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The author responds to comments made on his article on the history of antisemitism in Christianity. Topics discussed include Catholic documents that have caused dismay within the Catholic community and its ecumenical and interreligious partners and the relationship between antisemitism and anti-Judaism.

The article is a personal theological reflection on ecumenism and inter-religious dialogue by one of the commission of drafters of the Ecumenical Patriarchate's 2020 social teaching text For the Life of the World: Toward an Orthodox Social Ethos (=FLOW). The text argues that FLOW, despite being innovative for Orthodoxy, needs its boundaries expanded theologically. The section on Christian ecumenism is still quite conservative in character. It acknowledges that the Orthodox Church is committed to ecumenism but it does not explicitly acknowledge the ecclesiality of non-Orthodox churches. The author puts forward a form of qualified ecclesiological exclusivism that affirms that non-Orthodox churches are tacitly Orthodox containing "a grain of Orthodoxy" (Sergii Bulgakov). Strangely, FLOW's section on inter-religious dialogue is much more radical than its section on ecumenism. The author builds theologically on FLOW's positive affirmation of other religions as containing "seeds of the Word", in particular, Islam containing 'beauty and spiritual truths' and Judaism as being Orthodoxy's "elder brother." The essay ends by sketching a Trinitarian theology of other religions drawing on ideas from Maximus the Confessor, Bulgakov, Hans Urs von Balthasar and Raimundo Panikkar amongst others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paul uses the word ἑνότης twice in Ephesians (4:3, 13), and quite strangely, those are the only two places where the feminine noun features in the whole of the New Testament. In the two passages where they appear, they both relate to invisible unity, the unity of the Spirit that produces a common faith and knowledge of the Son of God - εἰς τὴν ἑνότητα τῆς πίστεως καὶ τῆς ἐπιγνώσεως τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ. Such unity suggests that ecumenism amongst Christian denominations is not only a possibility, it is also a necessity as far as we all profess one Christ. This unity is however far from ecclesiological unionism. Considering that the church appears weak from the outside when its diverse lines of doctrine, sacraments and ministerial ethics are emphasised. This suggests that a reasonable antidote would be the emphasis on the philosophy of unity amidst our diversity especially to the hearing of non-Christians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Studia Oecumenica is the property of Editorial Office of the Faculty of Theology at the University of Opole and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Studia Oecumenica is the property of Editorial Office of the Faculty of Theology at the University of Opole and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The most important milestones and stages of the genesis of Ukrainian Orthodoxy are considered, the causes of the elimination of autocephaly of the Kyiv Metropolia and dependence on the Moscow Patriarchate are revealed. Dependence on the royal power of Russian Orthodoxy and a similar process of influence on the Ukrainian church were traced. The article reveals the process of becoming a single local Orthodox Church as a natural phenomenon of modern unity of the three Orthodox denominations. The relationship between religion and law, their transformation and influence on social processes in the country are determined. On the basis of the analysis of the contemporary socio-political and geopolitical situation, the actual vision of the development of the association of Ukrainian Orthodoxy is proposed. It emphasizes the decisive role in this process of not only church and state institutions, but also civil society. The reasons for the division of Ukrainian Orthodoxy into three churches during the period of Ukraine’s independence and the influence of recent events, in particular the Revolution of Dignity, on the revival of the Single Local Orthodox Church have been analyzed. Details of the period of the past two years, which contributed to the receipt of tomos from the Ecumenical Church on autocephaly. The emphasis is placed on the fact that the revival of the autocephalous church is of fundamental importance for the establishment of the unity and independence of the Ukrainian state and is one of the final stages of the Ukrainian state-building of the present. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Twenty years after the conclusion of the Ecumenical Decade of the Churches in Solidarity with Women, this article considers the development and the need for inclusion of gender in the sphere of theological reflection and education in Latin America and the Caribbean. Rather than a historical account, it proposes an approach that works toward thinking about and developing a new form of relationship between women and men, and between them and today's society and church. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A consultation commemorating the 20th anniversary of the culmination of the Ecumenical Decade of the Churches in Solidarity with Women took place in Kingston, Jamaica, in October 2018 to reflect on the achievements and challenges in building a just community of all people in church and society, and to strengthen ecumenical collaboration in reading the signs of the times. The Decade was launched in 1988, following a decision of the central committee of the World Council of Churches (WCC). It was "addressed to churches and to women at the local level to empower women to challenge structures and to respond to the issues in the society around them" and focused on "the situation of women in the churches as well as the churches' participation in improving the conditions for women in society." It concluded in December 1998 with a festival held in Harare, Zimbabwe, immediately before the WCC's 8th Assembly. The global consultation in October 2018, hosted by the Jamaica Council of Churches, gathered intergenerational women and men from WCC member churches and their theological institutions and ecumenical partners. Below we document several of the contributions at the Jamaica consultation as well as the report of the event. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author reflects on dangers of human difference and foments Islamophobia and Mexiphobia all the while refusing to denounce white supremacy and history and anthropology of religion in the Congo. It mentions episodes of religious violence and attention to religion's extraordinary powers of social, political, and cultural legitimation and to the ways in which religion shapes human minds and controls human bodies. It also mentions interreligious dialogue and ecumenism.

Pope Francis' encyclical on "Care for our common home," Laudato si', marked a turning point in the social doctrine of the Roman Catholic Church. In this article I argue that the structure of the encyclical, using the "See‐Judge‐Act" methodology and the "cry of the earth and the cry of the poor" as leitmotivs, can be seen as contributions of Latin American liberation theology. Furthermore, I show with examples that the encyclical catalyzes what the ecumenical movement has been saying and doing for decades, especially through the leadership of His All Holiness the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew on ecological issues and the work of the World Council of Churches striving for eco‐justice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the World War II incarceration of Japanese Americans, visions of a peaceful new world order led mainline Protestants to manipulate the worship practices of incarcerated Japanese Americans (Nikkei) to strengthen unity of the church and nation. Ecumenical leaders saw possibilities within the chaos of incarceration and war to improve themselves, their church, and the world through these experiments based on ideals of Protestant ecumenism and desires for racial equality and integration. This essay explores why agendas that restricted the autonomy of racial minorities were doomed to fail and how Protestants can learn from this experience to expand their definition of unity to include pluralist representations of Christianity and America as imagined by different sects and ethnic groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the World War II incarceration of Japanese Americans, visions of a peaceful new world order led mainline Protestants to manipulate the worship practices of incarcerated Japanese Americans (Nikkei) to strengthen unity of the church and nation. Ecumenical leaders saw possibilities within the chaos of incarceration and war to improve themselves, their church, and the world through these experiments based on ideals of Protestant ecumenism and desires for racial equality and integration. This essay explores why agendas that restricted the autonomy of racial minorities were doomed to fail and how Protestants can learn from this experience to expand their definition of unity to include pluralist representations of Christianity and America as imagined by different sects and ethnic groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article illuminates the precarious uncertainty in grassroots ecumenism where highly politicised, fractious Christian churches, and a strong state regime, struggle to own, interpret and re-align the public legacies of genocide. The relationship between the new Pentecostal churches, which arrived in Rwanda after the 1994 genocide, and the historically dominant Catholic Church is shifting and complex. Although the new Pentecostal churches criticise the Catholic Church for its complicity in the genocide, they require it as a foil against which they can make certain kinds of claims about spiritual authenticity and authority. By examining the controversies that erupted during a supposedly unifying Christian crusade, Rwanda Thanksgiving Day or Rwanda Shima Imana, I explore the extent to which ecumenism is possible in the post-genocide period. Far from being a trivial misunderstanding between a Catholic singer and a Pentecostal pastor, at stake during the crusade were dramatically different understandings of God's presence in the world, calling into question the very possibility of ecumenical co-operation. These competing understandings are examined in the wider context of Rwandan politics and transnational evangelical Christian networks in order to show that ecumenism is highly dependent on the relationship between various religious denominations and the state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information related to ecumenical movement. It discusses the theses that iniated Reformation and public statements of the World Council of Churches (WCC) executive committee on various issues including on struggles of churches in Jerusalem, on situation in Iraq, and detention of Bishop Carlos Morales of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente in the Philippines.

Five hundred years after the start of the Protestant Reformation, what are the possibilities for individual and ecclesial ecumenism between Protestants and Catholics? What are the possibilities for common prayer, shared worship, preaching the gospel, church union, and dialogue with those who are religiously unaffiliated? Why should we commemorate or celebrate this anniversary? [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Copyright of Kirchliche Zeitgeschichte: Internationale Zeitschrift für Theologie und Geschichtswissenschaft is the property of Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht GmbH & Co. KG and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper is the result of a documentary and bibliographic research carried out in the general archive of the Latin American Episcopal Council, Celam. It focuses on its contribution to ecumenical dialogue during its sixty years of history. It presents the people involved in the process, the contributions of the General Assemblies of the Episcopate and their main theological and ecumenical emphasis. It also highlights the evolution of the concepts, the influence of the Ecclesiology of Communion and of the missionary discipleship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on the Church of Christ in China - a visible fruit of the church unity movement in early twentieth-century China - as a case study. Through examining its formation and development from 1927 to 1937, especially its progress in the advocacy of ecumenism in China, this paper aims to explore how the idea of ecumenism had been transplanted, rooted, accommodated and applied in the Chinese context during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. This paper argues that, although the Chinese vision of ecumenism was derived from the West, it had taken a rather different path and reflected an indigenous understanding of ecumenism and ecclesiology. The case of the CCC demonstrated that national requirements played a significant role in reshaping the universal Christian message. The Christian message, in this case the vision of ecumenism, would always have to revise and incarnate itself in the local context which it encountered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The distance from Pope Pius XI's Mortalium animos in 1928, forbidding Catholic participation in gatherings of non- Catholics, to the Joint Declaration on Justification signed by the Vatican and the Lutheran World Federation in 1999, beggars measurement. The landscape had to change, and it was a whole range of creative rememberings and prudent forgettings that altered the lay of the theological and ecclesial land. We need to be alert to the way memory works; its shape- shifting is influenced by serendipity, art, academic fashion, the counter- intuitive, chronological snobbery (and regret), and research itself. Denominational bones ache, while ecumenical hearts are strangely warmed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the importance of individual churches and the international exchange to promote justice and peace through an ecumenical diversity. It highlights the context of the protest movement against the Vietnam War. It also cites the involvement of the churches in the search for peace and ecumenical cooperation.

The article presents a speech by Ahmad Al-Tayyeb, former president of al-Azhar University, delivered at the 70th anniversary celebrations of the Ecumenical Institute in Bossey, Switzerland on October 1, 2016. Topics included the representation of the monotheistic religions, the right of people to live in freedom, justice, and peace and the implementation of justice and equality.

The article focuses on promotion of principles regarding adoption of non-violence employment by the World Council of Churches (WCC). Topics discussed include condemnation of violence with religious justifications, information related to the Decade to Overcome Violence (DOV) in 2001-2010 as ecumenical movement, decisions of the WCC central committee through a meeting in June 22-28, 2016 at Trondheim, Norway over peace building and involvement of religious leaders in inter-religious dialogue.

An essay is presented that is adapted from a January 24, 2015 speech at the 2015 Trinity Institute Conference on the theme "Creating Common Good" by Episcopal Church Bishop Julio E. Murray of Panama. Topics include inequality in relation to neoliberal economics, the AGAPE (Alternative Globalization Addressing People and Earth) proposal of the organization World Council of Churches, and the marginality of prophetic calls for justice. Also noted are the importance of ecumenism and civil society.

This article addresses the role of the ecumenical organization, the World Alliance for Promoting International Friendship through the Churches, in the complicated process of religious and political rapprochement between Bulgaria and Yugoslavia in the 1920s and 1930s. It argues that the Bulgarian and Yugoslav National Committees of the World Alliance formed a diplomatic channel for tackling the problems between the two countries, predominantly the question of Macedonia, but ultimately the rapprochement process between the two countries failed due to the outbreak of World War II. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inspired by a critical reading of James Scott'sThe Art of Not Being Governed(2009) which argued that Highlanders in Southeast Asia have intentionally evaded ‘state capture and state formations’, I offer a contrasting vision of Highlander motivations and desires from the Central Highlands of Vietnam. I argue that, in pre-colonial times, lowland states and Highland regions have been mutually constitutive through trade, tribute and feasts. Economic, political and ritual exchanges and connections were far more important for both uplands and lowlands than is usually acknowledged, not only in scholarship but in such phrases as ‘remote and backward areas’. For postcolonial Vietnam, I show that Highlanders were often motivated by the desire to become modern, and enacted such desires by joining ecumenes that embody modern universals, in particular revolutionary and Christian ecumenes, exemplifying oppositional pathways to modernity that contrast with those offered by authors Tania Li and Holly High. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents perspectives that are being framed amongst social, academic, and political sectors in Latin America and the Caribbean. Topics include alternatives to the regions' economic model that are rooted in their faith and based on an ecumenical perspective, and challenges for the regions' churches and the ecumenical movement based on these experiences and debates.

The article discusses German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer's continuing challenge and influence on the ecumenical movement in the 21st century. Topics include the threads that link together Bonhoeffer's destiny with that of the ecumenical movement, his calls for a status confessionis related to apartheid, nuclear weapons or the global economy, and the need for authoritative witness by the church about war and violence, justice and injustice, and hunger and poverty.

Would it be fair to say that religious people in general are more suspicious of the believers of other religions than of those who claim to have no faith at all? If the pivotal role of religiosity consists in bringing meaning and order to human life, why should different religions see their respective "orders" as threatening one another? Isn't it possible to trust in the midst of the multi-ordered reality of world faiths while acknowledging the presence (in all religions) of the untruth despite all the truth? This paper seeks to explore those and similar questions by means of elaborating on religions as potential contributors to a global ecumenism. Building upon insights of Charles Taylor and Hans Küng, I show in what sense the world religions can be considered the source of order as well as disorder and how the plurality of religiouslybased "orders" can be accepted and embraced with trust rather than suspicion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The question of whether ecumenism has made much progress in recent times is debated. The author argues that ecumenism has made substantial progress but that there are still many practical obstacles or problems which impede progress. These problems are mainly of an attitudinal, cognitive and conative nature although managerial and financial problems are also included. The article identifies and describes the problems and suggests some possible remedies while pointing out significant theological insights as appropriate. The author concludes that it is clear there is a connection between renewal, change and ecumenism and that transformational action is a key to making greater ecumenical progress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay derives from an address to the inaugural meeting of the third major phase of work of the Anglican - Roman Catholic International Commission (arcic) at the Monastery of Bose, Italy in May 2011. arcic is the official organ for formal bilateral dialogue between the Anglican Communion and the Roman Catholic Church. The methods devised by successive generations of arcic theologians have been highly influential in shaping the work of other bilateral ecumenical dialogues. The first half of the essay reviews and comments on the reception to-date within Europe of the first and second major phases of arcic's work: arcic I (1971-1982) and arcic II (1987-2005). The second half then turns to identify the appropriate strategy for this crucial new phase of work, arcic III (2011-present). Throughout the essay clear recognition is given to the fact that arcic III is operating in a very different ecumenical context and in relation to a different set of challenges to those which prevailed when the classical arcic strategy was devised and as such requires a fresh strategic approach. The approach to contemporary ecumenical engagement and learning known as Receptive Ecumenism is presented here as providing this needed fresh strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The birth and rapid growth of new religious movements in Zimbabwe is a marked phenomenon in the history of Christianity in Africa. Ever since the Reformation that split the Western Church in the 16th century, a number of efforts have since been made by various new religious movements to try and foster ecumenism amongst the deeply divided ecclesiastical communities. Whilst great strides have since been made in critical areas such as common witnessing, inter-religious dialogue, common prayers, mixed marriages, ecumenism in faculties of theology, among other areas, one key element of ecumenism, namely, the common celebration of the Eucharist has always remained very remote and a no go area. To a greater extent, the Roman Catholic authorities in particular have been accused of dragging their feet or taking a 'distant and detached' approach to the same practice.1 This current article specifically examines the Light of Life Christian Group's (LLCG) vision of ecumenism, particularly its practice of Eucharistic intercommunion that dates back to the early 1970s. The main argument developed in this article is that, whilst LLCG may stand in sharp opposition to the traditional Christian (particularly Catholic) view with regard to sharing the Eucharist with non-Catholics and norms governing the formation of public associations, it has made a breakthrough in the realization of the highest goal of ecumenism. To a greater extent, it has also succeeded in uniting the various denominations that for centuries had been separated by doctrine, history and practice. The article also argues that whilst LLCG's breakthrough is of pinnacle importance in the history of Christianity in Zimbabwe in particular, it is also unique in the sense that, instead of starting from above, from popes and bishops as is always expected and canonically constituted, the breakthrough has started from below. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses ecclesiology in the Protestant Church of China. Topics include the emergence of Chinese Protestantism as the most vital of the Christian movements as of 2015, China's lack of real theologically well-founded nationwide ecclesiastical structures, and Chinese Protestantism's representation of the most advanced realization of ecumenism.

Protestantism was illegal in eighteenth-century France, yet many French Reformed Protestants, better known as Huguenots, managed to maintain their religion and identity until the French Revolution granted religious freedom. Several thousand of them lived in Paris, but remained a tiny minority in a very Catholic city. Given this context, and little access to pastors or collective worship, what kind of Protestantism did they observe? This article suggests that, like other minority groups, their religious practice and thinking were influenced both by the Catholic environment in which they lived and by the culture of the late eighteenth-century city. By 1789 they had moved away from certain Calvinist traditions, and some of them had adopted a surprising ecumenism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction is presented in which the editor discusses articles in the issue on topics including Christian churches in Asia, demographic and cultural shift in Asia, and ecumenism in Asia.

In this study the differences in ecumenical worldview development are examined by race for 3,300 college students from 135 institutions. Results indicate that all students exhibited significant growth through college in ecumenical worldview, and students of color (Black, Asian, and Latino students) exhibited significantly higher levels of ecumenical worldview than White students. Prosocial involvement experiences that significantly predicted ecumenical worldview for at least 2 groups in the study were leadership training, activism, and political campaigning. These findings point to the importance of prosocial cocurricular experiences in contributing to ecumenical worldview development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores the pacifism of Protestant leader Martin Niemöller. The author reflects on the impact of the Second World War and Niemöller's abandonment of ultra-nationalism for non-violence and leadership in the German ecumenical movement. Emphasis is given to topics such as Germany's role in the Korean War, remilitarization, and Niemöller's relations with Protestants in the Soviet Union during the Cold War.

The article presents a collection of essays, presented papers and talks on ecumenism and interfaith relations by Australian Roman Catholic Bishop Michael Putney who has been a leader in national and international ecumenical movement. It discusses the foundations of ecumenism, the methodologies of productive dialogue and the ecumenical cornerstones. It notes the twin pillars of ecumenism the love and truth and the charity and faith.

The article discusses the history of the ecumenical movement. Particular focus is given to the author's experiences as a religious scholar active during the movement's development in the late 20th century and to his relationship with the "Journal of Ecumenical Studies" (J.E.S.). Topics discussed include communism, the relationship between Marxism and Christianity, and interfaith dialogue between Jews, Christians, and Muslims.

This essay discusses the importance of scriptural reasoning, comparative theology and receptive ecumenism to religious and theological inquiry, particularly Catholic studies. It describes how academic and seminary research and education could be influenced by scriptural reasoning's relational model of cognition. It also comments on the manners in which comparative theology and receptive ecumenism may complement such influence.

This essay examines the new approaches for "thinking outside the ecumenical box" that were discussed and practiced during the ecumenical and interfaith conference held in Assisi, Italy, in April, 2012. It outlines the approach that the conference as a whole adopted (building upon Roger Haight's ecumenical ecclesiology), whereby participants first explored "What Remains Divisive?" Next, they considered "Where We Dwell in Common," and, finally, in light of a comparison of the two, they explored new ways to "Reenergize the Ecumenical and Interfaith Cause." Among the particular issues discussed are the lessons that ecumenical and interfaith conversations can learn from processes of peace-building and conflict-resolution. Of special significance here is recent discourse concerning "Tracks of Diplomacy" and the possibility of finding a pathway for dialogue that bridges discourse at the official and grassroots levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the role of the Second Vatican Council (Vatican II) in the ecumenical movement, with a particular focus on the author's views as an Orthodox Christian. The author stresses the importance of interfaith dialogue. It is suggested that an important legacy of Vatican II is an increased emphasis on conciliarity in Church decision-making. Details on the role of Vatican II in the downfall of communist governments in Eastern Europe are also presented. Other topics include the primacy of the Bishop of Rome and the role of the laity in the Church.

This essay challenges the underlying assumption that American religion in the Cold War was nationalistic, militant, and blindly obsessed with anti-communism. Instead, it draws attention to liberal mainline Protestants who, from their experience in the ecumenical and missionary movements, called for decolonisation, nuclear and conventional disarmament, and unconditional dialogue with the Soviets and recognition of China; they were also concerned with racism, poverty, and disease. In the late 1940s and into the 1950s, these religious Americans not only represented the first serious challenge to containment from within, they also anticipated the global nature of the Cold War and the dominant transnational concerns of the post-1960 international system. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The essay reflects on impairment and disabilities within the framework of Christian ecumenical movement, which is based on accepting differences among Christian confessions, churches and denominations. The author highlights the issue of plurality of faith as against manifestations of all kinds of oppressive discriminatory practices. A recognition of these practices is seen by the author as a way to accepting the peace Jesus Christ has given to his disciples.

The article reports on a conference on the history of church-operated and faith-based social services since the 1960s, held in Bochum, Germany, from September 5-7, 2012. Topics of discussion included the attitudes of the Christian churches to social change in Western societies, feminism and religion, and the role of the ecumenical movement in international politics.

While Paul Tillich’s theological legacy remains alive and well in a wide range of intellectual conversations, his identity as a church theologian and his unique contributions to ecclesiology are often overlooked. This article argues that Tillich provides a substantive and relevant ecclesiological proposal rooted in Christology and pneumatology. Tillich’s thoroughgoing integration of ecclesiology with his overall theological system along with the critical methodological principle of Catholic Substance and the Protestant Principle demand rigorous reflection and have the potential to equip today’s Church as it engages the diverse challenges facing the worldwide communion. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]