Unity Of Faith Research Articles

Spirituality unites Ukraine – the Tenth International Passenger Assembly-2018 the ways of the overcoming of political and spiritual stagnation of society

Spirituality unites Ukraine – the Tenth International Passenger Assembly-2018 the ways of the overcoming of political and spiritual stagnation of society

Specyfika wyrokowania w kanonicznym procesie skróconym o nieważność małżeństwa

The briefer process of the nullity of marriage is one of the most important reform introduced by Pope Francis in motu proprio Mitis Iudex Dominus Iesus . This new institu­tion attributes to the diocesan bishop a very direct and decisive role which emphasizes his importance as a first judge in the particular Church for which he was entrusted. According to MIDI the judge is to be the bishop himself, who, due to his pastoral office, is with Peter the greatest guarantor of Catholic unity in faith and discipline. In the briefer process of the nullity of marriage the diocesan bishop, having consulted with the instructor and the assessor and having considered the observations of the defender of the bond and, if there are any, the defense briefs of the parties, is to issue the sentence, if moral certitude about the nullity of marriage is reached. The bishop does not reach his decision based on a subjective opinion but on a judgment about what is certain and possible to proof on the basis of the evidence and arguments that have been presented in the process. The only definitive decision the bishop may make is that the nullity of marriage is estab­lished, which decision is executable if it is not appealed after fifteen days from publication of the definitive sentence. There is no room for a negative sentence because when the bishop is not morally certain of nullity of marriage then he issues a decree and refers the case to the ordinary method.

Unity of Faith in Diversity of Liturgical Expression: An Ecumenical Approach from a Catholic Perspective by Means of the “Anglican Use of the Roman Rite”

Prosper of Aquitaine’s well-known ancient Christian principle “lex orandi, lex credendi” (“the law of praying [is] the law of believing”––and vice versa) refers to the indispensable relationship be...

«Воспой гласом, воспой духом». Духовная лирика старообрядческих поморских общин Верхокамья

«Воспой гласом, воспой духом». Spiritual lyric poetry of Old Believers Pomors communities inhabiting Upper Kama RiverThe article contains broad discussion of well-preserved traditional Christian culture in the community of Priestless Old-Believers of the ‘Pomortsy-Vygovtsy’ faction located at the springhead of Kama River. The community of the Kama Old-Believers is situated on a small area (60 x 60 kilometers) where numerous oral and written relics of spiritual culture were found by the Moscow State University archaeographers. Unique richness and good preserving of a spiritual poem results from the division of the community in the middle of the 19th century into two groups – ‘dyomintsy’ and ‘maximovtsy’ for personal and geographical and not doctrinal reasons. Each group despite unity of faith tried to be more religious and better preserve their tradition. The introductory part contains general description of the lyrics which are the result of spiritual life of the Old-Believers community as well as detailed discussion of the research work and publications devoted to Kama Old-Believers. What follows is a deep analysis showing the character, depth of faith and preserving traditions which are included in the spiritual poetry of people working the soil who are directly connected with nature. Significant space devoted to quoting the proems and discussing the essence of numerous spiritual lyrics in the analytical frame proposed by the author.

A Wesleyan-Holiness Perspective on The Church : Towards a Common Vision

Although Church: Towards a Common Vision (TCTCV) presents an excellent theological statement about the church, it fails to inspire ecumenical cooperation in sacramental life and in service because of unrealistic assessments about the theory and practice of churches. I write as a Wesleyan-Holiness theologian who has been involved with ecumenical and interfaith work with commissions (now known as convening tables) of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA (NCCC) for more than a dozen years. I have dialogued, presented, and published articles and a book on the subject matter. Most of my service has been on behalf of the Wesleyan Theological Society, which has supported commissions of the NCCC for four decades. addition, I also represent perspectives from the Society of Friends, which united with the Wesleyan-Holiness tradition in founding Azusa Pacific University in southern California. At the University, I teach in the Seminary, and I am heavily invested in promoting both the theory (beliefs, values) and practice (ministries) of churches. reading TCTCV, I was once again amazed by the excellent work in ecclesiastical scholarship, articulating Gods Mission and the of the Church, existing as the of the Triune God, and how churches are Growing in Communion, In and for the World, to quote the chapter titles. (1) World Council of Churches provides outstanding statements of belief and value about the nature of the church. However, theoretical excellence in describing the church does not always translate into persuasive and effective ministerial and mission-oriented practice that supports the ecclesiastical theory. fact, throughout my years of service on behalf of the commissions on and Order and on Interfaith Relations, I have been concerned about how little the good theoretical work we did translated into practicable applications on behalf of the day-to-day lives of Christians and churches. As commissions, we found it challenging to produce outcomes that implemented our beliefs and values, no matter how good they were, in the pews, worship practices, ministries, and mission work. Let me examine a sample statement from the Conclusion of TCTCV in order to illustrate my concerns. Its first sentence begins by saying: The of the body of Christ consists in the gift of koinonia or communion that God graciously bestows upon human beings. (2) This statement reflects stirring work on the Greek word which talks about the communion, fellowship, and sharing that occurs in churches. Indeed, the biblical concept of koinonia has powerfully shaped Christians and churches in the past, and it continues to be fruitful in articulating ecclesiastical relations in the future. second sentence of the Conclusion affirms a about the excellence of koinonia for ecumenical and interfaith work. (3) Indeed, I agree that the biblical concept increasingly finds favor among Christians and churches as a way to conceptualize the Christian Unity advocated by the and Order Convening Table: Faith and Order affirms the oneness of the Church of Jesus Christ and keeps before the churches the Gospel call to visible in one and one Eucharistic communion, expressed in worship and in common life in Christ, in order that the world may believe. (4) entirety of the aforementioned sentence in the Conclusion says: There is a growing consensus that koinonia, as communion with the Holy Trinity, is manifested in three interrelated ways: in faith, in sacramental life, and in service (in all its forms, including ministry and mission). (5) Although I agree that there is growing consensus about the concept of koinonia, I do not agree that it is manifested in the three interrelated ways suggested above. First, there may, indeed, be a unity in faith (that is, doctrine) discoverable in such ecumenical publications as TCTCV. …

Exploring a Common Vision for the Church for a North American Context: The 2014 North American Academy of Ecumenists Conference—President’s Introduction

Exploring a Common Vision for the Church for a North American Context: The 2014 North American Academy of Ecumenists Conference—President’s Introduction Mitzi J. Budde (bio) Keywords ecclesiology, ecumenism, ecumenical, koinonia. –North American Academy of Ecumenists, World Council of Churches The essays in this collection were presented at the annual conference of the North American Academy of Ecumenists (NAAE), held September 26–28, 2014, in Burbank, California. This was the Academy’s first joint conference, and it was co-sponsored by the Faith and Order Commission of the Southern California Ecumenical Council. The Western Diocese of the Armenian Church of North America hosted the conference at its magnificent new cathedral, dedicated in 2011, the Cathedral of St. Leon in Burbank. The theme of the conference was ecumenical ecclesiology, focused particularly on the 2013 convergence document from the Faith and Order Commission of the World Council of Churches (WCC), The Church: Towards a Common Vision (TCTCV).1 This document is a remarkable ecumenical achievement, as it is only the second WCC convergence document in its eighty years (the first having been the 1982 Lima document, Baptism, Eucharist, and Ministry2 [BEM]). The Academy undertook to study this new convergence text and to explore its relevance and significance, particularly for a North American context. [End Page 202] The Significance of the TCTCV Text What is distinctive about The Church: Towards a Common Vision? First, TCTCV seeks to “serve the churches in three ways,” providing “information, reaction and growth”: (1) by providing a synthesis of the results of ecumenical dialogue about important ecclesiological themes in recent decades; (2) by inviting them to appraise the results of this dialogue—confirming positive achievements, pointing out deficiencies and/or indicating areas that have not received sufficient attention; and (3) by providing an occasion for the churches to reflect upon their own understanding of the Lord’s will so as to grow towards greater unity (cf. Eph. 4:12–16).3 Second, TCTCV’s overarching methodology, koinonia ecclesiology, takes the concept further than previous ecumenical documents, as discussed by John Gibaut in his first keynote address. TCTCV asserts: “There is a growing consensus that koinonia, as communion with the Holy Trinity, is manifested in three interrelated ways: unity in faith, unity in sacramental life, and unity in service (in all its forms, including ministry and mission).”4 Third, TCTCV is distinctive in the themes it explores: the Church as “a community of witness,” “a community of worship,” and “a community of discipleship.”5 This document seeks to bring together issues both of faith and order and of life and work, addressing questions of justice, morality, interreligious dialogue, and concern for the poor and suffering alongside traditional ecclesiological questions of sacraments and ministry. This effort is reflected in its structure: The Church: Towards a Common Vision opens with a chapter exploring how the Christian community finds its origin in the mission of God for the saving transformation of the world. The Church is essentially missionary, and unity is essentially related to this mission. The second chapter sets out the salient features of an understanding of the Church as Communion, gathering the results of much common reflection both about how Scripture and subsequent tradition relate the Church to God and some of the consequences of this relation for the life and structure of the Church. The third [End Page 203] chapter focuses upon the growth of the Church as the pilgrim people moving towards the kingdom of God, especially upon several difficult ecclesiological questions that have divided the churches in the past. It registers the progress towards greater convergence about some of these issues and clarifies points about which churches may need to seek further convergence. The fourth chapter develops some significant ways in which the Church relates to the world as a sign and agent of God’s love, such as proclaiming Christ within an interreligious context, witnessing to the moral values of the Gospel and responding to human suffering and need.6 What commends the text of TCTCV for the same depth and breadth of study, analysis, and response that the churches gave to BEM in the 1980’s? TCTCV is a tour de force...

Book Review: Learning Christ: Ignatius of Antioch and the Mystery of Redemption

Learning Christ: Ignatius of Antioch and the Mystery of Redemption. By Gregory Vail. Washington, D.C.: Catholic University of America Press, 2013. xiv + 401 pp. $69.95 (cloth).Gregory Vail introduces Learning Christ as theological exploration of the economy of redemption, based on a historically informed exegesis of Ignatius's letters (p. 1). Vail argues that Ignatius's theology is cohesive, penetrating, and even somewhat comprehensive, despite the occasional nature of his letters. He examines Ignatius's theology through an approach he refers to as a hermeneutic of understanding and empathy (p. 6). He argues that understanding comes through conversation in which the interlocutor genuinely seeks truth rather than the acceptance of his or her own ideas. After this introduction, Vail turns in chapter 1 to what he understands to be the foundation for interpreting Ignatius's letters, namely, the redemptive economy which Ignatius explicates through creative allusions to Pauline, Matthean, and Johannine writings. This position contrasts with much contemporary Ignatian scholarship, which is summarized in chapter 2. Vail is aware that some of what he sees following from an empathetic reading may be understood as maximalist by others, but he acutely applies his methodology without being simplistic.The remainder of the book is divided into two parts. Chapters 3, 4, and 5 examine three aspects of the redemptive economy which Ignatius outlines in terms of unity. First Vail explores the unity of Jesus and the Father by looking at Ignatius's Christology, pneumatology, and incipient Trinitarian theology. Then he turns to Ignatius's understanding of humanity by looking at the unity of flesh and spirit. In chapter 5 Vail looks at the unity of faith and love within Ignatius's writings. Although Ignatius's conception of faith has been read as a deviation from the Pauline conception, Vail argues that Ignatius does not abandon Pauline faith, but understands faith to include a teleological orientation which must be lived through love.In part two, chapters 6 through 10, Vail examines Ignatius's understanding of several aspects of redemption as they occur in history. He first explores how Ignatius understands the relationship between Judaism and Christianity and helpfully situates Ignatius's letters among other secondcentury texts to show that Ignatius is more theologically nuanced than is often recognized, and then looks at the interplay between word and silence. Vail argues that Ignatius articulates his incipient Trinitarian theology through this paradox and teaches bishops to follow Jesus by teaching through action. Vail next explores Ignatius's understanding of Jesus' baptism as a hinge that links the incarnation and passion in Jesus' life as well as the church's sacramental practice. …

Divine Worship: Occasional Services . A Presentation

After the promulgation of the apostolic constitution Anglicanorum coetibus in 2009, there was significant interest and speculation regarding what would be the liturgical provision for Personal Ordinariates for Anglicans entering into full communion with the Catholic Church. While the new Ordinariates may always celebrate the sacred liturgy according to the Roman Rite, the Ordinariates are granted the faculty “to celebrate the Holy Eucharist and the other Sacraments, the Liturgy of the Hours and other liturgical celebrations according to the liturgical books proper to the Anglican tradition, which have been approved by the Holy See, so as to maintain the liturgical, spiritual and pastoral traditions of the Anglican Communion within the Catholic Church, as a precious gift nourishing the faith of the members of the Ordinariate and as a treasure to be shared.” The author offers an overview of Divine Worship: Occasional Services in order to highlight the richness of these texts and their conformity with Catholic faith and practice. In making these rites available for the spiritual nourishment and sanctification of her sons and daughters coming into full communion from Anglican backgrounds so, the Church has also given eloquent expression to a fundamental principle for the ecumenical movement: the unity of faith which is at the heart of the communion of the Church does not require a rigid uniformity of expression.

John Quincy Adams at Prayer

At seventy-three years old, John Quincy Adams embarked on a winter lecture tour to share his views “On Faith” and drew on his “intercourse with the world” to describe the “many liberal minded and intelligent persons—almost persuaded to become Christians” whom he had met. So powerful was Adams's religious message that when his youngest son came across the manuscript years later, he simply docketed it: “Two sermons/JQA.” The speech, delivered from Boston to Salem and Hartford to Brooklyn—but never printed—laid out his decades of seeking and the formulation of Adams's own theology. Overall, Adams came to believe that man's unity of faith, hope, and charity could defeat earthly ills and clarify choices in the early republic's burgeoning religious marketplace. “Faith must have its bounds, and perhaps the most difficult and delicate question in morals is to define them clearly,” Adams said, praising the American government's nonintervention in forming official articles of faith. “But allow me to say that this unbounded freedom of religious faith, far from absolving any individual from the obligation of believing, does but impose it upon them, with a tenfold force.” This insight was especially true of Adams's own religious history. Therefore this essay offers a reintroduction to America's sixth president based on the diverse circles of prayer that he moved through, and the religious poetics that he created to narrate that pilgrimage. It ends with a glimpse of the curious afterlife that American religious culture assigned to him.

Theologie der Vernunft.

AbstractPannenberg's thought intends the unity of faith and reason. This is attested by a hitherto unpublished lecture dealing with the topic „Theology of reason” from the year 1969. It develops a typology of different understandings of reason, and drafts the main features of Pannenberg's theological system.

Vers la pensée unique. La monté de l'intolérance dans l'antiquité tardive (review)

Reviewed by: Vers la pensée unique. La monté de l'intolérance dans l'antiquité tardive Leonard V. Rutgers Polymnia Athanassiadi Vers la pensée unique. La monté de l'intolérance dans l'antiquité tardive Paris: Les Belles Lettres, 2010 Pp. 192. As the author explains in the preface, this book sets out to describe the world of late antiquity as one characterized by the transformation from an anthropocentric society into a theocratic one, with religion as the single most important identifier and intolerance as the most distinctive spin-off of that transformation. Chapter One discusses two sets of paradigms in the modern study of the later Roman world: the one that stresses continuity (as evidenced by the work of Peter Brown in particular) versus a more recent one that tries to come to grips with strong new evidence supporting the more traditional notion of decline and fall, as proposed by equally illustrious scholars such as Andrea Giardina, Wolf Liebeschuetz, and Bryan Ward-Perkins. In Chapter Two, the author zooms in on developments she sees as the first step in the transformation of the Roman world, namely the emergence of a state religion starting with the policies of Decius and culminating in the reign of Constantine. Decius is credited with the transfer of religious prerogatives from city to state and is held responsible for the development of a "model of persecution." Because of all of this, Decius is seen as laying the foundation for the fragmentation and in-group conflicts that are to characterize the history of the early church down to the very end of antiquity. With regard to the phenomenon of ecumenical councils as instituted by Constantine, Athanassiadi stresses that violence was its most essential feature, underlining that it is the same sort of violence that also crops up in—and in fact permeates—the works of Eusebius of Caesarea. [End Page 321] Chapter Three, while briefly continuing the discussion of Eusebius, Constantine and his dynasty, is essentially about "the caliph of Hellenism," i.e. the emperor Julian. His efforts to institute a "pagan church" and a "unity of faith" are discussed as reflecting the spirit of the times in that such efforts were to encompass society as a whole and entailed the use of force vis-à-vis those that could not or did not want to comply. In a structural sense, Julian was as committed to furthering the cause of "monodoxy" as were his Christian contemporaries. Chapter Four deals with orthodoxy within Christianity. It treats Nestorius, heresy, Chalcedon, and, in particular, the late antique tendency to circumscribe and codify every aspect of life, as evidenced, on the one hand, by Justinian's law codes and, on the other, by the emergence of florilegia and catenae compiled by ecclesiastical writers. Inasmuch as precise definitions always result in including some and excluding others, all this codification resulted in a "climate of theological terror" that, in the end, enabled those in power to accuse of heresy not only the living, but those who had been long dead (as happened to Origen, most famously, and to others such as the Three Chapters). An epilogue or "counterpoint" rounds off the book. It briefly discusses the life of Symeon of Edessa (the Fool) and Maximus the Confessor (the Wise) as two very different examples of people in whose lives spirituality triumphed over dogma. The book under review here results from a series of lectures that were held at the Collège de France in 2006. Although revised, the original lectures have lost nothing of their original freshness: the book is well written and a joy to read; the author never beats around the bush. In particular, when it comes to characterizations or phraseology the author shows herself to be spot on throughout. Examples include the remark that the ancient Greek language did not know a separate word for "intolerance," the observation that conversion is nothing but violence by other means, or the conclusion that "to sacrifice eternal life to one's life in this world, or the opposite, was an impossible dilemma (for the average Christian)." Paragraph headings such as "Justinian and the end of laughter" likewise show that here there...

Calvin’s view on church discipline and unity: a South African perspective

The reformer John Calvin, born in 1509, considers discipline and unity as two essential aspects of the Christian church. According to him, the bond of church discipline is a way to unite church members in the truth of the Word and the Christian faith based thereupon. If discipline is exercised with exaggerated strictness and without compassion, tolerance and love, it can break the unity. Because church unity is essentially a unity of faith, or a unity in the truth of the Word, discipline can sever adulterated elements that threaten the unity from the church. Discipline, if correctly ap- plied, builds the unity of the church as a unity in religious truths.

Eucharistie Et Œcuménisme by Georges-Henri Ruyssen

Cortese also presents a warning regarding the anastatic reprint of Diplovatatius’s edition of Bartolus de Saxoferrato’s works, highlighting numerous changes and even falsification, despite the claims to the status of a reprint. The practical work of a medieval jurist is magisterially presented in Padoa Schioppa’s paper on Martino da Fano’s Formulario as well as in Condorelli’s analysis of a quaestio of Enrico Anglico, dealing with papal provisions and a canon of the Liber Sextus (VI. 1.7.2) that was clearly influenced by the quaestio. This relationship between theory and practice is naturally at the basis of all other essays dealing with consilia and their application as well. A particularly impressive example of the implications of consilia is highlighted by Wunderlich for the early sixteenth century, when the imperial city of Goslar began its economic decline because of a consilium underlying a negative decision of the Reichskammergericht. The Festschrift has one major flaw: the complete lack of any kind of index. The only guide available to a reader is the titles of the contributions . Nevertheless, the book represents a major contribution to scholarship utriusque iuris and medieval civilization. Uta-Renate Blumenthal Professor emerita Department of History The Catholic University of America Washington D.C. EUCHARISTIE ET ŒCUMÉNISME by Georges-Henri Ruyssen, SJ. Paris: Les Éditions du Cerf, 2008. Ruyssen, a Belgian professor of Eastern Canon Law at the Pontifical Oriental Institute in Rome, has taken on one of the more vexing ecumenical questions that Christians have faced in recent decades: to what extent is it possible, in view of the progress of the theological dialogues, for the faithful of different denominations to share the Eucharist? The author begins his exhaustive study of this issue with an overview of the terminology related to communicatio in sacris and an analysis of the three fundamental points of view, including the “closed communion” typical of the Orthodox, “open communion” characteristic of most Protestant communities, and the Catholic position which falls some490 the jurist book reviews 491 where in between. Catholic teaching on this point struggles to hold in tension two basic affirmations. On one hand, since the mystery of the Eucharist is indissolubly linked with the mystery of the Church, and is the most perfect expression of unity in faith, sacraments and church governance , reception is normally limited to Catholics (significatio unitatis). On the other hand, given the need that many other baptized Christians have for the spiritual nourishment of the Eucharist and the real but imperfect communion that exists with them, there are occasions when they may partake of the sacrament as a means of grace (gratia procuranda). This is possible with the Orthodox because they constitute churches with valid sacraments with which we share a high degree of communion. In the case of a Christian belonging to an eccesial community issuing from the Reformation, his or her occasional access to the Eucharist is more restricted and based on personal need as a baptized Christian. Ruyssen insists that these two principles are not contradictory but stand in a “dialectic relationship. “ Precisely how this dialectic relationship plays out is the focus of the rest of the present study. In his second chapter Ruyssen analyzes in detail the universal teaching and legislation on this question, beginning with the Second Vatican Council and continuing with the 1967 Ecumenical Directory, subsequent documents of the Secretariat for Promoting Christian Unity (SPCU), the two new codes of canon law (1983 and 1990), and finally the 1993 Ecumenical Directory. The author analyzes the authority of each of these texts, and points out some significant inconsistencies among them. In the third chapter, the author examines the norms on communicatio in sacris produced at the level of national conferences of bishops and local dioceses since the council. While these are intended to apply the universal norms to local situations, Ruyssen points out that while most of them remain within the universal parameters, others appear to have exceeded them. The book ends with a relatively brief concluding chapter, a schematic overview of the post-conciliar documents of the SPCU, and a very rich bibliography. Ruyssen focuses on some problematic questions. Among these is the position of western...

Taal en kerkeenheid: Calvyn se 1545-Kategismus in Latyn

Language and church unity: Calvin’s 1545 Catechism in Latin In 1545 Calvin wrote a catechism. He defended the fact that he had done it in Latin, saying: “I judge it useful that there should be public testimonies, whereby churches which, though widely separated by space, agree in the doctrine of Christ, may mutually recognize each other.” Although he was constantly being accused by the Roman Catholic Church of being a schismatic, Calvin’s ecumenical intentions were above re-proach. At every opportunity he stressed the sinfulness of schism from a church that bears the marks of the true church. By the time of the Reformation Latin wasn’t regarded any more as a “holy” language, but as a role model for other languages. Although the reformers increasingly propagated the use of the vernacular in religious service, they still maintained cor-respondence with each other in Latin and wrote many of their treatises in this language. The art of printing presented the same phenomenon: both vernacular and Latin (especially academic works), were produced and distributed. Calvin’s “Catechism” of 1545, written in Latin, was soon translated into many languages, even into Greek and Hebrew. Thereby Calvin reached his goal of promoting unity of faith between the different reformation churches. The fact that the catechism was written in Latin gave it a special status as church-historical document: a symbol of Calvin’s hope for church unity.

Y- GENERATION MENJADI IMAM?: PENDIDIKAN CALON IMAM KATOLIK DI INDONESIA DALAM TERANG DEKRIT OPTATAM TOTIUS

Formation of priest candidates is a very important element in the Catholic Church. The formandi (seminarians) are formed in a holistic manner to achieve the unity of faith, personal and intellectual. Formation system is prepared from Midle Seminary to High Seminary. However, changing times is inevitable. It also affects the changes in each individual, especially the seminarians. In Indonsia, the seminarians in this era can be included in Generation Y (Gen Y). Gen Y certainly bring problems and challenges in the formation process. This article aims to analyze how the Catholic Church, especially through Decret Optatam Totius, respons to issue of Gen-Y presence in Priest candidates formation. By basing the writing on ethnographic interviews, and analysis of any related text, the author described this in a systematic discussion paper. The first section, the introduction explains Y-Generation issue as a challenge that must be faced. In the second part, explains the form of education the Catholic priest candidates. Finally, elaborate the challenges, expectations, the outhor try to give proposals into the Priest candidates formation process.Key words: Y-Generation, Catholic priest candidate, leadership, responsible.

The reformed confessions and church membership ethically appraised

The reformed churches historically call themselves confessional churches, with the confessions adopted by church councils being the yardstick according to which membership is either permitted or refused. The reformed churches consequently consider it necessary for all members of the church to express agreement with the confessions. The reason why the confessions are held as the summary standard of belief is founded in the conviction that they are faithful expressions of the teachings handed down from the apostles. These confessions have been attributed a twofold purpose regarding their function in the reformed churches. Firstly, they protect believers and congregations from error, and secondly, they help attain unity of faith among the believers in the reformed churches – both at the congregational and denominational level. Currently this view is under siege from those who hold the conviction that the traditional approach of giving the confessions such prominence is too narrow and binding in terms of who may or may not be awarded membership of the reformed churches. This article seeks to consider the place of the confessions and to evaluate the claim that de-emphasis on the confessions is desirable in order to celebrate the unity of all believers. Furthermore, the article seeks to demonstrate that ethical integrity is contingent on seeking to exercise church government within the demarcation of the confessional framework.

The Invincible Allure of the Historical Jesus for Systematic Theology

With the emergence of a third 'quest for the historical Jesus', the relationship between history and theology once again comes to the fore. On one end of the spectrum are those who deny any theological significance to critical historiography. On the other end are those who insist that what is said about Jesus theologically cannot contradict what is known about him historically. The present essay explores why some form of the second position is inevitable given both the historical character of divine revelation and the ultimate unity of faith and reason.

Kerklike eenheid tussen die Nederduitsch Hervormde Kerk van Afrika en die Hervormde Kerk in Suidelike Afrika<Sup>1<Sup>

Church unity between the Nederduitsch Hervormde Kerk van Afrika and the Hervormde Kerk in Suidelike Afrika. Church unity between the Nederduitsch Hervormde Kerk van Afrika (NHKA) and the Hervormde Kerk in Suidelike Afrika (HKSA) was a (heme that was not even discussed in the past. The reason: the mission policy of the NHKA was that the HKSA should become an independent and separate church as quickly as possible. During the last years many things changed. Article III in the Polity of the NHKA was scrapped. The NHKA is now an open church. The ideology of apartheid, that the NHKA supported in many ways, has crumbled. The time has therefore arrived to start discussing the important theological theme of church unity between these two churches. In this article the view is represented that church unity is not primarily unity in organisation, but unity in faith, confession, teaching and theology. This unity in faith, however, must be made visible. Various forms of ecumenical unity are therefore proposed.

Metakritische Theologie. Überlegungen zu Gegenstand und Methode der Theologie im Gespräch mit Oswald Bayer

In discussion with Oswald Bayer's concept of theology this essay deals with the question of subject and method of theology. Bayer's understanding of theology can be clearified by the term metacritique which was first used in the debate on Kant's Critique of pure reason by Johann Georg Hamann. Thus it also describes the peculiarity of theological knowledge with regard to science, philosophy and metaphysics. Metacritical theology medi ates between science and wisdom. On the one hand it functions as radical criticism, even more critical than critical philosophy, that denies its own preconditions; on the other hand it surpasses the criticism if attempting to follow the motion of the Word of God and subordi nating itself of the knowledge of faith. The Word is the sole principle in theology (Johann Gerhard), but only discernible in many mediations and fractures by which the distinction between Law und Gospel has to be made time and again. Theological knowledge following the dramatic motion of the Word is as distinct from scientific knowledge as the conduct of the justified in faith is distinct from moral conduct in a general sense. Both, knowledge and conduct, are completed in the unity of faith and love.

One Faith: Biblical and Patristic Contributions toward Understanding Unity in Faith (review)

One Faith: Biblical and Patristic Contributions toward Understanding Unity in Faith (review)