Ecumenical Dialogue Research Articles

The anthropology of the heart as a way to ecumenical dialogue

Abstract: The article describes, taking as its main starting point the encyclical Fides et ratio, the importance of the way of thinking appropriate to the culture of the Christian East in the relationship between reason and faith. The encyclical of John Paul II has many different aspects, including the not often emphasised ecumenical and dialogical aspects. The Pope, who held Eastern (Orthodox) Christianity in high esteem and appreciated the Slavic cultural code, also positively points to this method of discovering the truth. In this context, the anthropology of the heart is particularly important (metaphysics of the heart, mysticism of the heart or spirituality of the heart), which enriches and complements the Western way of thinking and of discovering anthropological and theological truth. The anthropology of the heart also appears in the West and for this reason it has an ecumenical significance which is important for the dialogue between Catholicism and Orthodoxy.

Ecclesiastical vocation of the UGCC in the light of the theological teaching of John Paul II on the unity of Christian churches

The author of the article, on the basis of the theological teaching of John Paul II on the unity of Christian Churches, reveals the subject of the ecclesiastical vocation of the UGCC in the modern era of interchurch relations of Christianity. The object of research is the theological and ecumenical works (encyclicals, epistles, speeches) of John Paul II, Pope in 1978-2000. The immediate subject of research is his theological and historical reflection on the ecclesiastical nature of the UGCC and the mission of this Eastern Catholic Church for the entire universal Church of Christ. Taking into account the above, the purpose of this study is to highlight the theological and historical views of John Paul II regarding the ecclesial mission of the UGCC in the context of modern ecumenical dialogue between the Churches of East and West. Thanks to the critical-historical method and theological analysis of the teachings of John Paul II about the beginnings of the birth of the Kievan Church, its medieval activity in the historical search for the restoration of unity between the Christian East and West, and contemporary for her perspectives of the ecumenical movement in the process of research, a theological synthesis of judgments, ideas and proposals was formed. The main conclusions of the article are: 1) the ecumenical views of John Paul II on the unity of the Catholic and Orthodox Churches remain relevant for Christians of the 21st century and are programmatic for theologians working on new ways to restore unity between East and West; 2) an assessment of past historical attempts to restore the unity of the Church, in particular the Union of Brest (1596), should be based on the then ecclesial context and illuminated as local attempts to search for the unity of the Church, thanks to which the Church received a unique practical experience in implementing the ideas of unity between East and West; 3) the UGCC, which was born as a result of the Union of Brest and today is developing as one of the Eastern Catholic Churches, is a great treasure for Christianity, because it unites Catholic and Orthodox elements in its ecclesiology; 4) in search of new forms of unity between the Eastern and Western Churches, the UGCC receives its own ecclesiastical vocation, to open to the Western Church a world of Eastern tradition and to the Eastern Church a world of Catholic tradition.

Az úrvacsorával való élés vörös fonala az ószövetségi páskától a mai gyakorlatig

Abstract. Guidelines to the Eucharistic Practice from the Passover until Nowadays. The current writing is a summarizing paper on the second sacrament of the Reformed Church, which, according to our faith, was appointed by Jesus Christ at the Last Supper. This can be even seen in the Old Testament during the events of the Exodus, namely the Passover/Pesach, which is the predecessor of the Christian communion. After a short historical overview, I outline the various beliefs about this sacrament in different denominations, namely in the Roman Catholic, Lutheran, and the Reformed Churches. After introducing these ideas, I will approach this sacrament from a practical side, which is the liturgical perception. In this part, I introduce the liturgical viewpoints of some reformers as Luther, Calvin, and Zwingli and additionally I name those practices that should be kept in nowadays’ practice of faith. In the last chapter, I explain the eschatological meaning of communion, which is a predecessor of the Messianic Feast. Keywords: Eucharist, communion, Last Supper, sacrament, ecumenical dialogue

Pastorační služba biskupa jednotě Božího lidu: Perspektivy aplikace nového ekumenického direktáře pro biskupy

Ecumenical dialogue and pastoral ministry is a pressing summons for every Bishop to a specific apostolic duty in the new context of impacting the transformation of life, communal and personal, caused by the pandemic. The search for Christian unity has continued, and has made progress. One of the fruits of this is the new document of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity: The Bishop and Christian Unity. An Ecumenical Vademecum. The Bishop’s responsibility for promoting Christian unity is not to be looked for as the fruit of our own efforts; it is first and foremost a gift of the Holy Trinity to the Church. This does not excuse, however, bishops from making every effort, beginning with prayer itself, to hasten the journey towards full unity. The first essential task is for bishops to keep ecumenical responsibility alive in four fields: spiritual ecumenism, dialogue of charity, dialogue of truth and dialogue of life. The study reflects the fundamental areas of the ecumenical work of bishops in the light of the newly issued document of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity.

Reconciliating the Relationship Between Christian Churches and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex+ People: The Letter of São Paulo as a Counter Hegemonic Discourse in Times of Religious Conservatisms

The ‘1st Congress Churches and LGBTI+ Community: ecumenical dialogues for respect for diversity’ was held between 19th and 22nd of June 2019, in the city of São Paulo. The Congress was organised by the Parish of the Holy Trinity of the Episcopal Anglican Church in Brazil and Koinonia–Ecumenical Presence in Service. As we consider this congress a historic landmark in the debates concerning religions and sexualities that escape from cisheteronormativity in Brazil, in the course of this article, we propose to analyse the social and political conjuncture that motivated the event. In a second step, we will briefly describe the structure of the event, as well as its objectives, in order to understand the assumptions that guided the construction of the Letter of São Paulo, the official and public document of the Congress, approved in plenary by the participants. We believe that the Congress and the Letter of São Paulo have political potential, as they claim the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex+ people as people of faith and denounce forms of oppression, exclusion and marginalisation reinforced by conservative and hegemonic religious discourses.

The Holy Sinful Church: Towards a More Realistic Catholic Ecclesiology

Abstract This article demonstrates that in Roman Catholic ecclesiology, it would be more justifiable and realistic to fully accept the concept of the sinfulness of the Church as a whole, not only that of its individual members. The piece begins with a short review and commentary on the doctrinal position of the Second Vatican Council (1962–1965) that provides a doctrinal basis for adopting and developing the notion of a ‘sinful Church’. Then, two contemporary activities of the Roman Catholic Church are analysed in which the notion of the ‘sinful Church’ has played an important role: the Great Jubilee act of confession, with the related explanations and commentaries, and the ecumenical dialogue with Lutherans. The final section attempts to formulate some suggestions for a more realistic Catholic ecclesiology involving a ‘relativisation’ of the Church’s salvific mission and a wider use of the Chalcedonian Christological paradigm in ecclesiology.

Denominating “Justification” and “Faith”: Catholics, Lutherans, and a North American Baptist's Response to the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification

That the Lutheran World Federation and the Pontifical Council for Unity attempted a joint declaration on the doctrine of justification is worthy of commendation. The resulting Joint Declaration constitutes some of the best contemporary efforts at ecumenical dialogue in the spirit of Christian union. This essay outlines the development of both medieval Catholic and subsequent Protestant conceptions of justification that led to disunion in the Western Church, reviews the initial points of division on the doctrine during the era of the Reformation for the purpose of grasping more fully the ecumenical feat of the JDDJ, and seeks to clarify what issues appear to remain unclear or unresolved in the document. The article also outlines the history of how Baptists in America have understood the doctrine of justification in order to consider how such Baptists might perceive the promise and potential lingering challenges or questions regarding the joint declaration.

The Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification: An Outline of its Genesis and Impact From a Baptist’s Perspective

This essay outlines the genesis and impact of the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification ( JDDJ) from a Baptist perspective. Starting with comparative studies of individual theologians from 1949 to 1980 it sketches the prehistory of the JDDJ including the results of ecumenical dialogues from 1972 to 1994. The essay then presents the origins and contents of the JDDJ from the draft version (1997) to the signing (1999), including the development and content of the “Official Common Statement.” The author includes as well the impact of JDDJ on the study on “The Biblical Foundations of the Doctrine of Justification” (2012); the Notre Dame Consultation (2019); and ecumenical dialogues on justification with Baptist participation. The author appreciates the JDDJ as the most significant result of ecumenical dialogues since the formation of the ecumenical movement and expresses his hope that the Baptist World Alliance too will assent to the consensus.

Apostolicity – The question of Continuity and Authority

This article was presented as a research paper for the Ecumenical Theology Course at the Ecumenical Institute Bossey in Switzerland. Apostolicity and the relation to the apostles and the early Christians is a big discussed topic in several ecumenical dialogues. First the article analysis the method and context of five different ecumenical dialogue documents. It goes from multilateral Faith and Order documents like “Baptism, Eucharist, Ministry” and “The Church Towards a Common Vision” over the “Porvoo Common Statement” to two Lutheran/Roman-Catholic documents. Then it identifies some characteristic dimensions of apostolicity and brings the results from the dialogues together. A reading of apostolicity as narrative of continuity and authority in relation to god and Jesus Christ occurs through the chapters. Especially in the question of ministry apostolicity plays an important and differentiated role. The article focusses in the end on the episcopal ministry and develops the differentiation of horizontal and vertical apostolic continuity. Apostolicity is described as a gift of god and becomes obviously through gods action in the ordination act. Finally, the article summarises all results, ideas and new approaches.

The mystery and the unity of the Church: Considerations from an Eastern Orthodox perspective

This article attempts an approach to discuss the mystery and the unity of the church and firstly, it underlined that the church cannot have a formal definition as the divine life extended from Christ’s resurrected body into those who believe and receive the Holy Mysteria. At the same time, the process of becoming part of the church is a mystical one. In order for life in Christ to be possible, Christ must be formed in the human being. Becoming a Christian is described in terms specific to the process of birth (cf. Gl 4:19), its end being the formation of Christ in us. Then, the theme of unity is dealt with from an Eastern Orthodox perspective, not in isolation, but in connection with the Roman Catholic, Protestant and ecumenical concerns for unity and collaboration amongst Christians. The cosmic unifying vocation of the church was accomplished because of the five syntheses realised by her Head, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Then there are references to the Theotokological aspect of the church, Holy Baptism as the bond of church unity; Holy Eucharist as the Mysterion of ecclesial unity, the ministry of the bishop for unity and the unity of Christians in the one Church.Contribution: The author, having experience in ecumenical dialogues as a former member of the Commmission on World Mission and Evangelism and, at present, of the Commission on Faith and Order of the World Council of Churches, tried to offer a balanced perspective on the sensitive theme of the unity of the Christians in the one Church, referring to some of the main relevant sources, which facilitate dialogue, mutual knowledge and collaboration.

Modern theological research: The authorship of the Byzantine anaphora of Saint Basil under investigation with the Thesaurus Linguae Graecae database

Saint Basil the Great wrote one of the most important and widely acknowledged Eucharistic texts in the Eastern Orthodox Church, a liturgical anaphora that bears his name. Before the dawn of the second millennium, this was the main Eucharistic text used in Constantinople and in the territories under its authority. In the modern time of digital media, the liturgical research methods have been improved by using the Thesaurus Linguae Graecae (TLG) database. The emergence of patristic and liturgical texts in this novel format was able to revolutionise the field of Comparative Liturgics, allowing to very quickly find the possible internal clues, which prove the basilian authorship of the anaphora bearing St. Basil’s name. By the quick and accurate computer scanning of a part of the post-Sanctus prayer, a relatively complete picture of the relatedness of vocabulary, the author’s theological and ascetical nomenclature, the recurring thought patterns, parallel passages and hapax legomena, rare terms and their frequency, is obtained.Contribution: The present article aims to demonstrate that Theology has to be connected to modern research methods because the findings of such an academic approach are helpful for the development of ecumenical and interreligious dialogue, that is so well promoted by HTS Teologiese Studies/Theological Studies.

Moral Disagreement in Anglican – Roman Catholic Relations

Abstract The belief that the Anglican and Roman Catholic churches were divided by moral disagreements came to prominence in the early 1980s and affected the direction of ecumenical dialogue. But no moral disagreements go back to the Reformation era, and the perception of moral difference has undergone many changes since that time, especially reflecting differences of social and political setting. A moral agreement or disagreement is difficult to chart with precision. It is not embodied in a formulation of moral doctrine, since moral reason functions on two planes, that of evaluative description and that of deliberation and decision. Disagreement is phenomenologically present as offence, which has its own dynamic of expansion. Addressing offence, a task involving lay, theological and episcopal contributions, is the primary way in which moral agreement has to be sought and defended.

Spiritual Synchronicity: Icon Veneration in Evangelical and Orthodox Religious Practices in the 21st Century

Much scholarship in the dialogue between evangelical and Orthodox believers focuses on doctrinal compatibility. This article contributes to that literature by giving an example of a spiritual practice (icon veneration) that creates additional space for ecumenical dialogue and unity. Some US-evangelicals in the 21st century have incorporated the use of icons into their personal faith practices. Icon veneration is ripe with ecumenical potential for evangelical–Orthodox relations because of its prominence in Orthodox communions while at the same time appealing to a growing number of evangelicals. This article considers three sites of evangelical icon use in turn: the Evangelical Baptist Church of Georgia (EBCG), Icons of Black Saints, and an evangelical ministry called “Heart of the Artist”. Each site adopts a slightly unique understanding of icons that may appeal to evangelical believers. Although Orthodox and evangelical believers may understand theologies of icon veneration differently, the emergence of icon veneration among evangelicals remains a spiritual synchronicity, and ought to be recognized as such. Evangelicals continue to receive the gift of icon veneration from their Orthodox siblings in ways in line with the EBCG, Black Orthodox icons, and Heart of the Artist, so icon veneration has potential to further resource ecumenical dialogue.

Ecumenical Convergences: Romanian Evangelicals Exploring Orthodoxy

Historically, in Romania, the relations between the Romanian Orthodox Church and the evangelical communities have been characterized by tension and mutual distrust. That is why, unfortunately, there has been no official dialogue between the two communities so far. The present article investigates the theoretical possibility for such an ecumenical dialogue to occur by analysing the contributions of several evangelical theologians who published research studies on theological topics specific to Eastern orthodox theology. Their positions were analysed from the perspective of an inclusive theology which allowed us to identify some common themes for both traditions: the authority in interpreting the Scriptures, salvation as a process, and the Church understood through the application of a perichoretic model. All these convergent themes could constitute the basis for a future official ecumenical dialogue between the evangelicals and the orthodox from Romania.

‘If I Could Just Touch the Hem of His Garment’

Abstract This article proposes an ontology and praxis of mediation for the sake of ecumenical dialog, showing that the Pentecostal theological and spiritual tradition does not necessarily deny mediation or challenge its goodness, even if it does decry clericalism and ‘ecclesio-monism’. Instead, Pentecostals hold to confidence in the freedom of God to work however and whenever is best for us, always so that ‘the means of grace’ prove to be more than mere instruments or channels of divine power.

Embodied Ecumenical Eco-spirituality: Revised Christian Attitudes Toward the Creation

ABSTRACT This article argues that what is currently perceived as an ecological turn in Christian theology is actually a re-turn to ancient beliefs going back at least one thousand years. These eco-theologies lend themselves in embodied ways to the fight against climate change. To prove its point, this essay does a literary study of selected texts by prominent theologians' and thinkers' ecologies. To establish an equity among female and male theologists, this essay has chosen two women and two men. To obtain some geographical diversity, it includes one North American, one Swede, one German, and one Latin American; two are Catholic, two are Protestant. They are brought together across space and time in an ecumenical dialogue. They are Hildegard von Bingen, Olov Hartman, Pope Francis, and Sallie McFague. Applying theatricality and performativity, in combination with Hjalmar Sundén's psychological role-playing theory and understanding of worship- and spirituality-driven identity-formation as the basis for an embodied ecumenical eco-spiritual program. At the end of the article, this program is outlined.

"Supaya Mereka Semua Menjadi Satu"

The disciples of Jesus are called to be salt and light of the world (Mat. 5:13-16). Unfortunately, it is not always easy to fulfill this vocation, because on several occasions, their energy seems to run out due to the division between them. In such a situation, Jesus’ prayer (John 17) reminds them of the importance of the unity. The prayer that appears at the end of the farewell discourse shows that the true source of the disciples' unity comes from God himself; unity cultivated in a worldly way is often very fragile. Even so, the disciples still had a duty to prove in living together that true unity. This vocation has a missionary impact, for only then will everyone see that God really lives among his people. That is what drives the Catholic Church today to build ecumenical dialogue.

Thoughts on Ecumenical Dialogue in the Digital Age

AbstractIn the time of COVID‐19, because of travel and meeting restrictions, all kinds of meetings are taking place through videoconferencing. The global experience of continuing to work while observing social distancing guidelines is slowly removing the technological, normative, and required‐knowledge resistance that during normal circumstances would have hindered the global diffusion of videoconferencing we are now seeing. Videoconferencing is a welcome tool that has provided an opportunity for creating a sense of face‐to‐face interaction during a time when physical presence is often not possible. Nevertheless, this tool can present specific challenges to interpersonal interaction. This article discusses the challenges posed by videoconferencing technology in the specific case of ecumenical dialogue. Churches engaged in ecumenical dialogue need to ask how the search for understanding and agreement can succeed in the era of digital interaction.

Is a Joint Declaration on the Church and Ministry Possible Right Now?

AbstractThis article formulates propositions that stem from the achievements of ecumenical dialogue to date between Lutheran churches and the Roman Catholic Church. These propositions form a basis for formulating a kind of a joint declaration on the church and ecclesial communities, analogous to the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification. The paper does not claim to deal with all the issues involved, but points to certain assumptions founded on the dialogue‐related documents and accompanying theological reflection. Such a declaration would formally confirm that the current state of ecumenical relations has achieved a level of understanding about the church and ministry such that the remaining differences did not hinder the mutual recognition of both confessional communities as “legitimate” churches carrying out the mission of the one church of Jesus Christ. The declaration would also be a sign of accepting the doctrinal pluralism that has been present in the church since its beginning. The article concludes by suggesting that true ecumenism demands “sacrifices” for the unity on the part of each church. It should consist of an abandonment of some elements of church life that are important for the confessional identity and draw the lines of contemporary divisions.

Practexological dimension of ecumenism and its main dialogue form

The article analyzes the elements of theoretical and methodological knowledge on the successful functioning of the ecumenical paradigm and attempts to actualize them in the context of interfaith dialogue, which would be marked by concretized productivity. A short historical digression was also made in order to consider the influence of educational philosophical and ideological tendencies on the formation of the modern ecumenical paradigm.Examples of key elements that contribute to the effectiveness of the main dialogical forms of ecumenism are given. The explication of the concept of such a component of the ecumenical concept as "spiritual ecumenism" provides an opportunity to outline its significance as an integral element in the integrity of Catholic ecumenism and proves the practical benefits of this component for the ecumenical movement. It was found that the Second Vatican Council made adjustments to the Catholic understanding of ecclesiology, and the focus of the Catholic Church's teaching government on "Eucharistic ecclesiology." Also in the article, based on official documents of the Catholic Church, the attitude of modern Catholicism to the issue of restoring Eucharistic communion with the participants in the ecumenical dialogue is revealed. The main purpose of the article is to analyze the historical and cultural impact on the formation of the praxeological element of the ecumenical paradigm, the correlation of controversial views on the functionality and effectiveness of key forms of ecumenical dialogue. In the course of the research, such research tasks were achieved as the analysis of the historical formation of the main aspects of the ecumenical movement; a comparative analysis of the polar views of researchers and theologians on the ecumenical concept in general; a comparative analysis of the main vectors of ecumenism development under the influence of socio-cultural transformations; the common religious elements of Christian denominations, which are key in the process of constructing the main dialogical forms, were highlighted.