Receptive Ecumenism or Ecumenical Reception?

Receptive Ecumenism Conference - Sunday 11 January  2009

There are times when the ecumenical enterprise makes you want to scream!  So, receptive ecumenism is not the same as ecumenical reception.  Tell that to your congregation.  As I understand it ecumenical reception is where an agreement from formal ecumenical conversations is (or is not) received into the life of the whole church.  Receptive ecumenism is where a tradition recognises its own weaknesses and seeks support from other traditions.

So for receptive ecumenism:

1. No tradition is perfect, all encounter problems, difficulties and dysfunctions.  Just as an individual might seek counselling when they encounter problems, so traditions can look to others for support.  So receptive ecumenism can be thought if as therapeutic.
2. Receptive ecumenism has no programme for change.  It is open to new insights from other traditions.  It will turn to neighbouring churches rather than take recourse in doctrine (where the problem might be).
3. A shared problem is an opportunity to learn something of the deep instincts of the other.

My main problem with this is that the focus is still upon traditions talking to other traditions at the centre.  There is no sense so far of local churches being involved in the dialogue.  To some degree this is a matter of emphasis but is there also a lack of the particular skills needed to enable local conversations to be heard?