This post relates to the third critical issue in Called to be One: What Now?, Our Context and its Influence .
This critical issue does not seem to be very well defined. What is our context? Presumably, the writers mean England. England is a big and complex place, so what is the context?
I do not think decline is a particularly significant part of our context. Some parts of the church are declining and others are growing. What is important is consumerism, as the writers suggest.
Consider the implications of consumerism for ecumenism. Taken to its logical conclusion, consumerism tells us old traditions are not important. Modern Christians shop around, moving from local church to local church. So, while living in town A they favour the Methodists but in town B, the URC seems to provide a more acceptable experience. We no longer see ourselves as parts of distinct traditions, but as butterflies flitting from flower to flower, all Christians together, sharing each other's spiritual resources.
This is an approach to ecumenism of sorts. But does it really lead to unity? I suspect at root, it is really about me and what I can get from the churches. I am not prepared to make a commitment to a place or a group of people. My main interest is in what I can extract from local churches as a spiritual consumer.
Furthermore, I am not interested in reconciliation because as far as I'm concerned we're already united! But this attitude is deeply disrespectful. It is saying our issues are irrelevant. All the pain, suffering, wars fought, discrimination and prejudice down the years counts for nothing. We have no need to pay attention to any of these things, just wallow in a pleasant spiritual fog.
And so the ecumenical task has become more complex. Today, ecumenists need to engage in conversations not only between traditions but also with all who subscribe to this new movement of Christians Together. Christians Together may be a child of the ecumenical movement, a movement of those who had hopes in the Interchurch Process , disappointed as the nineties progressed and the churches showed no interest in the radical change most people desired. So, the meaning of decline could be the disappointment of lay people in their denominations.
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