Approaches to Ecumenism

Owing to its history, ecumenism in England is often perceived as focused solely upon structural unity.  The goal of ecumenism is to bring the churches under one unified structure.  It is easy in these more cynical times to lose sight of the vision of the sixties when the churches glimpsed the possibility of a united church in England.  This vision is long gone and now we have to face up to a number of models of ecumenism.

This was always a narrow vision of ecumenism.  The wider idea of oikoumene, the reconciliation of all things to God, is easily lost amongst the details of reconciling church structures.  The challenge today is to make ecumenism real in a context where this substantial work takes a back seat.  Here are some current approaches.

1. The Faith and Order approach originated after the second world war when a single united church seemed possible.  Churches would negotiate over each area of disagreement in turn.  As they found the right compromise they would gradually move closer together.  This approach was between Protestant churches and worked well where they were already close in terms of ecclesiology.  There are united and uniting churches all over the world.  Success is easy to identify.  Post-colonial churches which did not know the history of the western traditions, seem to have found it possible to unite.  In the west despite progress, eg between the Church of England and the Methodist Church, where the faith and order issues seem to have been resolved, it is cultural and ecclesiological issues that remain intractable.
2. Reconciled Diversity has been suggested as an alternative where the churches remain independent of each other but work together.  The problem is of course, that there is no way of measuring progress.  Churches can claim to be ecumenical and in practice do nothing.  On paper this is a powerful approach but in practice seems to lead nowhere.
3. With Unity in Mission it is argued: why wait for full visible unity when there are no barriers to the churches working together in their mission.  This approach can point to numerous projects and initiatives across the country where churches work together.
4. Post-denominationalism is a relatively new phenomenon amongst the eclectic congregations and younger members of mainstream churches.  The members of these congregations see themselves as Christians who are happy to work with Christians of other churches.   It is possible to ignore the structures of the mainstream denominations and work together as Christians.  This is a position that has been thought through and many claim it is ecumenical.  The problem is this does not take on diversity, as something that needs to be addressed, rather it ignores diversity and does not see a problem.
5. Receptive ecumenism is a new approach that asks churches to seek answers to their faith and order issues in the practices of partner churches.  This is an alternative to the assumption that the purpose of ecumenism is to bring other churches into line with the theology and ecclesiology of my church.