Ecumenical FutureBraaten, Robert W. Jenson Last year a group of sixteen theologians from various church traditions published "In One Body through the Cross, a landmark statement on the present state and future possibilities of modern ecumenism. In order to help readers understand the true depth of this document (also known as "The Princeton Proposal"), "The Ecumenical Future makes available the scholarly studies that stand behind it. According to the editors of this timely and provocative volume, "the perception is widespread that the ecumenical train is stalling or has even run off the tracks." In spite of significant gains in understanding between Catholics, Orthodox, and various Protestant denominations, the church's present divisions are nothing less than a scandal. Seen in the light of Jesus' prayer in John 17 that "all may be one," ecumenism is neither an option nor a social or political football. The fourteen essays in this book represent a focused examination of the issues that still divide and of the common ground still to be discovered. |
Contents
A Survey of Ecumenical Reflection about Unity | 1 |
The Global Structures of Ecumenism | 11 |
A Case Study | 29 |
The Debilitation of the Churches | 46 |
The Quest for Visible Unity among the Churches | 73 |
The Interrelation of the Unity We Have and the Unity We Seek | 106 |
Issues and Perspectives in Roman Catholic Ecclesiology Today | 126 |
An AnglicanEpiscopalian Perspective | 138 |
Thoughts concerning an Ecumenical Conundrum | 145 |
The Crisis of Orthodox Ecciesiotogy | 162 |
Ecumenism and the Rocky Road to Renewal | 176 |
Problems and Prospects for a Broadened Ecumenical Participation | 188 |
Speaking for the Spiritin the Time of Division | 198 |
Mission and Ecumenism in the Power of the Holy Spirit | 218 |
Contributors | 236 |
Common terms and phrases
Acts agreement Anglican Antioch apostolic Assembly authority baptism Bishop of Rome body of Christ canonical century Christian division Christian unity church unity committed common participation confessional congregation context Council of Churches cultural debilitation Delhi denominational dialogue divided churches doctrinal documents ecclesial ecclesiology ecumenical movement Eerdmans ELCA Episcopal eschatological essential unity eucharist Evangelical existence Faith and Order fellowship Florovsky forms full communion gift God's gospel Grand Rapids historical Holy Spirit human identity issues Jerusalem joint lived communion Luke Lumen gentium Lutheran Lutheran World Federation mainline menical ment Michael Root ministry mission missionary modern ecumenical Orthodox Church particular church pastoral Paul Pentecostal Peter practice problem proposal Protestant Radner reality Reformation renewal Roman Catholic Church sacraments salvation schism Schleiermacher Scripture sense share sion statement structures supersessionism theologians theological tion tradition true church understanding Unitatis redintegratio universal Ut Unum Sint Vatican visible unity vision witness World Council
Popular passages
Page 232 - John announced: how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.