Theological Anthropology at the Basis of Inter-Denominational Controversies: Dialogue within the World Council of Churches

Abstract

The article discusses moral concerns, which are a challenge for Churches and constitute principal foci of controversy. Anthropological questions underpin moral issues. The answer to the question about the source of human dignity and inherent human rights determines the response to specific matters, such as defining the beginning of human life and its inviolabil- ity, the approach to abortion, euthanasia, genetic engineering, and even disability. The crea- tion of man in God’s image and cooperation with the Creator in the development of creation results in the need for a proper setting of the world, including the establishment of a social, political, and economic order serving each man. The way to overcome the differences in the interpretation of Christian anthropology – and thus determine the moral issues – are ecumenical dialogues in which the parties seek to discover the truth. Dialogue must be made in the two dimensions simultaneously: vertical (the essence of faith) and horizontal (social and moral issues). The unity of faith determines the unity in moral issues. If dialogue is to bear fruit in the form of mutual recognition, the parties should avoid anthropological errors contained in contemporary thinking (a.o. materialism, atheistic socialism, genetic reductionism, utilitarianism, and relativism as well as the falsehood of gender ideology). The recipe for this is to return to the biblical anthropology and to a patient and humble search for the truth.