Ecumenical Discourse Research Articles

Catholic Charismatics and Ecumenical Translation after Vatican II

precis: In this essay, I argue that post-conciliar Catholic ecumenical discourse responds to anxieties about unity and identity in ecumenical encounter by turning to translation metaphors. Such metaphors, I suggest, fail to give an account of dialogue-across-difference that preserves the identity of both participants, but they do accurately describe the trans-formative effect such dialogue has on one's own tradition. Thus, while translation metaphors may not work to describe the ecumenical vision of Vatican II, they may be useful in describing the ecumenical reality of the 1960s charismatic renewal. Moreover, I suggest that such an understanding of translation offers us a space to think creatively about that renewal's theological significance.

“An Open Wound in the Body…”

AbstractEcumenical organizations have long agreed that human trafficking and modern slavery are consequences of human sin that, in the words of Pope Francis, have left “an open wound in the body of Christ and in all humanity.” While the ecumenical consensus against human trafficking and other forms of modern slavery remains strong, the discourse lacks clear definitions and, thus, focused engagement. To enrich ecumenical reflection on these phenomena, the prevailing discourse could be reframed through the contextualized, case‐based, and comparative lens of asymmetrical dependency theory. Consequently, this article surveys recent ecumenical pronouncements, clarifies relevant legal and definitional considerations, and asks whether it is time to take a “dependency turn” in ecumenical discourse on human trafficking and other forms of modern slavery.

Expecting the best: Palestinian Utopianism and trans-sectarianism in the Mandate period

ABSTRACT This essay reconstructs Palestinian utopian discourse from the British mandate period, by focusing on understudied political manifestos and fiction, authored by members of the Palestinian Arab elite. The essay shows that through the lens of utopianism emerges a distinct Palestinian ecumenical discourse on trans-sectarian religion, language unification, bi-nationalism, reform in relations between men and women, and social justice. While this discourse was not necessarily popular, it was shared and articulated in both explicit and latent manners by some of the most influential Palestinians of the period. This discourse was therefore a meaningful, progressive, indigenous political alternative to the colonial and imperial sectarian order.

Revisiting the Works of Ibn al-Sirrī (9th Century)

Abstract Some studies on Ibn al-Sirrī, a Christian author and translator from the 9th century, have remained unpublished since limited discoveries were made after 1987. Identifying the homilies discussed in this study will enable scholars to explore various aspects. First, it will facilitate the study of his theological vocabulary, which appears to represent a form of medieval ecumenical discourse. A thorough examination of his style may also uncover additional works attributed to him.

Diens van barmhartigheid of diakonaat – hoe belangrik is ’n naam?

Churches hold different views regarding the office of deacon and role of deacons in the church. Churches also use different terms for their social ministries. This lack of a common language regarding the church’s diaconal ministry often creates confusion in the ecumenical discourse on the diaconate of the church. This article explores the hypothesis that the conceptualisation of a church’s diaconal ministry is influenced by a specific frame of reference, be it a historical perspective, a specific theology or tradition. In this case study of the Dutch Reformed Church (DRC) it is shown how a specific historical and theological understanding of diaconal ministry determines not only this church’s preference for the term ‘service of compassion’ but also its diaconal praxis. The article concludes with a suggestion to the DRC to consider the use of the concept diakonia in contemplation of more active participation in ecumenical disourses regarding the diaconate of the church.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: The article describes how a specific historical and theological understanding of diaconal ministry determines not only the DRC’s preference for the term ‘service of compassion’ but also its diaconal praxis. The suggestion to more actively participate in developing a common understanding of diakonia ecumenically has implications for the DRC’s ecclesiology, as well as its missional and social ministries.

An African perspective on hamartology and ecology: Assessing Jesse Mugambi’s contribution to the contemporary debate

Christian ecotheology offers a Christian critique of ecological destruction while simultaneously proposing an ecological critique of Christianity. One aspect of Christian ecotheology entails ecumenical discourse on the content and ecological significance of the Christian faith. This involves a reinterpretation of the classic Christian symbols – in this instance the doctrine of sin, more specifically the nature of sin – explored in the light of ecological discussions. Taking into account the radical diversity in contemporary forms of Christian ecotheology and the contemporary ecological crisis, this paper presents African theologian Jesse Mugambi’s contribution to such discourse. Following a brief overview of the Christian understanding of the nature of sin and how it is re-described in contemporary ecotheological terms, Jesse Mugambi’s position on ecotheological discourse through a discussion of anthropocentrism, domination in the name of differences of species, consumerist greed, alienation of humans from the earth community and sloth (backwardness) is explored. Mugambi’s African context is a key influencing factor in the formulation of his ecotheology. Science and technology, industrialisation, pollution and development are among the prominent emerging themes. The paper involves ecclesial scrutiny, namely Mugambi’s assessment of Christianity’s role in contributing to the current crisis and theological reflection on ecological sin, followed by alternative courses of action to appropriately attend to the issues in question. In closing, Mugambi’s overall contribution to the current ecotheological debate is assessed.

Контуры религиозно-эпистемологической парадигмы современного католицизма

In the article, the author seeks to outline the epistemological guidelines in Catholicism which emerged as the result of the adaptation of the paradigm of religious knowledge to contemporary thought after Vatican II, as well as identify the attempts to solve the related theological problems in official statements and documents. While Catholic religious knowledge is consistently based on Revelation and the postulate of the existence of absolute Truth, its contemporary epistemology is marked by a strong historical-anthropological focus. The communication of the truths of faith requires explicative effort that conforms to the demands of a human person, the present situation of culture and science, and the socio-historical context of the life of the Church. Therefore, there is a growing need for a relevant study of the world and man in relation to the mystery of God. This function is entrusted to theology to be carried out within an interdisciplinary and ecumenical discourse. A special partnership is established with philosophy, based on recognition of its autonomous cognitive competences which may enrich theological knowledge. The awareness of theology’s scientific nature and mission has resulted in a desire for critical independence of theology within the Church. At the same time, the conceptual and methodological adjustments raise the problem of dogmatic relativism. The way to solve the problem is in an informal treatment of the concept of ecclesiasticism that may ensure the freedom of theological reflection while keeping a profound connection to ecclesiological reality, as well as in building balanced communication between different authoritative sources. The article demonstrates the existing tendency to diversify the magisterial authority of the hierarchy by reinforcing other verification criteria and instances. The observed possibility for forming a multipolar epistemological model within a hierarchical structure is significant for justifying the consistency of theology as a discursive discipline without compromising its ecclesiastical-religious essence.

Is Ecumenism Even Possible in the Context of World Christianity?

AbstractEcumenism is difficult to achieve because Eurochristianity dominates the discourse, thus masking its complicity with oppression. Those from the global South who adopt the white Jesus of the colonizers become complicit with their own oppression. For ecumenism to occur, the decolonization of the minds of those on the margins must first take place by rejecting Eurochristianity and interpreting their faith through their own indigenous symbols. This process may require ecumenical conversations within the global South apart from the global North. And for whites to eventually join the ecumenical discourse, they must first crucify their whiteness and bow their knees to the Jesus of the oppressed.

The mirage of a triune rainbow

This contribution explores the state of the debate on the triune God in theological discourse in South Africa. It assesses the direction in which this debate is going in conversation with Prof. Rian Venter, one of the senior scholars contributing to this debate. It is written in the form of an “academic letter” that assumes the requisite scholarship, but deliberately engages in a conversation that is appropriate to the exploratory approach that is adopted and honours the correspondent upon his retirement. In a somewhat playful manner, a colourcoding for such discourse is proposed, identifying white, dark purple, light purple, green, brown, black, and grey perspectives on the Trinity. On this basis, the thesis is developed that discourse on the triune God takes place in self-isolating silos, so that conversation between these silos becomes difficult. In theory, a creative tension between these discourses can yield a rainbow alliance. It is, however, argued that no such attractive South African “rainbow” is emerging in this regard. South African debates may well serve as a barometer, or better,a thermometer to gauge the health of wider ecumenical discourse on the Trinity.

Hamartology and ecology: An assessment of Aruna Gnanadason’s contribution to the contemporary debate

This paper is situated in the context of Christian ecotheology – offering both a Christian critique of ecological destruction and an ecological critique of Christianity. One dimension of Christian ecotheology involves ecumenical discourse on the content and ecological significance of the Christian faith. This calls for a reinterpretation of all the classic Christian symbols – in this case the doctrine of sin, specifically the nature of sin, explored in the light of ecological discourse. Given the radical diversity in contemporary forms of Christian ecotheology, this paper explores Indian eco-feminist Protestant theologian Aruna Gnanadason’s contribution to the discourse. It starts with a brief overview of the classical understanding of the nature of sin, followed by the ways in which it is re-described in contemporary ecotheological discourse. It then investigates Gnanadason’s contextual approach and contribution to ecotheology through a discussion of anthropocentrism, domination in the name of differences of species, consumerist greed and alienation – profoundly influenced by her own context. The method employed encompasses ecclesial scrutiny, namely Christianity’s contribution to the environmental crisis, followed by theological reflection on ecological sin, as well as alternative courses of action to appropriately address the issues in question. In conclusion, the article assesses the relevance of Gnanadason’s contribution to the current ecotheological debate.

UNDERTAKING SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY PLAYFULLY: TOWARD TRANSFORMING ACTION

This article demonstrates how re-imagining our understanding of the Holy Spirit in more comprehensive ways can be effective in moving Christians toward creative, transforming activities in the world. This article also provides some examples for undertaking systematic theology in a playful way by using the present ecumenical discourse of the World Council of Churches (WCC) on transforming spirituality.

Interfaith Dialogue in the Twentieth Century: A Study of the Contribution of Bediuzzaman Said Nursi and Seyyed Hossein Nasr

Interfaith dialogue has been initiated in the nineteenth century as an ecumenical discourse that was transformed and adapted by almost all religions as a means of building interfaith harmony. However, in the case of Islam Muslim scholars had to respond in a variant geopolitical panorama of the post-colonial world, struggling to place themselves between strong notions of Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité and safeguarding the traditional fabric of Islam. The present paper expounds on the approaches of two Muslim scholars in the twentieth century are Bediuzzaman Said Nursi (1876-1960), an eminent Turkish spiritual leader, and Seyyed Hossein Nasr (1933-), an Iranian origin, contemporary Muslim philosopher in the United States. Both of them are well-known for their contribution to interfaith dialogue with their unique methodologies. The main research question is; to study the contribution of Nursi and Nasr in the field of interfaith dialogue which is presumably led by Protestants as well as Catholics. The methodology includes comparative and historical analysis which has been applied to explore the academic as well as the social contribution of both the scholars focusing on their enterprise of interfaith dialogue in a pluralistic society. The article ends up concluding that both Nursi and Nasr agreed on the importance of dialogue for a co-existing means while differed in their methods to initiate it.

Reframing African Ecumenical Discourse on Development

T
 This research explores the contribution of the All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC) to ecumenical discourse regarding development against the background of contemporary debates on the role of religion in development. It focuses on the period 2000–2008. Through a critical review of the AACC’s engagement in development, the article offers an appraisal of the AACC’s socio-economic justice approach to development. It also highlights the AACC’s most recent appropriation of diakonia in its programmatic thrust on development. While such appropriation holds promise for an approach to development rooted in theological ideas, it begs further reflection on the place of local epistemologies of development in African ecumenical discourse. Arguing for the translation of diakonia, this research proposes the decolonial reframing of African churches’ engagement in development.

‘One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism’?

The emerging ecumenical activities of Classical Pentecostals affect and are affected by the relations between Oneness and Trinitarian Pentecostals. The commitments of Trinitarian Pentecostals to Oneness Pentecostals could hinder their involvement in ecumenical contexts that reject Oneness Pentecostals, while their increasing Trinitarian commitments could strain their already tenuous relationship with Oneness Pentecostals. This article is a programmatic essay that explores the emerging tension through its focal point of baptism, an important subject in intra-Pentecostal and ecumenical discourse. The author unpacks the origins of the problem facing Trinitarian Pentecostals before articulating why baptism is the proper locus for beginning to resolve the tension. He argues that the tensions for Pentecostals caused by the doctrine of God are best resolved by the further development by Pentecostals of their Trinitarian theology. The author concludes with necessary steps to be taken in this doctrinal formulation within intra-Pentecostal and ecumenical contexts.

THE WHOLE HOUSEHOLD OF GOD (OIKOS): SOME ECCLESIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES: PART 1

In ecumenical discourse the whole household of God has emerged as a new theological root metaphor. This metaphor integrates especially three ecumenical themes (based on the Greek root oikos), namely the quests for economic justice, ecological sustainability and ecumenical fellowship. The metaphor may be used to refer to the family's household, the feloowship of churches, but also to a wider ecumenicity (the unity of humankind) and to the earth as God's house within which we live.

ТРІАДОЛОГІЯ ЯК ОКУЛЬТНА ОСНОВА ЕКУМЕНІЗМУ

The modern religious world is characterized by the intensification of global tendencies, which, above all, are expressed in the ecumenical movement, in which almost all religious communities of the world participate, which forms a qualitatively different religious reality. At the same time, influence and significance of esoteric and occult teachings, movements and ideas in the modern world is increasing. Thus, arises the question of determining the role and place of the occult foundations in the modern ecumenical movement, which will enable a qualitatively different understanding of the essence of modern religious processes. The presented article considers the Doctrine of the Trinity in the context of the ecumenical theological discourse and the occult tradition as a fundamental component of the formation of world religious unity. The main tasks of the article is to determine the ecumenical foundations in the Doctrine of the Trinity, as well as to determine the meaning of the doctrine in modern ecumenism. In this regard, modern Doctrine of the Trinity was compared with occult Triadology, as a result of which common pantheistic foundations were revealed. Thus, the article showed that the Doctrine of the Trinity is revealed in the pantheistic paradigm as an expression of the global Trinitarian principle. At the same time, it was showed that the Doctrine of the Trinity is a fundamental theurgic principle for the main part of occult teachings and esoteric religions. It was also revealed that in the ecumenical discourse the Doctrine of the Trinity performs as a fundamental principle that is common to esoteric and classical religious systems. Performs as the principle around which most of the world's religions are integrated. Also it should be underline that the Trinitarian paradigm has many common positions with pantheism and pneumatology, where many pantheistic ideas are expressed. Ecumenical teaching has a global character, than it converges with pantheism. And, in this regard, the Doctrine of the Trinity gets special importance in the ecumenical movement, which is more pronounced in pneumatological discourse. Thus, there is an actualization of occultism in the modern world and the importance of occult ideas and concepts in the religious world is growing. Arises the integration of occult teachings with classical religious systems.

Karl Rahner and the Elusive Search for Christian Unity

Despite his prominence within the landscape of theology, Karl Rahner is largely absent in ecumenical discourse. This is surprising considering the concern he shows for both the church’s unity and ecumenism throughout his writings. Rahner’s understanding of unity and diversity and their relationship to one another has the potential to provide important resources for the contemporary ecumenical movement and the goal of visible unity. This article examines Karl Rahner’s theological understanding of ecumenism and the relationship of ecumenism to the realities of unity and diversity. This article explicates Rahner’s theologies of symbol and unity as prerequisites for understanding and developing the relationship between unity and diversity. The unity of the Church is fundamentally a symbolic reality in the process of “becoming”.

Putting Justice at the Heart of Faith: Reflecting on Ecumenism from an Asian Perspective

AbstractAs we celebrate 60 years of the Christian Conference of Asia, it becomes incumbent on us to reflect on what it means to speak of ecumenism from an Asian perspective. What is uniquely Asian about ecumenism in Asia? And how have Asians imagined ecumenism and contributed to the larger ecumenical discourse? In this article, I shall first consider what is specific to the Asian context and specifically map both Asian continental uniqueness and the Asian context itself; secondly, I will look at specific issues in Asian ecumenism; and lastly, I will attempt to chart trajectories for Asian ecumenism by seeking an alternative interpretation of the marks of the church as expounded in the Nicene Creed.

Editorial

Editorial

Retrieving the Mystical Dimension in Ecumenism

In our present times, a search for widespread certainty over a sound understanding of ecumenism must be acknowledged. While questions on the vision for communion among the Christian churches or on the commitment to witness and to social justice are more than justified, the appeal to “turn to God” reverberates strongly throughout the witness of (ecumenical) prophets today as it did in the past. Although a real process of entering into spiritual communion with one another takes time to happen until it becomes real and visible, ecumenism must continually start afresh from God. Ecumenism is above all God’s will that “all may be one” (John 17:21). All human efforts in the ecumenical movement are to find their origin and inspiration from God alone. The aim of this paper is a modest one. It seeks to place all ecumenical discourse in the light of the mystery of God who is the source of communion. In this light, recent discourse on reception, recognition, and spirituality should be grounded in God’s very nature and call to become one in him. This article features four main steps: 1. to contextualise the quest for Christian unity in postmodern times, 2. to emphasise the necessity of a relationship between ecumenism and Christian mysticism, 3. to learn from central concepts of the mysticism of the Church Fathers, and 4. to reconfigure ecumenism on prayer, trust and hospitality.