Ecumenical Studies Research Articles

Receiving Each Other's Gifts

Using the example of the Lord's Supper and the eucharist, this article seeks to show the conditions which make a common liturgical celebration a gift of God to the community of believers in Jesus Christ. The form chosen is a dialogue between two theologians, both members of the German “Ecumenical Study Group of Protestant and Catholic Theologians”: Friederike Nüssel (Protestant, Heidelberg) and Dorothea Sattler (Roman Catholic, Münster). The focus is the group’s study “Together at the Lord's Table.” Based on extensive research the study group has formulated the vote to be invited to join in the celebration of the eucharist and the Lord's Supper, trusting in the self-giving presence of Jesus Christ. Ecumenical sensitivity in the shaping of liturgies is an obvious consequence. Individual confessional traditions have preserved an asset that others today can experience as a gift in the form of a reminder of the common origin: the celebration with shared bread and the chalice offered to all (in the background is the controversy over the lay chalice), the binding lectionaries and the remembrance of the dead. The criticism of the vote of the Ecumenical Study Group, especially from the Roman Catholic doctrinal side, primarily relates to the topics of ministry and understanding of the church. The Ecumenical Study Group advocates that eucharistic celebrations be led by duly ordained persons. The contribution is framed by introductory remarks on basic questions of ecumenical hermeneutics and by an outlook on the great importance of interdisciplinary theological study work from an ecumenical perspective.

What Future for the Ecumenical Movement?

AbstractThis is an edited version of a lecture given by Ioan Sauca in February 2023 at the Study Centre for the Eastern Churches at the Institute for Ecumenical Studies of the University of Fribourg, Switzerland, at the invitation of Professor Barbara Hallensleben. The lecture takes stock of Sauca's experience as a World Council of Churches (WCC) staff member, professor, and director of the Ecumenical Institute at Bossey and, more recently, as the first Orthodox to serve as acting general secretary of the WCC; from that experience and learning, Ioan Sauca draws conclusions about the future of the ecumenical movement.

The Oxford Handbook of Ecumenical Studies ed. by Geoffrey Wainwright and Paul McPartlan

Reviewed by: The Oxford Handbook of Ecumenical Studies ed. by Geoffrey Wainwright and Paul McPartlan H. George Anderson The Oxford Handbook of Ecumenical Studies. Edited by Geoffrey Wainwright and Paul McPartlan. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2021. xvii + 686 pp. The ecumenical movement is one of the two Christian renewal movements of the twentieth century. It already has its own Dictionary (1993) and a three-volume History (1986, 2004), so what can a "Handbook" provide? The Oxford University Press Handbook series aims to give "authoritative and up-to-date surveys of original research" by "leading figures in the discipline" who offer "critical examinations of the progress and direction of debates, as well as a foundation for future research." I can only say "mission accomplished." The forty-two authors are a galaxy of ecumenical stars who lived and led the ecumenical movement through its golden age. Regrettably, several have died since completing their essays, but they have left a legacy of memories, critiques, and suggestions that will stimulate further research. Each brief essay is an introduction to a topic followed by a list of references that support its conclusions and then suggested resources for general information. The five sections provide a multi-dimensional survey of ecumenism—its history, significant doctrinal issues, key organizations, continental variations, and methodology. Writers from Orthodox to Baptist and Pentecostal recount their confession's experience in the movement. William G. Rusch, the former ecumenical officer of the [End Page 120] Lutheran Church in America and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, writes for the Lutherans (137–152). These various confessional perspectives converge on several points: the significant entry of Roman Catholics after the Second Vatican Council, the "golden age" that followed, the sense of an "ecumenical winter" at the turn of the century, and the unsettled questions that remain: Is the goal of ecumenism "visible unity," "reconciled diversity," or "conciliar fellowship?" Is the Eucharist a means of unity or its culmination? How can decisions made by experts effect change at the grass roots? The persistence of these questions, and others, has led to a sense of stagnation among ecumenists. Perhaps it is time for this renewal movement to be renewed. The impetus might be coming from the other twentieth-century renewal movement that has often been seen as a rival to ecumenism: Pentecostalism. The book's major sections provide a series of perspectives that will contribute to a multi-dimensional way of testing this hypothesis. Its section on "History" traces tensions and mutual criticism between ecumenists and Pentecostals. The following section on confessional "Traditions" contains Telford Work's essay, "Pentecostal and Charismatic" (187–204), a clear-eyed look at the changing face of the movement and the gifts it offers to ecumenism. Essays in the section on "Achievements and Issues" note a significant Roman Catholic-Pentecostal dialogue on baptism (254) but also point out Pentecostalism's lack of a "coherent theology of the church" (236). The section on "Instruments" offers glimpses of the Pentecostal movement gradually overcoming its initial suspicion of councils of churches, then its tentative participation in some elements of the World Council of Churches, and finally its full membership in the Global Christian Forum. The survey of "The Global Scene" documents Pentecostalism's dramatic growth in the "Global South." The final Handbook section, "Debate and Prospects," highlights conflicting goals for the ecumenical movement: "reconciled diversity," "visible unity," or some form of "spiritual" affinity. Cardinal Kurt Koch, in his presidential address to the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity (594–609), deplores this lack of consensus and notes that the debate is being complicated by a "pentecostalization of Christianity," and suggests that it may be seen as a "fourth [End Page 121] mode of being Christian" alongside the traditional confessional families. This "case study" on Pentecostalism illustrates how the Handbook provides a wealth of intriguing leads for further research. It will be just as useful for general readers who want to learn more about specific aspects of the ecumenical movement. H. George Anderson Green Valley, Arizona Copyright © 2023 Johns Hopkins University Press and Lutheran Quarterly, Inc.

The New Diaspora and the Global Prophetic: Engaging the Scholarship of Marc H. Ellis ed by Susanne Scholz and Santiago Slabodsky

Reviewed by: The New Diaspora and the Global Prophetic: Engaging the Scholarship of Marc H. Ellis ed by Susanne Scholz and Santiago Slabodsky Seth Ward, retired The New Diaspora and the Global Prophetic: Engaging the Scholarship of Marc H. Ellis. Edited by Susanne Scholz and Santiago Slabodsky. Dispatches from the New Diaspora. Lanham, MD, and London: Lexington Books/Fortress Academic, 2021. Pp. 307. $110.00. Ellis, the prolific author or editor of some thirty volumes, is best known as a “Jewish Scholar of Conscience” who introduced a Jewish liberation theology. Readers interested in his theological development and approach will find his interview in this book, conducted by its editors, to be especially enlightening. He traces his early influences to Dorothy Day and Richard Rubenstein and provides a needed introduction to key terms used by many of the chapter authors, such as Constantinian Judaism, the ecumenical deal, idolatry, empire, exile, and “the prophetic,” many of which he often describes as having “come to him.” A key element of Ellis’s approach is to emphasize the problem in modern times of the dichotomy between Jewish ethics and the oppression and killing of Arab Palestinians linked to the rise of the Jewish State. Nevertheless, Ellis recognizes that “Anti-Zionism is mostly theoretical,” that “seeing Israel as a colonial venture—only—is historically shortsighted,” and that Jews “are not returning to a position of powerlessness,” to decolonize Israel (p. 15). Ellis’s response may be seen as the “radical position linking the future of the Jewish People to the liberation of Palestinians” (Kwok Pui-Lan, p. 153). The terms in the book’s title, “New Diaspora” and “Global Prophetic,” flow from this as well. Nevertheless, while he raises this as a conundrum in the introduction, his writings often are [End Page 126] not seen that way. In any case, this book is not a venue for critical evaluation of Ellis’s thought in light of this conundrum or working out its ramifications. Books of this nature often seek to add to research in areas of specialization of a deservedly honored scholar or to do innovative studies that honor his or her profile in the field. Exemplifying this are Robert O. Smith’s critique of the term “Judaeo-Christian tradition,” Luis Rivera Pagán’s re-reading of the Bible (Hebrew Bible and Christian Testament) in solidarity with the Palestinian people, and Charles Ramsey’s study of Muhammad Asad. The book most often appears to be engaging the scholarship of Ellis mostly along the lines of “friends paying tribute to him” (p. ix), outlining the crucial role he has played as a colleague, mentor, advisor, and friend in their professional and personal lives. Sources for many essays are largely Ellis’s own writings and personal reflections. For example, Naim Ateek’s dismissal of Yitz Greenberg and other rabbis footnotes only Ellis. Appearing in 2021, the book does not engage the Abraham Accords, although there are references to Black Lives Matter. Unsurprisingly, contributors tend to discuss Latin American and Palestinian issues, with the Palestinian side mostly represented by Christians—themselves increasingly marginalized in a kind of double Exile in the Palestinian Autonomous area. The Foreword is by Susannah Heschel; Scholz and Slabodsky offer the introduction and the Ellis interview. The section headings should be familiar from Ellis’s writings. In addition to contributors already mentioned, the book includes chapters by Sarah Roy, Jessica Wai-Fong Wong, Miguel A. De La Torre, Claudio Carvalhaes, Thia Cooper, Rubén Rosario Rodríguez, William A. Walker III, Jin Young Choi, Brant Rosen, Keren Batiyov, Robert Cohen, Karen Baker Fletcher, and the two editors. Ellis’s sons, Aaron and Isaiah, offer personal and moving tributes as Postscripts. Seth Ward, retired University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY Copyright © 2023 Journal of Ecumenical Studies

Peace and Faith: Christian Churches and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict ed. by Cary Nelson and Michael C. Gizzi

Reviewed by: Peace and Faith: Christian Churches and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict ed. by Cary Nelson and Michael C. Gizzi Jonathan C. Friedman Peace and Faith: Christian Churches and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict. Edited by Cary Nelson and Michael C. Gizzi. Philadelphia, and Boston, MA: Academic Studies Press (for Presbyterians for Middle East Peace), 2021. Pp. 638. $45.00, cloth; $30.00, paper. Nelson and Gizzi’s expansive edited volume brings together religious leaders and scholars around three main issues: the different, often divergent, approaches [End Page 127] of the many Christian churches toward Israel; the boycott campaigns of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) (PCUSA); and the path forward for Israel and Palestine. Nelson is Professor of English at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and Gizzi is Professor of Criminal Justice at Illinois State University. The book, the fifth in a series of publications for Nelson contesting the movement advocating a boycott of Israel, is exhaustive in its research and presentation. Nelson begins with an 86-page introduction to the beliefs about, and relations toward, the state of Israel from Christian denominations, including, among others, American Evangelicals, Catholics, Presbyterians, Methodists, Mennonites, and members of the United Church of Christ. Part One features in-depth articles about theology and Zionism and specific denominational approaches to Israel, essentially augmenting Nelson’s introduction. The dividing line is both religious and political; the Evangelical right has been supportive of Israel (some would say because it fulfills “end of days” prophecies), while left-leaning churches have tended to be more critical of Israel. Some, including Presbyterian and Methodist churches, have embraced or considered embracing parts of the boycott/divestment/sanction movement (BDS). The 2009 publication, Kairos Palestine, a theological statement by Palestinian Christians on Israel and Palestine, looms large in this work, appearing multiple times in the discussion of Christian support for BDS. Critics have decried the anti-Zionist theological perspective of Kairos Palestine, along with the absence of language affirming Israel’s right to exist. Part Two centers on the boycott campaigns of the PCUSA. In 2004, its General Assembly voted to support divesting from companies that conducted business in the West Bank. Presbyterian pastors John Wimberly and William Harter write about the genesis and evolution of PCUSA positions, noting that the church altered its position in 2006 to focus on “corporate engagement,” acknowledging the “hurt and misunderstanding” that the 2004 resolution had caused (p. 329). Nelson and Gizzi use the last two chapters of this section to critique the 2014 anti-Zionist Presbyterian publication, Zionism Unsettled. In Part Three, they offer perspectives on reconciliation, with Gizzi emphasizing re-lations through individuals and such groups as Seeds of Peace and Kids4Peace, and Nelson offering specifics for a two-state solution. With full acknowledgment of the book’s import and contribution to scholarship, a greater variety of voices from within the many denominations of global Christianity would have enriched the volume. Assembling clergy from outside [End Page 128] the U.S., Europe, and the Middle East, who represent Christianity in all its theological and geographical diversity, and allowing more men and women clergy to have their say, however unpopular some positions might be, would have been a bold choice. Nelson and Gizzi’s admirable frameworks for peace in their final essays also shift the attention from theology to politics in a book that is supposed to be about religion, specifically Christianity. An epilogue from “postmodern” Christians and Jews, such as Brian McLaren, Cornel West, and Rabbi Michael Lerner, whose Network of Spiritual Progressives envisions a healing of Israel and Palestine that is as much spiritual as it is political, would have kept the focus on faith, which is where the book has its most profound and original impact. Jonathan C. Friedman West Chester University, West Chester, PA Copyright © 2023 Journal of Ecumenical Studies

That All Shall Be Saved: Heaven, Hell, and Universal Salvation by David Bentley Hart

Reviewed by: That All Shall Be Saved: Heaven, Hell, and Universal Salvation by David Bentley Hart Glenn B. Siniscalchi David Bentley Hart, That All Shall Be Saved: Heaven, Hell, and Universal Salvation. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2019. Pp. 224. $16.00, paper. Recognizing that certain expressions of Christianity have taught that everyone will see the beatific vision, Hart maintains that the doctrine of universal salvation has frequently been the minority viewpoint within Christian communities. However, that minority stance does not prevent Hart from arguing persuasively that the credibility of the gospel message is at stake in this debate. This book is a mesmerizing defense of the claim that everyone will freely submit to the Christian God. This is not to say that all beliefs concerning damnation are logically incoherent, but one should acknowledge the strength of Hart’s theological and philosophical arguments in That All Shall be Saved that the fires of hell will cleanse the unrepentant of the shortcomings that prevented them from cooperating with the Reign of God during their earthly lifetimes. Each of four meditations focuses on a distinct argument in support of the basic thesis of the book. Following the lead of Gregory of Nyssa, for instance, the doctrine of creatio ex nihilo reinforces the theology of God as the origin and destiny of all human beings. The second meditation discusses some of the complicated issues related to the proper translations and exegesis of the biblical texts (and whether the doctrine of an eternal hell is biblically based). Hart offers a plethora of textual evidence that the doctrine of universal restoration is firmly rooted in the scriptures. The third meditation continues the tradition of classical Christian thought on the collective nature of the identity of human beings. To state the case succinctly, if one person is saved, we must conclude that everyone will reach heavenly bliss. In Hart’s words, “Finite persons are not self-enclosed individual substances; they are dynamic events of relations to what is other than themselves” (p. 151). The last meditation concentrates on the nature of freedom as a condition of being for responsibility and excellence, not as the mere ability to choose between competing options. With this traditional understanding of human freedom in the background, the onus is placed on whether the intellect is able to see the good and the true in a fallen world. God’s grace therefore becomes paramount in guiding human beings toward their final ends. Reading this book as a Catholic theologian with a strong interest in fundamental theology, interfaith dialogue, and the philosophy of religion, I have been fascinated by Hart’s scholarly publications and public lectures, many of which are available online. These have played a major role in convincing me that his depiction of the eschatological horizon is correct. Catholic scholars who live with anxieties about the incompatibilities between conciliar teachings and belief [End Page 125] in universal restoration are strongly encouraged to consult Trent Pomplun’s article, “Heat and Light: David Bentley Hart on the Fires of Hell,” Modern Theology 37 (April, 2021): 523–530. Many intellectuals have discussed Hart’s works in several respectable forums, but, when their reviews and commentaries are carefully interpreted, one becomes perplexed by the misrepresentations of the arguments in support of select universalist positions. As long as one accepts a few other foundational beliefs about the nature of a theistic God and Christianity, the cumulative effect of the case that is presented in Hart’s book will likely remain irrefutable. Glenn B. Siniscalchi Saint Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology, St. Meinrad, IN Copyright © 2023 Journal of Ecumenical Studies

The Presbyterian Church of South Africa: The early years, 1897–1923, and future prospects

The formation of the Presbyterian Church of South Africa (PCSA) in 1897 was an acknowledgement of the principle of not doing separately what can be done together. The implementation of this principle was essential to the continued existence of Presbyterianism as opposed to the prevalent independency and the development of a specific brand of South African Presbyterianism. This paper describes and analyses the processes involved in the development of the PCSA during the years 1897–1923, a time of rapid change in church and society, drawing mainly on primary sources. This is the first attempt to investigate the early development of the PCSA.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: The challenge of this article is to investigate the specific circumstances in which a new church denomination came into being and developed its distinctive form of polity in a context of existing and growing racism and to discern the issues that militated against the formation of a multiracial or nonracial church. This has implications not only for the history of Christianity in Africa but also missiology and ecumenical studies.

The Trials of Rasmea Odeh: How a Palestinian Guerrilla Gained and Lost U.S. Citizenship by Steven Lubet

Reviewed by: The Trials of Rasmea Odeh: How a Palestinian Guerrilla Gained and Lost U.S. Citizenship by Steven Lubet Angela Berliner Steven Lubet, The Trials of Rasmea Odeh: How a Palestinian Guerrilla Gained and Lost U.S. Citizenship. Fairfax, VA: George Mason University Press, 2021. Pp. 281. $34.95. The author weaves a tale of two narratives. The central figure in this legal exposé, Rasmea Odeh, appears alternately as a Palestinian refugee fighting for the liberation of her people and a remorseless murderer sentenced to life in prison for her involvement in a supermarket bombing that killed two students and injured many more. Odeh plays the roles of both victim and perpetrator, guerrilla and terrorist. The author deftly investigates Odeh’s murder conviction in Israel and her trial in the U.S., decades later, for unlawful procurement of citizenship after lying about her prior sentence on her visa application and naturalization exam. In the first seven chapters, Lubet gives an overview of Odeh’s early years when she joined the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), a Marxist-Leninist, pan-Arab organization dedicated to the destruction of Israel. Through her involvement with the PFLP, she took part in the Friday morning bombing of the largest supermarket in Jerusalem, killing Edward Joffe and Leon Kanner, agricultural students at Hebrew University. Odeh was arrested after Israeli soldiers discovered weapons and explosives in her home. Her interrogation was brutal, and she soon confessed. A military court found Odeh guilty, and she was given two life sentences in prison but served only ten years before the government released her in a prisoner exchange between Israel and the PFLP. The second half covers Odeh’s trial in the U.S. From the beginning of her legal troubles, Odeh and her supporters (primarily from the left-leaning, anti-Israel crowd) sought to politicize the case and put the Jewish state on trial. Her defense team relied on a mix of “truth, exaggeration, and outright myth” to paint a one-sided portrait of Odeh as a victim of the “Israeli lobby,” reframing her prosecution as a story of prejudice against Palestinians and Muslims. The author is a law professor, so it is no surprise that the book’s biggest strength is his ability to write about Odeh’s trials with such precision that a reader need not have prior knowledge of the legal system. Lubet proves himself the John Grisham of nonfiction crime as he expertly delineates the facts of the case from the fiction propagated by Odeh and her supporters. In a story that could easily elicit bias, Lubet wisely does not give his opinion but presents the evidence with the fairness of a judge. [End Page 615] While Lubet briefly mentions the Antisemitism in Odeh’s upbringing and the PFLP, he only hints at how anti-Jewish fallacies served her U.S. defense. The Palestinian-rights activists who supported her resorted to conspiracy theories of undue Jewish power’s influencing the American legal system to persecute an innocent woman, ironically in the presence of family members of the murdered students. For the uninitiated into the left-wing paradigm of the world’s oldest hatred, a reader might miss its relevance to this story. To assuage this potential misunderstanding, the author could have included a paragraph describing the function of Antisemitism in the guise of anti-Zionism among social justice movements. This book reveals how a breakdown in interideological dialogue perpetuates false narratives and demonization of the other. Outside the Levant, the worldwide obsession with the Israel-Palestine conflict reflects personal ideology more than complex understanding. Side-taking is de rigueur. Lubet’s balanced recounting of Odeh’s trials juxtaposes the anti-Israel bias of her supporters and reminds any lucid activist of the Antisemitism that threatens to delegitimize movements for Palestinian self-determination. Angela Berliner Los Angeles Valley College, Valley Glen, CA Copyright © 2022 Journal of Ecumenical Studies

Interreligious Heroes: Role Models and Spiritual Exemplars for Interfaith Practice ed. by Alon Goshen-Gottstein

Reviewed by: Interreligious Heroes: Role Models and Spiritual Exemplars for Interfaith Practice ed. by Alon Goshen-Gottstein Christoffer H. Grundmann Interreligious Heroes: Role Models and Spiritual Exemplars for Interfaith Practice. Edited by Alon Goshen-Gottstein. Interreligious Reflections Series. Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock, 2021. Pp. 442. $49.00, cloth; $39.00, paper. This book is a collection of essays published on the occasion of the seventieth birthday of Israeli Orthodox Rabbi David Rosen, hailed by the volume’s editor as “Judaism’s first and only interreligious ambassador” (p. 401). Gifted with remarkable personality traits—including being hospitable, able to build genuine trust, and able to communicate well across religious divides—Rosen gained an international reputation while heading the Anti-Defamation League’s Jerusalem office of interreligious relations from 1985 to 2001 and, subsequently, becoming director of interreligious affairs for the American Jewish Committee while simultaneously serving as “honorary advisor on matters of interfaith” to the Chief Rabbinate (p. 387). The forty-three essays are bookended by the editor’s introduction, which explains the origin of the project and its design and structure, and his conclusion, which highlights insights gained from the articles, [End Page 616] followed by the endnotes and brief remarks about the contributors, all of whom are “friends of David” (p. 2). Goshen-Gottstein also contributed a piece about the Dalai Lama. This is a very personal volume, not just regarding acquaintanceship but also regarding the very content of the pieces, because authors were asked to write about “a figure who inspire[d]” their own “interfaith work”(p. 3) Thus, the book reads almost as a “Who’s Who” of interreligious dialogue past and present at “the high end of the interfaith arena” (p. 379), as the numerous high-profile authors and senior religious dignitaries (cardinals, rabbis, ulama presidents, acharyas, swamis, archbishops) indicate, many of whom are also members of the Jerusalem-based Elijah Interfaith Institute. Averaging eight pages in length (except for a longer piece written by the honoree’s spouse Sharon), the contributions come with a portrait of the person or persons presented, save for the one about “The Anonymous Hero” by William Vendley of the World Conference of Religions for Peace. The fact that Christian, especially Roman Catholic, contributors predominate is owed to the longstanding engagement of Rosen with the Vatican, causing someone to dub him “the pope’s rabbi” (p. 387), a quip not unjustified because the honoree was once considered to become Israel’s first ambassador to the Vatican state. What makes reading this book so exiting is to see how almost all writers testify with affection to their personal role models for involvement in interreligious/interfaith dialogue and practice, some taking their inspiration from individuals outside of their own faith tradition. A Muslim writes about a Christian (A. Abadi about Hans Küng); Jews write about a Palestinian Muslim (Rabbi M. Melchior about Sheikh Abdulla Nimer Darwish) and about a Hindu (Rabbi D. Sperber about Swami Dayananda Saraswati); and Christians write about a Buddhist (S. B. King about Thich Nhat Hanh) and a Muslim (Archbishop R. Williams about Akbar Ahmed). What is also interesting to note is that, in nearly all presentations, the specificity of each religious tradition of the authors remains discernible. This diversity makes for a very rich, colorful florilegium and fitting tribute to yet another “interreligious hero.” It is also a captivating showcase of why and how one should engage in interreligious dialogue. It motivates joining with “faithful presence” (p. 250) in “the dance of dialogue” (pp. 238 and 25 ff.), the rhythm of which is set by honest, authentic encounters of people firmly rooted in their faith tradition who desire to communicate judiciously with others of the “family of believers” (p. 220) about the Unfathomable—once one realizes the limitations of any human comprehension of the truly Ultimate and [End Page 617] recognizes responsibility for joining hands in fostering global peace and care of the environment. Christoffer H. Grundmann Tūbingen, Germany Copyright © 2022 Journal of Ecumenical Studies

Sharing the Eucharist? Critical Comments from a Canonical Perspective on the Statement “Together at the Lord’s Table” (2019) of the Ecumenical Study Group of Protestant and Catholic Theologians

The following article analyses the statement of the Ecumenical Study Group of Protestant and Catholic Theologians entitled “Together at the Lord’s Table” (2019) from the perspective of canon law of the Latin Church. First, it briefly presents the content of the statement, then it summarises the opinion of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. The article shows that the alternate participation in the Protestant and Catholic service of celebrating the Lord’s Supper / Eucharist by virtue of baptism alone is problematic from the perspective of Catholic canon law. Canon law builds on Catholic ecclesiology and sacramentology, based on the connection between baptism and the Church as well as the Church, the ministerial priesthood, and the celebration of the Eucharist. The article, then, shows the instruments of canon law for the protection of the Catholic faith regarding the apostolic succession as the only valid condition for presiding over the Eucharistic community and the Eucharist as the substantial presence of Christ. In the final chapter, the implications of participation in ecumenical worship for the Catholic faithful will be summarised. The participation of Protestants in Catholic worship, as proposed by the Statement, is not explicitly regulated by canon law. The CIC, in Canon 844 § 4, lays down only the conditions under which Protestants may licitly receive selected sacraments (the Eucharist, the anointing of the sick and the sacrament of penance), while for a valid reception of the Eucharist their baptism alone enables them.

The Importance and Practice of Ecumenism in Orthodox Theological Education

This article underlines the need for theological education to be ecumenical if it is to be genuine theological education, an injunction that applies to Orthodox churches as much as the Roman Catholic and Protestant churches. The article highlights the 1920 encyclical of the Ecumenical Patriarchate that encouraged “relationships between the theological schools and the professors of theology” but states that an exchange of professors and students is not enough, since studying theology under a confessional prism is often reducing and impoverishing. Drawing on experiences such as the Higher Institute of Ecumenical Studies in Paris and the Institute for Higher Studies in Orthodox Theology in Chambésy, Switzerland, the article asserts that it is desirable to undertake theology together, in an ecumenical way.

Healing through faith: meeting a chaplain coupled with biblical readings could produce lymphocyte changes that correlate with brain activity (HEALING study)

Introduction: Faith and systems of beliefs are known to impact not only the emotional, but also the immunological state of believers in ways that we are just starting to understand. Moreover, clinical implications of previous studies are limited. The aim of the “HEALING” (Hospital-based Ecumenical and Linguistic Immuno-NeuroloGic) Study was to examine immunological and neurological changes in hospitalized patients after meeting a chaplain coupled with biblical readings. Methods: Hospitalized patients were pre-screened to find those who were the most in need of an intervention. A passage from the Bible was read to them during a meeting with the chaplain at the bedside (n= 20) or in the chapel (n= 18). No meeting occurred in the randomized control group (n=19). Blood samples were taken 30 minutes prior, and 60 minutes after the meeting to measure white blood cells (WBC), interferon gamma (IFN-γ), immunoglobulin M (IgM), IgA, IgG, and complement 3 (C3). A subgroup of the visited patients was subjected to functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), where they were played an audiotape of readings of the same passage from the Bible (n=21). Results: Lymphocyte counts increased more often after the more successful visits, but the immunological changes were not significant. Conversely, a significant (pfwe=0.003) correlation was revealed between changes in lymphocytes and activation of the angular gyrus (left BA39) during fMRI, a brain area involved in word recognition. Conclusions: Although limited by the sample size and cohort study design, the findings suggest the depth of psycho-immunological changes could depend on the degree to which the chaplains’ main message is understood.

The Memory of Goodness: Eva Fleischner and Her Contributions to Holocaust Studies ed. by Carol Rittner and John K. Roth

Reviewed by: The Memory of Goodness: Eva Fleischner and Her Contributions to Holocaust Studies ed. by Carol Rittner and John K. Roth Eugene J. Fisher The Memory of Goodness: Eva Fleischner and Her Contributions to Holocaust Studies. Edited by Carol Rittner and John K. Roth. Greensburg, PA Seton Hill University, 2022. Pp. 249. $19.95, paper. Anyone interested in Jewish-Christian relations should read this book. It begins with a summary of the work of Eva Fleischner (1925–2020). She was half-Jewish on her father's side and fled Europe in 1938. The book contains twelve essays by Fleischner in three parts. In the first she narrates how she became involved in Shoah studies. She discusses the challenges of teaching the Holocaust to Christians and Jews because it raises questions about the validity of Christianity since the perpetrators were Christians. She provides a summary of the history of the Christian teaching of contempt, which paved the way for racial Antisemitism. While Jews could "escape" Christian persecution by converting to Christianity, under Antisemitism one was doomed to death simply for being a Jew. The fourth essay in this section discusses the "crucial importance" of the Holocaust for Christian self-understanding, given the horror of the genocide. In the second section, "Rescue and Responsibility," Fleischner describes her interviews with those in France who hid Jews from the Vichy government and the Nazis. This is an uplifting set of stories of real people, mostly women, risking their lives to save those in peril of death. The chapter asks why there were so few, and it asks readers what they might have done in those dire circumstances. This can be the source of deep dialogue among Christians and between Christians and Jews. She goes on to speak of the struggle of Jewish children who were saved in Catholic homes and were often baptized and raised as Catholics to accept, after the war, the fact that they were actually Jews, which many of them, having been hidden when very young, never knew. Again, this is deeply moving and digs deeply into how each of us can understand who we are. The section ends [End Page 317] with a reflection of a Jew who is asked for forgiveness by a dying Nazi. The Jew does not answer but remains silent. Fleischner notes, citing Elie Wiesel, that only the victims can forgive those who harmed them, and the victims are dead. The Nazi must seek forgiveness from the God of Israel if he or she is sincerely repentant. The final section of the book deals with Jewish-Christian relations during and since the Shoah. She describes how the Catholic Church and other Christian traditions have re-thought the ancient Christian teaching of contempt toward Jews and Judaism since Auschwitz, reformulating their teachings and working to accept the reality of the irrevocable (cf. Romans 9–11) covenant between the God of Israel and the people of Israel. The covenant emphasizes the fact that Jesus lived and died a pious Jew of his time and sought to rejuvenate his people, the Jews, relying on the only Bible he knew, the Hebrew Scriptures. She delves deeply into the spirituality of Pope Pius XII, his good qualities, and the fact that he did not fully live up to the challenges of his time. The book concludes with a search into the life and works of the great Jewish thinker, Abraham Joshua Heschel, which helped both Jews and Christians to redefine their relationship toward a full encounter with their past and a hope for a better future for all. To do this we—Catholics and other Christians—need to encounter anew the living God in a living people, the Jews, and in their faith and lives. Eugene J. Fisher Saint Leo University, St. Leo, FL Copyright © 2022 Journal of Ecumenical Studies

Healing through faith: meeting a chaplain coupled with biblical readings could produce lymphocyte changes that correlate with brain activity (HEALING study)

Introduction: Faith and systems of beliefs are known to impact not only the emotional, but also the immunological state of believers in ways that we are just starting to understand. Moreover, clinical implications of previous studies are limited. The aim of the “HEALING” (Hospital-based Ecumenical and Linguistic Immuno-NeuroloGic) Study was to examine immunological and neurological changes in hospitalized patients after meeting a chaplain coupled with biblical readings. Methods: Hospitalized patients were pre-screened to find those who were the most in need of an intervention. A passage from the Bible was read to them during a meeting with the chaplain at the bedside (n= 20) or in the chapel (n= 18). No meeting occurred in the randomized control group (n=19). Blood samples were taken 30 minutes prior, and 60 minutes after the meeting to measure white blood cells (WBC), interferon gamma (IFN-γ), immunoglobulin M (IgM), IgA, IgG, and complement 3 (C3). A subgroup of the visited patients was subjected to functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), where they were played an audiotape of readings of the same passage from the Bible (n=21). Results: Lymphocyte counts increased more often after the more successful visits, but the immunological changes were not significant. Conversely, a significant (pfwe=0.003) correlation was revealed between changes in lymphocytes and activation of the angular gyrus (left BA39) during fMRI, a brain area involved in word recognition. Conclusions: Although limited by the sample size and cohort study design, the findings suggest the depth of psycho-immunological changes could depend on the degree to which the chaplains’ main message is understood.

Ecumenism as Taught and Lived at the Institute for Advanced Ecumenical Studies in Paris

AbstractThis article presents the structure and work of ecumenism as it is taught and lived at the Institute for Advanced Ecumenical Studies (Institut Supérieur d'Études Oecuméniques) in Paris. Special attention is given to the presence and active engagement of the Orthodox Church, which is represented by the St Sergius Institute of Orthodox Theology – a pan‐Orthodox institute based in Paris.

Teaching Ecumenism in the Context of World Christianity

AbstractThe conference “Teaching Ecumenism in the Context of World Christianity,” held in June 2021, was an initiative of the Ecumenical Institute at Bossey together with related programme units in the World Council of Churches. This article offers background to this initiative by sketching historical developments in the field of teaching ecumenism and by outlining creative synergies and tensions that have emerged in relation to academic scholarship in the area of World Christianity. By bringing together colleagues teaching in the areas of ecumenical studies, World Christianity, and related fields, the conference aimed to enter more deeply into conversations around epistemologies and methodologies, where participatory approaches engage discourses like global‐versus‐local and unity‐versus‐diversity in a critical and constructive way.

Healing through faith: meeting a chaplain coupled with biblical readings could produce lymphocyte changes that correlate with brain activity (HEALING study)

Introduction: Faith and systems of beliefs are known to impact not only the emotional, but also the immunological state of believers in ways that we are just starting to understand. Moreover, clinical implications of previous studies are limited. The aim of the “HEALING” (Hospital-based Ecumenical and Linguistic Immuno-NeuroloGic) Study was to examine immunological and neurological changes in hospitalized patients after meeting a chaplain coupled with biblical readings. Methods: Hospitalized patients were pre-screened to find those who were the most in need of an intervention. A passage from the Bible was read to them during a meeting with the chaplain at the bedside (n= 20) or in the chapel (n= 18). No meeting occurred in the randomized control group (n=19). Blood samples were taken 30 minutes prior, and 60 minutes after the meeting to measure white blood cells (WBC), interferon gamma (IFN-γ), immunoglobulin M (IgM), IgA, IgG, and complement 3 (C3). A subgroup of the visited patients was subjected to functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), where they were played an audiotape of readings of the same passage from the Bible (n=21). Results: Lymphocyte counts increased more often after the more successful visits, but the immunological changes were not significant. Conversely, a significant (pfwe=0.003) correlation was revealed between changes in lymphocytes and activation of the angular gyrus (left BA39) during fMRI, a brain area involved in word recognition. Conclusions: Although limited by the sample size and cohort study design, the findings suggest the depth of psycho-immunological changes could depend on the degree to which the chaplains’ main message is understood.

Reforum: A brief but not unimportant chapter in the Dutch Reformed Church’s apartheid saga

In 1985 when storm clouds were gathering over South Africa, and a state of emergency was declared, a group of members of the Dutch Reformed Church (DRC) Family, clergy as well as laity, founded an organisation, Reforum. The two-fold aim of Reforum was to provide a prophetic witness against apartheid, calling the DRC to take leave of its theology of apartheid, and, secondly, to work towards the reunification of the DRC Family. The article researches the original Reforum documents, minutes, reports, conference material and letters, that hitherto laid untouched in the DRC Archive, in Pretoria. The programme of Reforum, especially the national and regional conferences held by the organisation over the 7 years of its existence, is discussed. The initial negative reaction of the DRC officials and synods, as well as the critique from some in the Dutch Reformed Mission Church and the DRC in Africa that Reforum was not radical enough in its approach, are recorded. The summation, at the end, is that Reforum did play a significant role, albeit humble and short lived, in the annals of the DRC’s apartheid saga. Relevance: The DRC’s apartheid saga, the story of a church that had over many years lived with apartheid and even provided a theological argument for separate development, eventually came to the point where the DRC not only repented of its past, but declared apartheid and the theology of apartheid a sin and a heresy, continues to fascinate historians, including church historians. For South African Christians, clergy as well as laity, it helps explain their often troubled past, as well as present. The often neglected story of Reforum and the role and contribution of the organisation in this process needs to be recorded. Original research: the author provides original qualitative research, using material that had lain untouched in the DRC Archive for three decades. This may be considered to be a preliminary study. The archival material merits more and deeper attention. It may well provide material for post graduate research.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: The research is of value for the study of South African general history, South African church history, ecumenical studies, and practical theology.

Patristics and Sociolinguistics

Abstract The paper suggests a new hermeneutical take on receptive patristics. Receptive patristics means here the ways in which patristic texts are perceived in the community of patristic scholars and in ecclesiastical communities. The perceptions of the patristic materials that these two kinds of communities demonstrate are not always convergent. Their divergence can be explained on the basis of the distinction between normative linguistics and sociolinguistics. Ecclesiastical communities tend to treat the language of the Fathers and Mothers of the church in coherence with the way in which the proponents of normative linguistics treat the phenomenon of language. Patristic scholars, in contrast, usually treat them along the line of sociolinguistics. The approach to the language, which is applied by sociolinguistics, if adopted by ecclesiastical communities, could lead to a better understanding between them. It could foster the ecumenical rapprochement between confessional traditions, especially if they are based on patristic identities, such as in the case of Byzantine and Oriental churches. The academic method of sociolinguistics, thus, can be applied to the ecumenical studies and can positively contribute to practical ecumenism.

Antisemitism, Islamophobia, and Interreligious Hermeneutics: Ways of Seeing the Religious Other ed. by Emma Polyakov O'Donnell

Reviewed by: Antisemitism, Islamophobia, and Interreligious Hermeneutics: Ways of Seeing the Religious Other ed. by Emma Polyakov O'Donnell Zev Garber Antisemitism, Islamophobia, and Interreligious Hermeneutics: Ways of Seeing the Religious Other. Edited by Emma Polyakov O'Donnell. Series: Currents of Encounter 58. Leiden and Boston, MA: Brill Rodopi, 2018. Pp. 193. $57.00, paper. A sane approach to this perplexing dilemma of Jew and Muslim disparity and hatred requires a full understanding of how this stereotyping originated, developed, and intensified. In pursuit of this objective, Antisemitism, Islamophobia, and Interreligious Hermeneutics is distinguished by a dual accomplishment. First, the editor and contributors provide respectable research in fact-gathering and interpretation of the major and not- so- major patterns of perception (brokers, shakers, and events) that can lead to Antisemitism and Islamophobia. Second, it argues that interreligious hermeneutics lay the groundwork and methodology to confront the age-old historic-religio-philosophic conceptions and misconceptions of Jews and Muslims, including their culture, history, politics, ideology and issues, movements and organizations, events, and self- understanding as a peoplehood and a religion. Academic papers presented at an international conference, sponsored by the Centre for Theology at Lund University, devoted to negative and positive views of Jews and Muslims and the role played by venues of supersessionist Christian theologies sponsored by the Centre for Theology and Religious Studies at Lund University (December 4–6, 2016) are parsed by the editor (who was also the conference moderator) into three parts. Part One asserts that innovative interreligious hermeneutics is the key to maintaining historic breakthroughs between the Abrahamic faiths and sustaining ceaseless ongoing Christian-Jewish-Muslim relations in the future (C. Cornille, M. Moyaert). Part Two analyszes case studies depicting falsehoods related to Jews as a peoplehood (Antisemitism), religion/theology (anti-Judaism), and historic homeland (anti-Zionism) (R. C. Zachman, R. Cohen, H. Bachner). Part Three depicts research into contemporary expressions of fear or suspicion of Islam expressed in Swedish media, American editorial cartoons, and satire (D. Abdelhady and G. F. Malmberg, P. Gottschalk, J. Otterbeck). Finally, the Epilogue by J. Carroll references Holocaust historicity to combat Christian replacement theology and to restore Jesus theologically as the eternal Jew to douse the fires ignited by the misremembered Christ. The introduction provides a short overview of the book's intent of rereading, reinterpreting, and reconstructing group-affiliated ideology in seeking [End Page 456] affinity between Jew and Muslim by planting seeds of empathy and mutual respect. Oddly, claims of Israel-Palestine nationalisms is the contributing factor to the deeply seeded and felt conflict resulting in fratricidal war between two kindred peoples. One must affirm that Israeli and Palestinian can live and prosper in a social milieu conceived in mutual respect and abhorrence of terrorism. How can we establish the proper facts about Palestinian and Jewish nationalisms without propagandist slandering, revisionist ideologues and ideology, and street thumping? We suggest self-criticism, interpersonal dialogue, and study; also, observe the totality of a group's behavior and not only doctrinal, popular, and journalistic teachings and writings. James Carroll reduces self and other and projects "together" cemented with his epilogue/book- ending clarion call, "Love your neighbor" (Lev. 19:18, Mt. 22:39, Mk. 12:1, Lk. 10:27b), thrice written, suggesting trinitarian association and halacha permanence. This is commendable, but the commanding verse reads, "Love your neighbor as yourself," that is to say, self-love/understanding/knowledge and reflective criticism are scripturally mandated before bridging the divide with others. Zev Garber Los Angeles Valley College Valley Glen, CA Copyright © 2020 Journal of Ecumenical Studies