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This article, by one of those involved in the process that led to the 1973 Leuenberg Agreement between Lutheran, Reformed, and United churches, considers the significance of the agreement and its methodology, often described as "differentiated consensus," for ecumenical efforts aimed at church unity. The article begins by reviewing the Leuenberg Agreement against the background of other models of church unity and the significance of the aim of church fellowship or communion. It then reviews how the agreement stimulated theological conversations between Lutherans and Roman Catholics, and the contribution of the insights of the Leuenberg Agreement to the process of the mutual recognition of churches, in which the communion in Jesus Christ founded in baptism plays a central role. In this process, the churches are on a pilgrimage together whose ultimate goal is the coming of the kingdom of God. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the World Council of Churches (WCC) celebrates its 75th anniversary, the world faces many challenges, including ecological crises, violence, pandemics, systemic poverty, racism, gender‐based violence, human rights violations, and the war in Ukraine that began in 2022. Taking as its basis the Unity Statement agreed at the WCC's 11th Assembly in Karlsruhe, Germany, in 2022, which met around the theme "Christ's love moves the world to reconciliation and unity," the article argues for an "ecumenism of the heart," of which the statement spoke, as a path to unity. It underlines that this is a "public theology" based not on political abstinence but on a passion for and renewed commitment to the world. The article concludes by exploring the challenges of such a public theology for justice, peace, and the integrity of creation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under the title Walking, Praying, and Working Together: An Ecumenical Pilgrimage, the Joint Working Group (JWG) of the World Council of Churches (WCC) and the Roman Catholic Church (RCC) offered its tenth report to the most recent WCC assembly in Karlsruhe in 2022. This report recounts many instances of cooperation between the RCC and the WCC. This fact raises the question of whether the relations between the RCC and the WCC have changed and, if so, in what way. This article goes back to the roots of the JWG and tries to imagine the ecumenical atmosphere of those days to adequately understand the present situation. It critically assesses selected instances of cooperation mentioned in the tenth report and draws conclusions from the assessment. What does this mean for the work of the JWG? And what does this mean for the relationship between the JWG's parent bodies: the RCC and the WCC? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shlūmū al-kurdī wa-anā wa-l-zaman (Shlūmū al-Kurdī, Myself and Time) (2004) is the final novel of Iraqi-Jewish author Samīr Naqqāsh. Considering the text in light of the cultural politics of memory and articulation, this article posits the novel as a true fabrication of a fictionalized memoir. By thematizing aspects of speech, movement and scriptural ecumenism within an Islamicate cultural memory, the text simultaneously narrates and mourns the WWI-era social collapse of multiconfessional Sablakh in Iranian Kurdistan. The narration employs a modified, self-amplifying tripartite narrative structure and a self-sustaining momentum born of the looping of prophetic and traumatic temporalities; together, such structural moves enable a cascade of witnessing of a marginal(ized) site of loss. The text thus intervenes in officially sanctioned genealogies of loss and overcoming while crafting an affirmative Eastern Jewish self-in-community beyond the linguistic, geographic, and epistemological confines of Mizrahi identity within the State of Israel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In ecumenical social action and mission it is common to hear phrases like, 'denomination doesn't matter', and 'we are all just Christians'. This reflects a wider tension with modern ecumenism between doctrinal and practice-based approaches to ecumenism. In this theological action research project on Methodists and Catholics engaging together in social action many espoused this pragmatic approach to action over ecclesial tradition. However, in practice they engaged with the complexities of ecumenical life and ecclesial tradition, many in significant ways. Drawing on the themes of receptivity, identity and practical wisdom seen in their practice and their understanding of ecumenism as something which is 'lived' rather than 'done', I offer a receptive ecumenical missiology. This ecumenical missiology, based in a pneumatological receptivity, offers an integrated way forward, overcoming many of the tensions between practice, mission and doctrine felt within modern ecumenism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, I will analyse the position of the Orthodox Church(es) towards the ecumenical dialogue in accordance with the documents approved by the Synod of Crete (2016), but also with the social document For the Life of the World of the Ecumenical Patriarchate (2020). After a brief presentation of the important moments of the historical journey for the meeting of the Synod, I will present the most important internal and reception issues of it. In the following, I will present the reason for the publication of the social document and the relation with the Synod of Crete. In the last part of the study, I will deal critically with a theological synthesis on the following topics: ecclesiological self-identity, Trinitarian baptism, the quality of being a Christian, the Orthodox Church and the Churches, ecumenism for dialogue, for witnessing, and cooperation. Of course, in the end, I will present the most important conclusions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Synod of Bishops on Synodality has placed the church as a synodal community at the core of Catholic theological ref lection. The conciliar or synodal nature of the church is also a topic of ecumenical dialogue. This essay surveys the theme of conciliarity in some WCC texts over the past 50 years, arguing that discussions of conciliarity ref lect the interrelation between contemporary ecclesial events and theological developments. This diachronic analysis also indicates that while for two decades conciliarity has been regarded as a hopeful model for achieving communion and collaboration between the churches, the concept has gradually lost its appeal. The twin concept of synodality emerged in the latest ecclesiological convergence texts with a different focus. The study reveals the shift from an understanding of conciliarity centred on the people of God and baptism to one increasingly focusing on ordained ministry. At the same time, the topic of synodality, which remerged recently in Catholic theology, indicates the reception of some ideas developed in ecumenical dialogue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article illustrates ways in which the modern ecumenical movement promotes solidarity among formerly divided Christian churches through ecumenical dialogue. It begins by recalling divisions which took place in the fifth, the eleventh, and the sixteenth centuries, breaking down unity and solidarity among Christians, and continuing since those times. It then shows the way in which the modern Ecumenical Movement, working to restore Christian unity, began early in the twentieth century through movements promoting cooperation in mission, in efforts of the churches to better society, and in resolving doctrinal divisions which have kept churches separated. It later became established in the World Council of Churches and by activities such as official ecumenical dialogues by many Churches. It illustrates the latter by examples of two international bilateral dialogues and renewed relations, those between the Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church, and also the Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is a revised version of the paper given at the Anthropology of Hope conference in Prague, May 2023, in response to Professor Aristotle Papanikolaou’s presentation on ‘Hope and Truth-telling’. The first part responds briefly to the affective nature of truth-telling which was presented, and queries the use of martyrial language. The second part looks at three sites on hope and truth-telling in the contemporary Catholic Church: (i) responding to the abuse crisis; (ii) ecumenical relationships, through the lens of ‘Receptive Ecumenism’; and, (iii) communal discernment, taking note of the current movement of synodality. A proposal is made to consider structures of (or structural) virtue as well as structural (or structures of) sin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

YWAM is one of the many actors that have played an important role in the "pentecostalization" of global Christianity. Rooted in a classical pentecostal denomination and committed to mission in the spirit of the ecumenical movement, YWAM has been a catalyst for the process of translating, introducing, and disseminating the pentecostal distinctives initially isolated only in classical pentecostal denominations and charismatic renewal groups to the broader Christian world. By looking at YWAM as a product of the classical pentecostal groups who struggled to define their relationship with other Christians, I argue that the pentecostal distinctives have two meanings. For some, they become a particular marker of identity that distinguishes Pentecostals from other Christians. For some others, like YWAM, it becomes a universal sign of spirituality that all Christians can experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are many competent voices who estimate that in recent years ecumenism has been going through a crisis. Concern for ecumenical dialogue is becoming secondary for many theologians or members of the clergy, including hierarchs, who are preoccupied almost exclusively with addressing the problems facing their local and confessional communities. As a result, receptivity to ecumenical dialogue and cooperation is even lower among the faithful, who are preoccupied with assessing their own Christian identity in a socio-cultural context marked by rapid change and unprecedented challenges, of which secularism is only one of many. The disappointing assessment of the state of contemporary ecumenism, has led some ecumenists to an effort of identifying solutions for reimagining interconfessional dialogue in an ever-changing world. Theologians from all Christian traditions seek to contribute to identifying ways to unblock the current situation and to propose concrete approaches for rethinking ecumenism for future generations of believers. One of the ways suggested in the literature is to think of ecumenism less in terms of theological agreements, and more in terms of a process of mutual learning, considering that we can receive and offer our gifts in a mutual process, being aware of the need for each community to be open to such a perspective. In this paper, we argue that the constant receptivity to Fr. Dumitru Stăniloae's theology, and to his anthropology in particular, that exists in Western traditions can be an opportunity for revitalising the ecumenical dialogue through the gift exchange model described above. We start from the premise that Fr. Stăniloae's work represents an important gift not just for the Orthodox, but also for many Protestant and Catholic theologians, and we suggest that this direction can produce a reciprocal effect on Orthodox theologians to open up and receive the gifts of Western theology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The religious revival in post-Soviet Russia resulted in a new, more intimate than ever before, alliance between the Russian Orthodox Church and Putin's autocratic regime. Three key elements were essential in shaping this unholy alliance: a) re-establishing the Russian Orthodox Church under Stalin's decree in 1943, b) the constant support of local Orthodox Churches and the ecumenical movement, and c) the formation of a specific religious- based ideology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The environmental movement, especially since the 1970s, has drawn the world's attention to the Earth's cry for help. The international ecumenical movement, especially represented by the World Council of Churches (WCC), was fundamental in this period in the construction of the concepts of sustainability and sustainable communities, in the context of the articulations of the United Nations (UN) regarding the responsibility of governments and public and private agents for the environment. The present article, based on an exploratory-descriptive methodology, aims to recover the memory of this participation and the pioneering spirit it carries, and to emphasize the importance of Christian engagement in efforts to care for the planet in the face of serious environmental degradation. For this, bibliographical and documentary research was used, with emphasis on documents from the WCC that deal with ecological challenges, especially those focused on the concepts of sustainability and sustainable communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This book is the first outcome of a global online study process related to the 100th Jubilee of the foundation of the International Missionary Council (IMC). This collection of studies from various regions provides fascinating summaries of developments within the IMC and its influence on mission and mission cooperation regionally and on the world level. Fruitful contacts with the IMC included New Zealand participation in Edinburgh and later in other IMC conferences after the establishment of the New Zealand National Missionary Council (NMC) in 1926. [Extracted from the article]

This article offers a discussion of the Assembly Message, 'A Call to Act Together', which unpacks, reframes, critiques and amplifies some key texts and concepts and explores their missiological relevance from an Indian and indigeneous perspective. The Assembly Message highlights love as the moving force for mission, but the article questions if the Ecumenical movement has the boldness and inclusiveness required by love rooted in Christ. The call for reconcilitation is unpacked through reflections on the Ao Naga practice of Aksü, which is a tradition and custom for enabling reconciliation and peacemaking. The article offers Aksü as an illustration of the practices that could ground the Message's claim for reconciliation and names dimensions of the spirituality needed to sustain the Ecumenical movement's future direction. Love and reconciliation point to interrelationship, which the article insists must be inclusive of commonality and difference, but also move forward against the systems of marginalisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A striking feature of the 11th Assembly of the World Council of Churches (WCC), held at Karlsruhe in Germany in 2022, was its lack of attention to the "Arusha Call to Discipleship" issued by the WCC World Mission Conference held in Tanzania four years earlier. Further ecumenical amnesia was evident in the Assembly's neglect of the centenary of the formation of the International Missionary Council (IMC) in 1921. It is therefore timely to recall the purpose of the integration of the IMC and the WCC in 1961. This was driven, above all, by the theological imperative that mission and unity can never be separated from one another in the ecumenical movement. On the contrary, these two essential evangelical impulses must continuously inform and energize one another. It was in expectation of such synergy that the integration of the IMC and WCC was enacted. Today, a new opportunity to fulfil this ecumenical hope presents itself. Currently, the "unity strand" in the WCC has a preference for the language of pilgrimage when it comes to expressing the nature of the ecumenical journey, while the "mission strand" has opted for the language of discipleship. The opportunity missed at Karlsruhe was to draw the two into conversation with one another. Enabling the two motifs of disciple and pilgrim to inform and enrich one another could prove to be a vital source of renewal for the ecumenical movement in the next phase of its journey. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The World Council of Churches' (WCC's) 11th Assembly in Karlsruhe in 2022 issued, among other things, an assembly message. André S. Musskopf concludes the reflections on the assembly message in his article, "Sexuality as Integral Part of the Church's Being and Mission: The Movement Is Sexy." Ecumenical missiology is not the preserve of the WCC; the second half of this edition is focused on scholars working in spaces beyond the WCC and its recent assembly. [Extracted from the article]

The author comments on the changes in the historiography of the Reformation. He mentions the impact of the 20th century ecumenical movement on the study of the Reformation, the role of women in the Reformation, and the expansion beyond strictly political and theological perspectives.

As the uniquely Christian form of worship, the Eucharist is studied by ‘systematic’ theologians in terms of its coherence with revelation as a whole, and by ‘dogmatic’ theologians in light of historic definitions that still impact the churches of today. Examination of ‘eucharistic sacrifice’ thus presents scholars and students with a cross section of systematic and dogmatic theology as practised within the church at large and among the still separated churches that comprise present-day Christianity. While few would deny connection between ‘Eucharist’ and ‘sacrifice’, historic language of ‘sacrifice’ concerning the central act of Christian worship has often been tantalisingly imprecise. This article explores the relation between the multifaceted phenomenon of sacrifice in Old Testament religion and its development in Jesus’ own understanding of his ministry and death, and in the New Testament church’s practice of the Eucharist. Having identified three distinct motifs of ‘eucharistic sacrifice’ (thanksgiving, sacrificial banquet, propitiatory sacrifice), the article examines their roots in the text of the New Testament and the ways in which they have taken form in the worship and theology of the church. The historical review that forms a major part of the article builds up to the sixteenth-century clash between Martin Luther (joined by all other contemporary Protestants) and the Roman Catholic Church. Moving back into ‘systematic’/’dogmatic’ gear, the question is raised whether the Orthodox account of the relation of Eucharist to sacrifice might supply a path towards overcoming sixteenth-century antinomies, leading to an examination of the treatment of this topic in historic and recent Roman Catholic, Anglican, and Lutheran theology. As the article deliberately adopts an eirenic approach to a long-controversial area of theology, its author admits that the material covered here still ignites strong passions within divided Christianity.

The Catholic Church is currently searching for ways to reconfigure their processes of decision-making with synods including a broad participation of the People of Cod. These efforts are to be reflected ecumenically. In terms of Receptive Ecumenism, ready to learn from other Churches, the article presents from a Catholic perspective important elements of the existing synodical practice in Protestant and Orthodox Churches, it discusses which elements could be integrated into a Catholic synodality on sound theological foundations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay engages Cheryl Bridges Johns's call at the 2007 Global Christian Forum gathering for a death of the "old mainstream ecumenical paradigm" and the current strategies employed within the modern ecumenical movement. Taking up this call, it begins by exploring new "ways of knowing," for which Johns called, and suggests the epistemological work of nineteenth-century theologian John Henry Newman as being a seedbed for alternatives that will enliven the ecumenical movement. Particularly, it offers a Newmanian reading of Receptive Ecumenism in order to suggest that this new paradigm must include ecclesial and personal transformation through the practice of assent between churches. Receptive Ecumenism calls for a posture of learning and transformation by attending to the needs or "wounds" of one's own church and to seek new ways forward through the reception of expressions of the church of Christ, or the reign of God, found within one's ecumenical other. This essay argues that, beyond simply notional learning, Receptive Ecumenism, read through the lens of Newman, offers a path forward for transformation through its emphasis on real apprehension of the ecumenical other and the practice or application of that which is received with "dynamic integrity." [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay explores how the legacy of asceticism from patristic spirituality may be retrieved alongside constructive ecclesiology and studies in embodied cognition to enliven modern ecumenical method. Asceticism concerns the transformation of humanity into divine likeness by learning how to encounter God in the world. The essay discerns the major determining features of asceticism in individuals before showing how these characteristics can be pursued on communal levels. An ascetic ecumenism works from the ground up to facilitate sharing models of holiness across ecclesial communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The newly elected president of the NAAE, Dr. Aaron Hollander, has announced that the 2023 annual meeting theme will be "Ecumenism in the Borderlands: Translating Worlds." The schedule was divided into three sessions: Asceticism in Contemporary Ecumenism; Liturgy, Spirituality, and Formation; and Asceticism and Ecumenism: Voices from the Tradition. The 2022 Annual Meeting of the North American Academy of Ecumenists was held October 7-9, 2022, at the Episcopal Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City. [Extracted from the article]

The fruits of the ecumenical movement often are harvested without thinking about who planted the seeds, who watered the soil, and what ingredients are necessary to make the ground rich for ecumenical gleaning. The result: no "move" in the movement! The ecumenical impulse is not fruitful unless it is conscious, intentional, habitual, and embodied. This essay draws on insights from the study document of the Joint Working Group's Ninth Report, "Be Renewed in the Spirit: The Spiritual Roots of Ecumenism," exploring the relationship between and among interiority, intentionality, and action. It considers practices of prayer and formation that nurture these qualities of spirituality and how they enable the aim of the ecumenical movement to promote Christian unity for the sake of the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In February 2022, the central committee of the World Council of Churches (WCC) agreed the proposal for a World Conference on Faith and Order to be held in 2025 to coincide with the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea. This will be the sixth such world conference since the First World Conference on Faith and Order was held in 1927 in Lausanne, Switzerland. Against this background, this article reviews the history of the World Conferences on Faith and Order from the origins of the Faith and Order movement to the Fifth World Conference on Faith and Order in 1993. Although created autonomous and self‐governing, organized around regular world conferences, with the creation of the WCC in 1948, the Faith and Order movement became a commission of the WCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This 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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is widely recognized that the Council of Nicaea marks a watershed in relations between Christians and Jews – both specifically the Ecumenical Council itself and also more generally the decades around and following 325. It was at this time that the separation between Christians and Jews, and between Christianity and Judaism, can be said to have reached a definitively final form, the conclusion of the long, drawn‐out process referred to as the "parting of the ways." Despite periods of co‐existence and mutual enrichment, the history of Christian–Jewish relations has too often been marked by toxicity and tragedy. Christians have not only distinguished themselves from Jewish peoplebut have treated them with disparagement, exclusion, and, at times, persecution; moreover, Christian anti‐Judaism prepared the ground for a still more deadly secular antisemitism. Against this background, this article approaches the question of how to mark the 1700th anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea in terms of its significance for Christian–Jewish relations in our own time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There has always been a conviction in the ecumenical movement that social service is part of the essence of what it means to be the church. The strengthening of social and political witness of churches through church-related agencies and networks in the context of the beginning development discourse from the 1960s until the 1990s, however, led to a scenario in which the secular language of development and political action received much attention. In 2014 at the Malawi consultation, the World Council of Churches (WCC) and Action of Churches Together (ACT Alliance) reviewed their working relationships and explored better collaboration between agencies and churches, stating that the specific nature of churches as entities with an added value and particular profile in the area of social and political service would be strengthened. From this consultation, a mandate was given by the WCC Central Committee to develop a study document on the understanding and core components of the concept of "ecumenical diaconia", which then was made available to the 11th Assembly of the WCC in Karlsruhe, 2022. This article introduces the context, major content, and key convictions of this study document and related discussions in Karlsruhe. It answers the question: what is the significance of the global ecumenical fellowship of churches in focusing on a common language of diaconia and a more explicit church-related terminology to describe and strengthen the social services of churches and their engagement in diaconia and social witness? It is recognized that this article is predominantly written from a German context and perspective in its construction of the international discourse on ecumenical diaconia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We live in a world of pluralism of religions. These religions sometimes have not only misunderstood other faiths, but eyed them with suspicion and with the tragic distinction that we are the children of light and everyone else the child of darkness. This essay historically and theologically examines the prophecy of Zephaniah (the ninth of the Twelve Minor prophets/dodēkaprophēton), encapsulated in his theological notion of the Day of YHWH (yōm ădȏnay) in order to underscore its ecumenical, ecclesiological, and interreligious relevance for the Church and global cultural and religious communities today. The church today as well as individual Christians and members of other religious communities and cultural orientations both within and outside Africa, are globally challenged to be the "Zephaniahs" of today by bearing messages of hope, unity of worship, true interfaith and cultural dialogues with ecumenical spirit that convey to everyone justice and peace. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dialogue has been part of the movement of the Church in understanding its faith in the context of the present situation where she is now living, and that is the world. She is now in a world where everyone has found through their expression of faith in different religions, which resembles a similarity in values and faith. So the Church formulated elements wherein they can share their differences and similarities to adhere to the prayer of Jesus to the Father that "all may be in one"; yet we face the fact that this is no longer important because of the theological components that are present. In an attempt to revitalize this ecumenism, the research incorporates the existential philosophical method of Gabriel Marcel, the primary and secondary reflection. The researcher plans to achieve this by first exposing Gabriel Marcels Existential Phenomenological Method. Second, exposing some themes of the Church in doing Ecumenical Dialogue, and lastly to emerge the two to form a new perspective in Ecumenical Dialogue. In spiritual ecumenism, dialogues of love, truth, and life are all possible if only we open our minds to what is essential (primary reflection) in these elements and make them our individual values (secondary reflection) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evelyn Underhill (1875–1925) was an Anglican "Spiritual Ecumenist" who viewed prayer as central to Church unity. As Secretary of the Spiritual Entente, a prayer movement in the early 1920s, Underhill wrote a leaflet outlining its four aims. First, the Entente was to include members of any nationality, class, or form of Christian faith, yet loyal to their own Church affiliation. Second, the objective was to hasten the coming of God's Kingdom by promoting spiritual unity between Christians. Third, prayer and work were central to achieving this goal. Fourth, "spiritual understanding" rather than critique was key to unity. Underhill's four convictions were "lived" throughout her life and repeatedly emphasized in her retreat talks and letters. Underhill's "Spiritual Ecumenism" is part of her spiritual legacy. She provided spiritual understanding and generous hospitality to Christians from all parts of the Church while also staying true to her Anglican identity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article is devoted to the models of ecumenical dialogue in the Russian context on the example of the Russian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate. The wide-spread and flourishing discussions about ecumenism in the religious studies and theological fields constitute the problem of this study. The author investigates the problem with the aim to identify existing models of an ecumenical dialogue. Following from this purpose the most significant and discussed concepts of ecumenical dialogue in Russia are noted. The emphasis is placed on the widespread concept of two ecumenisms, most fully disclosed by A. V. Shishkov, and related discussions in the scientific and theological fields. Also, a discussion in the church discourse was revealed, which is based on the concepts of representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church: prot. M. Kozlov, mitr. Hilarion (Alfeyev), fr. Georges Florovsky, archm. Sophronia (Sakharova) and others. To outline the broad picture, there was established the position of the Roman Catholic Church as well as its messages addressed to Orthodoxy. In addition, three main trends in the Russian Orthodox Church in relation to ecumenism are identified and described. The first is anti-ecumenism, its members are against any dialogue with non-Orthodoxy. The second is moderate ecumenism, where participants advocate the idea of acceptable and unacceptable forms of ecumenism without making edits to the Church doctrine, and the third are modernist ecumenists who are ready for changes in the teaching of the Church for the sake of the dialogue. Then, there was a transition to the term ecumenism in the context of modern conceptions about the phenomenon and also in the context of the history of the ecumenical movement of the 20th century. The author makes a conclusion about a fundamental importance of the idea of the unity of Christians for the identification of models of ecumenical dialogue. The unity can be determined as unity in one Church, as well as unity within a common space of communication without crossing borders and making one united church. It is noted that the existing concepts and terminology do not reflect this aspect, thus the author suggests the possibility of using such terms as adaptive and integrative dialogue, and lays out prospects for solving the problem.

The article consistently reconstructs the history of the creation and publication of one of the most important and least researched treatises by Vladimir Solovyov—Istorija i Budushhnost’ Teokratii (The History and Future of Theocracy). The first printed version of this treatise was published in Zagreb in 1887. The ideological context in which this work was written is shown. The important point of this context was the polemics between Solovyov and almost all representatives of the Russian intelligentsia, both conservative and liberal, as well as the restrictions imposed on the publication of his works in Russia by the clerical censorship and personally by the chief prosecutor of the Holy Synod Konstantin Pobedonostsev. The differences and discrepancies between the first edition of this text and the later editions published in three versions of Solovyov’s Collected Works (1904, 1914 and 1966 respectively) are analyzed. The history of the only known manuscript of this treatise, which is currently kept in the Vatican Apostolic Library (Vat. Slav. 64), is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The editorial discusses the challenges of polarization in society, drawing on insights from psychoanalyst Wilfrid Bion and Pope Francis, emphasizing interconnectedness and dialogue. It mentions the issue features essays discussing topics such as Eucharist and ecology, ecumenism, the collaboration of music and education, effective ministry to LGBTQ+ families, and Bishop Frank Caggiano's perspective on breaking out of individualism through catechesis.

Catechists in their ministry interact with members of other Christian denominations but may be unaware of the many recent efforts toward restoring Christian unity. Ecumenism has as a goal that Catholics work toward "becoming one" with other Christian traditions. This essay provides a helpful overview of the ecumenical movement as well as providing practical reflections on an ecumenically attuned catechesis. The many official dialogues taking place between the Catholic Church and other Christians underscore the need for receptive ecumenism that is open to learning from others. A deep respect for other Christian traditions and attentiveness to the guidance of the Holy Spirit move us closer to the unity Christ prayed for. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Assembly of the World Council of Churches in Karlsruhe in early September 2022 was a historic event. Because of the Corona pandemic, the date had been postponed by one year. In addition to the impact of the pandemic on the churches, the war in Ukraine, climate change and the programmatic work of the WCC were important focal points of the Assembly. Conflicts also marked the Assembly: the demand not to invite the Russian Orthodox Church and the request of some member churches to declare the policy of the state of Israel in the occupied territories as apartheid. The article outlines the various formats and events as well as the most important decisions ofthe Assembly, and provides an overview ofthe program ofthe host churches and the city of Karlsruhe. With the keyword of an "ecumenism of the heart" from the statement on unity as well as the experience of the prayers, the Assembly emphasized spiritual ecumenism. In the "love of Christ" the Assembly sees the call to mutual understanding and listening to one another as well as the call to common action. The pilgrimage of justice and peace, which was proclaimed in Busan in 2013, was expanded in Karlsruhe into a pilgrimage of justice, reconciliation and unity. The article also highlights results of the Assembly with a view to the concrete further development of ecumenism in Germany and Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay argues that Augustine's doctrine of the totus Christus , the "whole Christ," provides a fruitful starting point for ecumenical theology. The whole Christ signifies the church as the body joined to Christ its head. I suggest that we must seek where else the body of Christ is manifest in the world, especially upon the cross and in the eucharist, to flesh out the ecumenical import of the totus Christus. In both theological moments, the body of Christ is revealed as broken, crucified on the cross, and fractured in the sacrament. Yet, in both breakings we find grace, salvation, even wholeness. The whole Christ, as it exists in this world, is always, in one way or another, broken, yet this broken body is no less joined to the one head who is Christ. A theology of ecumenism, therefore, can be drawn from Augustine's totus Christus by expanding our vision of what the ecclesial body of Christ means in light of the broken sacramental and soteriological bodies. The essay examines both Augustine's theology of the totus Christus and its original polemical context, which suggests the possibilities of the doctrine along with its historical limitations. In expanding the significance of the "whole Christ," it also engages the author's own Wesleyan tradition. For the broken body on the cross, it draws from Charles Wesley's hymns' imagery for appreciating the depths of such brokenness. For the broken body of the eucharist, it draws upon the liturgies of the United Methodist Church and concludes with a vision of the healed body of Christ that will be fully realized only in the eschaton. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]