years since Reformation". The Irish Times. Retrieved 22 February 2017.
- ^ Anderson, Christina (31 October 2016). "Pope Francis, in Sweden, Urges Catholic-Lutheran Reconciliation". The New York Times. Retrieved 22 February 2017.
- ^ America Magazine. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
- ISBN 978-0-8028-4023-3.
- ^ a b c Howard C. Kee et al., Christianity: a Social and Cultural History, 2nd ed. (Upper Saddle River, NJ.: Prentice Hall, 1998), 379–81.
- ^ Latourette, Kenneth Scott. "Ecumenical Bearings of the Missionary Movement and the International Missionary Council." In "A History of the Ecumenical Movement 1517–1948", edited by Ruth Rouse and Stephen Charles Neill, 353–73, 401–02. Geneva: World Council of Churches, 1954.
- ^ Grdzelidze, Tamara. "Ecumenism, Orthodoxy and" In "The Encyclopedia of Eastern Orthodox Christianity", edited by John Anthony McGuckin, 208–15. Wiley Blackwell, 2011.
- ^ Martin I. Klauber, Scott M. Manetsch, Erwin W. Lutzer, The Great Commission: Evangelicals and the History of World Missions, B&H Publishing Group, USA, 2008, p. 54
- ^ Frank Leslie Cross, Elizabeth A. Livingstone, The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church, Oxford University Press, UK, 2005, p. 582
- ^ Donald F. Durnbaugh, The Believers' Church: The History and Character of Radical Protestantism, Wipf and Stock Publishers, USA, 2003, p. 293
- ^ Donald M. Lewis, Richard V. Pierard, Global Evangelicalism: Theology, History & Culture in Regional Perspective, InterVarsity Press, USA, 2014, p. 267
- ^ Ed Hindson, Dan Mitchell, The Popular Encyclopedia of Church History, Harvest House Publishers, USA, 2013, p. 141
- ^ The New American Church Monthly, Volume 20, Issue 3. Temple Publishing Corporation. 1926. p. 252.
The Lutheran, Anglican, and Oriental free Catholicism seem to have been in the lead and given the tone at Stockholm. Yet all Christian bodies were" united there, on the basis of Christian life and work.
- ^ "Nathan Söderblom, Nobel Prize Winner". /www.nobelprize.org. Retrieved 1 February 2015.
- ^ "nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1930/soderblom-facts". www.nobelprize.org. Retrieved 1 February 2015.
- ^ "The WCC and the ecumenical movement". oikoumene.org. Retrieved 2014-02-11.
- S2CID 219168150.
- ^ Metropolitan Philaret (December 1965). "A Protest to Patriarch Athenagoras: On the Lifting of the Anathemas of 1054". Orthodox Christian Information Center.
- ^ "Cathecism of the Catholic Church, 247". Vatican.va. Retrieved 2013-04-25.
- ^ "Dominus Iesus". Vatican.va. Archived from the original on 2013-04-11. Retrieved 2013-04-25.
- ^ "Article 1 of the Treaty of Brest". Ewtn.com. Retrieved 2013-04-25.
- ^ Russian Orthodox Church condemns Lutheran gay weddings Archived 2011-06-06 at the Wayback Machine Pravda, 30 December 2005. Accessed 24 March 2009.
- ^ Bishop Hilarion Alfeyev: Will the Ecumenical Ship Sink? The Official Website of the Synod of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia. Accessed 24 March 2009.
- ISSN 2231-5233(Bangalore: CFCC, August 2011), p. 36
- ^ Mortalium Animos, Pius XI. http://www.papalencyclicals.net/pius11/p11morta.htm
- ^ Fisher, Damian. "NH-based 'only Catholics go to heaven' group sanctioned by Church; aspiring nun allegedly held against her will", New Hampshire Union Leader, January 8, 2019
- ^ a b Montagna, Diane (November 30, 2015). "Cardinal Sarah, Bishop Schneider Respond to Pope's Comment on Intercommunion". Aleteia. Retrieved November 20, 2019.
- ^ Rousselle, Christine (January 15, 2020). "'An act of charity': Virginia bishop defends parish hosting Episcopalian consecration". Catholic News Agency. Retrieved January 17, 2020.
- Catholic World Report. January 17, 2020. Retrieved January 17, 2020.
- ^ "A Brief Statement of the Doctrinal Position of the Missouri Synod" (PDF). Concordia Publishing House. 2009. Retrieved 7 February 2013.
- ^ "Pastor apologizes for role in prayer vigil after Connecticut massacre". Reuters. 2013. Archived from the original on February 8, 2013. Retrieved 7 February 2013.
- ^ "Document on Interfaith Cooperation Causes Rift : Dispute: Unofficial paper drawn up between evangelicals and Catholics draws criticism from Protestants who say it undermines basic tenets". Los Angeles Times. March 4, 1995. Retrieved July 5, 2020.
- Grace to You.
- ^ Review of G. Sherman Burrows The Diocese of Western New York, 1897–1931 by E. Clowes Chorley in the Historical Magazine of the Protestant Episcopal Church Vol. 5, No. 1 (March 1936), 71.
- ^ Journal of the Proceedings of the Annual Convention of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the Diocese of Western New York, Volumes 77–79 (The Diocese, 1914), 63.
- ^ William J. Abraham (2012). "United Methodist Evangelicals and Ecumenism" (PDF). Southern Methodist University. Retrieved 11 November 2012.
- ^ Randall Balmer (1998). "The Future of American Protestantism". Catalyst Online: Contemporary Evangelical Perspectives for United Methodist Seminarians. Archived from the original on April 15, 2012. Retrieved 11 November 2012.
- ^ a b Discipline of the Evangelical Wesleyan Church. Evangelical Wesleyan Church. 2015. p. 62-63.
- ISBN 978-1-60608-910-1.
With the exception of the Orthodox Church of Albania the whole of Eastern Orthodoxy holds membership in the World Council of Churches.
- ^ Demacopoulos, George (2016-03-22). "Innovation in the Guise of Tradition". Public Orthodoxy. Retrieved 2022-06-17.
- ^ Patrick Barnes. "Ecumenism Awareness Introduction". Orthodox Christian Information Center. Retrieved 2008-12-30.
- ^ The Theological Committee of the Sacred Community of Mount Athos (2007-02-18). "Memorandum on the Participation of the Orthodox Church in the World Council of Churches". orthodoxinfo.com. Retrieved 2008-11-01.
- ^ "Conclusions of the Inter-Orthodox Theological Conference "Ecumenism: Origins Expectations Disenchantment"". orthodox.info. Retrieved 2008-11-03.
- ^ "The Vatican's secretary of state visits Moscow for the first time in 19 years". The Economist. 25 August 2017. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
- ^ Evangelinidis, Timothy (2017). "Orthodox Research Institute". Orthodox Research Institute. Retrieved 2022-06-17.
- ^ "Holy Synod - Encyclicals - On Christian Unity and Ecumenism". www.oca.org. Retrieved 2022-06-17.
- ^ Rausch, Thomas P. (2019-05-14). "Will a New Gathering of Orthodox Scholars and Leaders Push Ecumenism Forward?". America Magazine: The Jesuit Review. Retrieved 2022-06-17. | quote = In spite of the fact that a number of Orthodox churches took part in the founding of the World Council of Churches at Amsterdam in 1948, there remains a strong anti-ecumenical spirit among many in the laity and monastic communities.
- ^ "The Orthodox Church and the Ecumenical Movement". Orthodoxinfo.com. Retrieved 2022-06-17.
Some groups within the Orthodox Church even "wall themselves off" from those segments of the Church which dabble with the Ecumenical Movement. Even certain monastic communities struggle with their hierarchy over this very same issue.
- ^ Tseleggides, Demetrios. "Elder Ephraim of Katounakia: Ecumenism is Dominated by Unclean Spirits". Impantokratoros Monastery.
- ^ "Blessed Elder Paisios the Athonite's Private Letter Concerning Ecumenism". Orthodoxinfo.com. Retrieved 2022-06-17.
- ^ "The First Sorrowful Epistle of Metropolitan Philaret". Orthodoxinfo.com. Retrieved 2022-06-17.
- ^ "Ecumenism". Orthodox Witness. Retrieved 2022-06-17.
- ^
Bull, Malcolm; Lockhart, Keith (2007) [1989]. "The Politics of Liberty". Seeking a Sanctuary: Seventh-day Adventism and the American Dream (2 ed.). Bloomington, Indiana: Indiana University Press. p. 191. ISBN 9780253347640. Retrieved 7 November 2022.
[...] full involvement with the council and with the ecumenical movement it promoted would compromise Adventism's special mission [...].
- ^
Bruinsma, Reinder (1994). Seventh-day Adventist Attitudes Toward Roman Catholicism, 1844-1965. Andrews University Press. ISBN 9781883925048. Retrieved 7 November 2022.
- ISBN 978-1-4985-7012-1.
- ISBN 978-1-85109-863-7.
In 1956, the United States, changed its motto to 'In God We Trust', in large part to differentiate itself from the Soviet Union, its Cold War enemy that was widely seen as promoting atheism.
- ^ The St. Croix Review, Volume 34. Religion and Society, Incorporated. 2001. p. 22.
In 1967, Wurmbrand established Jesus to the Communist World (later Voice of the Martyrs), a bible- smuggling mission and anti-Communist organization based in California ...
- ^ Lokshina, T.; Kendall, A. (2002). Nationalism, Xenophobia and Intolerance in Contemporary Russia. Moscow Helsinki Group. p. 26.
The late 1980s — early 1990s, with the Soviet government shedding the policy of state atheism, marked a surge in the activity of religious groups and interests among broad segments of the population.
- ^ Schmidt, William E. (7 October 1991). "U.S. Evangelicals Winning Soviet Converts". The New York Times. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
- CS Monitor. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
- ISBN 978-0-85496-749-0.
A network of American evangelical organizations, including Youth with a Mission, have targeted Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union for an aggressive evangelization campaign in the 1990s.
- ISBN 9781442214309.
This is the Christian Democratic tradition and the structural pluralist concepts that underlie it. The Roman Catholic social teaching of subsidiarity and its related concepts, as well as the parallel neo-Calvinist concept of sphere sovereignty, play major roles in structural pluralist thought.
- ISBN 9780813318431.
Concurrent with this missionary movement in Africa, both Protestant and Catholic political activists helped to restore democracy to war-torn Europe and extend it overseas. Protestant political activism emerged principally in England, the Lowlands, and Scandinavia under the inspiration of both social gospel movements and neo-Calvinism. Catholic political activism emerged principally in Italy, France, and Spain under the inspiration of both Rerum Novarum and its early progeny and of neo-Thomism. Both formed political parties, which now fall under the general aegis of the Christian Democratic Party movement. Both Protestant and Catholic parties inveighed against the reductionist extremes and social failures of liberal democracies and social democracies. Liberal democracies, they believed, had sacrificed the community for the individual; social democracies had sacrificed the individual for the community. Both parties returned to a traditional Christian teaching of "social pluralism" or "subsidiarity," which stressed the dependence and participation of the individual in family, church, school, business, and other associations. Both parties stressed the responsibility of the state to respect and protect the "individual in community."
- ISBN 978-0-8028-2131-7.
European Christian Democracy after the Second World War really represented a common political front against the People's Democracies, that is, Christian Democracy was a kind of ecumenical unity achieved on the religious level against the atheism of the government in the Communist countries.
- ^ "The Ecumenical Symbol". World Council of Churches.
- ^ "Christian Flag". The Christians Advocate. 84. New York: T. Carlton & J. Porter. 7 January 1909.
Within recent years (1897) a flag has been designed which shall stand as an emblem around which all Christian nations and various denominations may rally in allegiance and devotion. This banner is called the Christian flag. It was originated by Charles C. Overton of Brooklyn, N.Y., whose first thought of it came to him while addressing a Sunday school at a rally day service. The flag is most symbolic. The ground is white, representing peace, purity and innocence. In the upper corner is a blue square, the color of the unclouded sky, emblematic of heave, the home of the Christian; also a symbol of faith and trust. in the center of the blue is the cross, the ensign and chosen symbol of Christianity: the cross is red, typical of Christ's blood. The use of the national flag in Christian churches has become almost universal throughout the world.
- ^ "Resolution". Federal Council Bulletin. 25–27. Religious Publicity Service of the Federal Council of the Churches of Christ in America. 1942.
- ^ "Ecumenism and Interfaith Dialogue". Roman Catholic Diocese of Wagga Wagga. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
Bibliography
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- Kinnamon, Michael. The Vision Of The Ecumenical Movement And How It Has Been Impoverished By Its Friends. St Louis: Chalice Press, 2003
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- Visser ’t Hooft, Willem Adolf, "Appendix I: The Word ‘Ecumenical’ – Its History and Use," in A History of the Ecumenical Movement 1517–1948, edited by Ruth Rouse and Stephen Charles Neill (Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1954), 735–740.
- Waddams, Herbert. The Church and Man's Struggle for Unity, in series and subseries, Blandford History Series: Problems of History. London: Blandford Press, 1968. xii, 268 p., b&w ill.
- Weigel, Gustave, S.J., A Catholic Primer on the Ecumenical Movement (Westminster, Maryland: Newman Press, 1957).
External links
- Ecumenism at Curlie
- The Unity of All Christians New Testament perspective