Exploring Ecumenism

How Churches Hold Themselves Together

Recently, I wrote about an elephant in the room  with respect to ecumenical conversations in Britain.  This time I am going to identify a second elephant.  We need an understanding of intra-ecumenism, the ecumenism within the historic traditions.

Most of the mainstream traditions are in fact alliances where churches have consented to a particular ecclesiology for the sake of unity.  Some of these alliances go back hundreds of years and so it is true in a sense that many traditions are themselves evidence that ecumenism works, up to a point.

The Goal of Ecumenism 5: Striving for the Goal

This is the fifth in a sequence of posts based upon Chris James' blog post  The Goal of Ecumenism: Why and how to be one , part VI.  The first of these posts is  Why Are We Divided?, the second is  The Visibility of the Church, the third is  Ecumenism and Ecclesiality and the fourth is Openness versus Effort .

Newbigin hoped the unified Church of South India would serve, as a catalyst for more local unions.  Sadly, it was largely an isolated event and therefore, according to Newbigin, it "failed in one of its great purposes".

It is worth asking why it failed to be a catalyst.

Two Ecumenisms?

The arrangements put in place by the Roman Catholic Church  to admit Anglicans disillusioned by women bishops has highlighted a couple of other issues about ecumenism in Britain. 

The joint statement  made by the two archbishops recently states what might be called mainstream ecumenism will continue between the two churches.  These are the Anglican Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC ) and the International Anglican Roman Catholic Commission for Unity and Mission (IARCCUM ).  I am sure they will continue but we need to understand something of the context in which they will continue.

It is significant that this move came as something of a surprise to the Archbishop of Canterbury and I will explore the reasons for this in my next post.  It seems to me that we are moving into an era where we have at least two ecumenisms.

The Goal of Ecumenism 4: Openness versus Effort

This is the fourth in a sequence of posts based upon Chris James' blog post  The Goal of Ecumenism: Why and how to be one , part V.  The first of these posts is  Why Are We Divided?, the second is  The Visibility of the Church and the third is Ecumenism and Ecclesiality .

I must confess to a degree of impatience with the idea that ecumenism is a some sort of eschatological truth.  Of course I understand that the fullness of God's plan for humanity will not be revealed until the end times.  But how practical is it to assert this truth?  It feels like a cop out: we can't do anything about it now because it is an eschatological truth.

Anglicans Entering the Catholic Church

Okeydoke, my armchair hero
Let's see if you're equal to the task
Put your money where your mouth is ...

The Wall of Death
Is a time of truth
It's an act of faith ...

(From 'The Wall of Death' sung by Pete Atkin, lyrics Clive James.)

On Wednesday 20 October 2009, the Roman Catholic Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith announced arrangements for Personal Ordinariates for Anglicans entering the Catholic Church.  The Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams and the Archbishop of Westminster, Vincent Nichols issued a joint statement .  If you follow the link you will also find a link to the Roman Catholic announcement.

Clive James' words and Peter Atkin's song have been with me ever since.  Sadly, the song is not available in full on the internet.  Given where I stand theologically, it is hardly surprising that my views are what they are but I would not wish anyone to take offence at the image of the wall of death.  You will see I use it in a way that is positive albeit challenging.

The Goal of Ecumenism 3: Ecumenism and Ecclesiality

This is the third in a sequence of posts based upon Chris James' blog post  The Goal of Ecumenism: Why and how to be one .  The first of these posts is  Why Are We Divided? and the second is The Visibility of the Church .

Section IV of the post explores 'Ecumenism and Ecclesiality'.  Here James contrasts the view that the churches are united through a common baptism with the view that no church is in itself complete.  This incompleteness is expressed through disunity amongst other things and requires repentance as the root of the ecumenical vision.

Blog Action Day 2009: Climate Change

The idea is that today, Thursday 15 October 2009, over 7000 blogs around the world will cover the topic of climate change.  Each blog will approach the topic from the perspective of its specialism and so mine will be from an ecumenical perspective.  In addition it is anticipated over 10 million readers will participate in Blog Action Day 2009 .

Last week I helped lead a consultation for Methodist and Anglican Ecumenical Officers from across Britain.  We were looking at the Edinburgh 2010 mission conference , which is to be held to commemorate the Edinburgh 1910 mission conference , usually recognised as the beginning of the modern ecumenical movement.

The Goal of Ecumenism 2: The Visibility of the Church

This is the second in a sequence of posts based upon Chris James' blog post The Goal of Ecumenism: Why and how to be one .  The first of these posts is Why Are We Divided? 

Section III of the post, 'Ecumenism and the Visibility of the Church', explores the "the most hotly debated ecumenical question": should the church be one visible community or is its unity somehow invisible?  I summarise it below but it is better to read the section in James' post in full.

1. James explores the thinking of Stanley Grentz, a free church theologian who argues denominationalism emphasises the invisibility of the church and that visibility is inevitably sectarian as it must point to a particular visible church.   
2. James then turns to a Catholic view of visible unity.  This view recognises the baptism of other traditions but seeks a reunion within the Catholic Church and so in a way is similar to Grentz's position in its desire not to call its own ecclesiology into question.
3. Then James turns to the ecumenism of the World Council of Churches.  The WCC seeks a united church in a single communion.  It is this view that has given rise to the contrasting positions of full visible unity and reconciled diversity.  The latter is understood as the openness churches have to each other.  Newbigin is quoted as an advocate of the former although he seems to take a midway position, seeking for example interchangeability of ministers, which is somehow short of full institutional union.  His criticism of reconciled diversity is that it make intellectual agreement the basis of unity, which is a mistake because it overemphasises the importance of doctrinal agreement.

Fresh Expressions of Ecumenism

To a meeting of Churches Together in South Yorkshire yesterday, to hear Bishop Stephen Croft, the new Anglican Bishop of Sheffield.  Before Bishop Stephen was consecrated, he was team leader of Fresh Expressions, at the time an Anglican and Methodist initiative to encourage and support fresh expressions of church.

I want to record Bishop Stephen's three priorities for the next period of the ecumenical journey.

1. To sustain the many good things that are happening between the churches.
2. To help these established ecumenical churches engage with newer Christian movements and communities, currently outside of formal ecumenical structures.
3. To examine how we might work together to establish new Christian communities.

There is nothing particularly new here.  It is good to hear a senior figure make the third point because whilst there is much interest in establishing new Christian communities, it is usually seen as a mission activity rather than an ecumenical activity.  He was quite explicit, making the point that it makes sense to pursue this ecumenically and it does not make sense to pursue it denominationally.

I suspect local churches have to learn a lot about working together if they are to make this work but it is good to hear the challenge being put to all churches or Christian communities.

The Goal of Ecumenism 1: Why are we Divided?

This is the first of series of posts which will respond to a post placed by Chris James on his blog, The Goal of Ecumenism: Why and How to be One.  This is a helpful article, exploring the distinction between visible unity and reconciled diversity.  My aim is to consider each section of his post in turn and I hope Chris will forgive me for using his subheadings.  I do so in order that all readers have some chance of keeping up!

The purpose of my blog is to explore an approach to ecumenism based upon the practice rather than the content of conversations.  I question both visible unity and reconciled diversity and James' post offers me an opportunity to summarise and develop my ideas.