Orthodoxy and Ecumenism (Studies in Eastern Orthodoxy, 4)

Description

This book explores the relationship between the Orthodox tradition and the ecumenical practice of engagement with other Christian traditions. The author perceives this relationship to be inconsistent since the core of Orthodoxy as professed by the Orthodox is precisely that of re-establishing the unity and catholicity of the Church of Christ. Cover Contents Acknowledgements Introduction The Orthodox journey after the Schism The constant fight for survival Internal disagreements Nationalism Ecumenism: A very brief historical outline The Edinburgh World Missionary Conference Faith and Order Life and Work The Orthodox initiative The Anglican ‘Appeal to All Christian People’ The World Council of Churches Roman-Catholic participation in the ecumenical movement The Special Commission on Orthodox Participation within the WCC Chapter 1 Orthodoxy and the Orthodox Orthodox/Orthodoxy: Historical appearance and development of the term The Orthodox: Non-Orthodox antinomy Orthodoxy as exclusive unity Orthodoxy as sacramental/Eucharistic communion The Orthodox Church as inheritor and continuator of tradition Orthodoxy as a ‘breathing’ tradition Chapter 2 A fresh theological vision of ecumenism Reflections on the beginnings of the ecumenical movement Ecumenism as quest for unity Ecumenism as a spiritual state Ecumenism as theology and action Ecumenism as return to the one Church Ecumenism as a permanent calling to all theology and as an ongoing process Ecumenism as participatory endeavour, theological and spiritual process Ecumenism and (pre-) methodology Chapter 3 Problems faced by Orthodoxy vis-à-vis ecumenism The predicament The simple rationale The Orthodox Church is the one true Church There can be only one true Church of Christ: churches that are not Orthodox are outside the one true Church. Reunion of Christians would mean re-joining the one true Church Anti-ecumenical positions from the Orthodox The Protestant ethos, the ‘parallel’ ecclesiology, the ‘dilution’ and ‘double-thought’ of Orthodox ecclesiological understanding Radical positions Non-Orthodox errors: The Thyateira Confession Loss and neglect of the Holy Tradition Interruption of apostolic continuation Denying honour to saints The purely scholarly interpretation of the Bible The Sacrament of the Eucharist Chapter 4 Negotiating Orthodox discomfort towards ecumenism ‘Basic Principles of Attitude to the Non-Orthodox’ The Orthodox Church is the Church Unity as reconstitution of the One Church Inside/outside the Church Orthodoxy as matrix for unity Revisiting the themes so far The Orthodox mission for humanity Chapter 5 A new Orthodox paradigm for approaching ecumenism Four essential themes 1. Journeying together. The ongoing engagement 2. Unity as core of Christian life and identity 3. Ecumenism as spiritual enterprise 4. Ecumenism as a koinonia of diversities Journeying together: The ongoing engagement Unity as core of Christian life and identity Ecumenism as spiritual enterprise Ecumenism as a koinonia of diversities Chapter 6 The consubstantial humanity Reflections on the paradigms that inform a new ecumenical vision The consubstantial humanity Conclusion The study Orthodoxy and the Orthodox Ecumenism Orthodoxy and ecumenism New paradigms The thesis Possible directions Bibliography Primary Sources Other Sources Index