1.
Introduction
The Ecumenical movement
is a modern Christian movement of gathering the churches together under one
platform. The churches coming together to know each other and acknowledging the good
relationship. Ecumenism brings people affirmation of faith, unity, and worship on
fundamental faith i.e. Jesus is the Lord. After centuries of
separation the Christian church have began to engage with one another in
councils of Churches, theological dialogues, various forms of collaborative
mission, common prayer, and other expressions of ecumenical life. Ecumenism
refers to initiatives aimed at greater religious co-operation, among different
groups, especially and primarily within the Christian faith.
2.
Definitions
According to George Tavard “The movement of thought and action which
is concerned with the reunion of Christians.” [1]
The New Encyclopedia
defines, as quoted by T. V. Phillip, “the Ecumenical movement as a developing
process of interchurch relations and attitudes, the aim of which is to overcome
divisions among Christians and to attain the fullness of unity of one holy
catholic and apostolic Church.”[2]
The ecumenical movement
is an attempt to bring about a sense of unity among the Churches in the midst
of all contextual and functional differences. The challenge of the gospel in
the mission made churches to realize the utmost importance of unity. The
ecumenical movement also means reunion of the churches. It signifies
fellowshipping together of Churches from different traditions that would give
an expression to the consciousness of the wholeness of the Church.
3.
Ecumenical and Ecumenism
The word Ecumenism or
its adjective ecumenical has changed its usage over the centuries. The Greek
word (oikoumene) literally means that
which pertains to the whole inhabited world. Matthew uses it in this sense in
24:14, “This good news of the kingdom will be proclaimed to the whole world (oikoumene) as a witness to all the
nations.”[3] Initially
it was used in this sense in the life of the church. Thus the first few councils
of the Christian church, like Nicea (325), Constantinople (38l), Ephesus (43l),
or Chalcedon (451) were called ecumenical councils as they were seen to
represent the whole, universal church.[4]
This usage of the word is still current as when Vatican II is referred to, by
Roman Catholics, as an “ecumenical council”. Some Greek Orthodox adherents would,
however, say that Vatican II was not an ecumenical council because it did not
involve the entire Christian church - Orthodox and Protestants were only
present as observers.
There is a second
meaning of the word Ecumenical that which pertains to Christian unity. Thus the
ecumenical movement is the process towards a greater expression of unity and
cooperation among all Christians. Although it refers to Christian unity in the
first place, by extension it is also sometimes used to apply to efforts towards
greater understanding and cooperation between Christians and persons of the
world’s other religions, for example, Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists or Jews.[5] In
this case the expression wider ecumenism or integral ecumenism is sometimes used.
As all this can be confusing, it is clearer to use the term interfaith or
inter-religious when at least any two of the world’s faiths are involved. Thus one
can have inter-religious dialogues, or interfaith prayer meetings such as the
one John Paul II hosted in Assisi on 27th October 1986, to which
international religious leaders came. There is another substantial difference
between the Christian ecumenical movement and interreligious (religions of the
world) dialogue.
The first has Christian
unity as its goal; the second aims at better understanding and toleration
between world religions, not organic or any other type of unity, which would be
impossible because of radical differences in belief. When one speaks of inter-religious
dialogues, it is important to point out in passing that the Christian-Jewish
relationship is a unique one because of the related histories of these two
faiths.
4.
Ecumenism: Biblical Views
The word Ecumenism came
from the Greek word Oikoumene, Oikos means house; meno means to live, living in a house. This word used 15 times in
NT. Roman empire and its people (Lk 2:1; Act 11:28; 17:6), or whole earth (Mt
24:14; Rom 10:18; Rev 3:10). Some of the biblical passages deals with
the unity in the New Testament are; The Body of Christ are evident (Gal2:11-14;
Acts 15), Jesus prayed that His followers might be One (Jn 17:21); Paul say Is
Christ divided? (1 Cor 1:13), all are one Christ (Gal 3:28), the church is one
body in Christ (Rom 12:4-5). Ecumenism has strong biblical and theological
foundations and some of the biblical passages are; We are called to celebrate God’s gift of
unity in the church (Jn 17: 20-22; Eph 4: 4-6), and the human family (Gen
1:26-28; Ps 8; Isa 56:7), God’s renewal creation (Gen 9: 9-17; Ps 65: 5-13; Rom
8: 22-23), God always wanting be a fellowship (Gen 6:11-18; 17: 1-2; Rom 5:8),
God’s invitation to people live in a relationship of love each other (Mt5:
43-48). We find that one church, in one family of nations (Isa 2:1-4).[6]
Historically, the term
ecumenical was originally used in the context of large ecumenical councils that
were organized under the auspices of Roman Emperors to clarify matters of
Christian theology and doctrine. These Ecumenical Councils brought together bishops
from around the inhabited world. The modern meaning of the world ecumenical and
ecumenism derives from this pre-modern sense of Christian unity, and the
impulse to recreate this unity again.
Today, the word
Ecumenism can be used in three different ways:[7]
Ø It
most commonly refers to greater co-operation among different Christian groups
or denominations
Ø It
may denote moving beyond cooperation to the idea that there should be a single
Christian Church to restore religious unity
Ø In
its broadest sense, the wider ecumenism merges into the interfaith movement,
which strives for greater mutual respect, toleration, and cooperation among the
world religious.
5. Issues and Problems of
Unity in the History of Christian Church
5.1 The Early Christian
community
Christianity began to spread throughout the
Roman world since the middle of the first century. The Christian professed to
be one people. This unity could be seen from the life of the Christian
community. It was a fellowship of love transcending all natural divisions of
race and class. It was a fellowship of faith affirming that Jesus is Lord. It was also a
unity of fellowship sharing one baptism and the Eucharist. The Christian
fellowship gradually expressed itself in outward organization. Until the fall of
Jerusalem in A.D.70, the church of Jerusalem exercised a powerful influence as
a center of unity for the whole church.[8]
Paul gave great emphasis on to
the unity of the church. Three of the main images he used were the new man, the
building, and the body. On the other hand, Paul’s letters says that there were
problems of unity in some local churches e.g., between Euodias and Syntyche at
Philippi, faction at Corinth between the supporters of Paul and Cephas and
Apollo’s, etc... The more serious problem was the controversy concerning the
admission of the Gentiles without circumcision which threatened to split the
young church. For the moment the problem was solved by the Jerusalem Council
(Act 15). These tensions were division of view and practices within the
churches, they were not yet divisions of the church or schisms from it.[9]
Before the end of the
NT period the church was face to face with the Gnostics who claimed to be
Christians. The conflict let to the consolidation of the church. It was
compelled to think out its more accurately, to define the sources of its faith,
and to reconsider the nature of its unity. It also took the first step towards
the definition of its own canon of scripture. The first beginnings of formal
creeds can be traced back to this period. Bishop became recognized as the
guardian of the church’s unity.
5.2 The Church after Constantine
The church entered on a new
period of security and imperial favor since the time of Constantine. It grew
very rapidly. Great churches were built and great liturgies came into being.
Men’s view of the unity of the church also began to change. Before that unity
had been in the main unity of faith, worship, and inner spirit but from now on
there was a new emphasis on the church as an organization, and on unity in
organization as the outward expression of its inner oneness. A hierarchical,
ladder was beginning to be clearly developed like Bishop, Metropolitan,
Patriarch and the Bishops of great Sees of Antioch, Alexandria, Rome, Jerusalem
and Constantinople stood as patriarchs over metropolitans.[10]
The Pope of Rome began to claim power over others. The great churches of the
East never accepted the claim and it has always proved irremediably divisive.
The church was also greatly disturbed and also divided by controversies and
schisms.
It can be said that
the early church was marked by endless division and at the same time by endless
efforts for the restoration of unity. The most important means for this purpose
was the ecumenical councils. These councils were invented by the state, and as
result the church was greatly dependent on the state in its attempts for unity.
Though the earlier heresies disappeared or were suppressed, Monophysitism and
Nestorianism could take a firm root in the Coptic, Ethiopian, Syrian, and
Armenian and Assyrian churches. In these countries, differences in doctrines
were added by differences in language and culture. Consequently, the churches
there came to assert their independence, and have remained permanently separate
from the rest of the Christian world.
5.3 The Great Schism
Tension between the Greek and Latin speaking section of the church
began early and multiplied rapidly. Political and ecclesiastical differences,
together with theological disputes had embittered relations between the East
and West since the fifth century. In 1054 a violent quarrel broke out between
Patriarch Micheal Cerularius and the envoys of Pope Leo X. Pope’s legate
Cardinal Humbert excommunicated Cerularius who in turn excommunicated the
Western legates. This event of 1054 is commonly regarded as the beginning of
the schism. Negotiations continued over a long period. But the cruelties
inflicted during the Crusades, the capture of Constantinople and the imposition
of Latin rites and Latin Patriarchs made difficult negotiations between the
East and the West.[11]
Great attempts have been made in the middle ages to heal the breach between
East and West. Two of the most important attempts were the Council of Lyon (7
May 1274) and the Council of Florence (1439).
5.4 The West in the Middle Ages
Though attempts for the unity
of the church had failed, there had been a close integration of thought, art
and Christian living in the west. However, the unity of the church was
endangered by what were regarded as heresies such as the Catharine of
Albigenses, John Wycliffe, John Huss, etc... Towards the end of the 14th
century, the Christian world was divided by the rival Popes in Rome and Avignon
(1378-1417), known as “Babylonian Captivity”.[12]
When the council of Pisa (1409) intervened and elected new Pope, the two rival
popes continued in office and did not tender their resignations. So, there were
three Popes for some years. The role of the reforming councils or the conciliar
movement, like the Councils of Pisa (1409), Constance (1414-1418) and Basel (1431-1439)
to bring a sense of unity through the council was significant, but the
Conciliar Movement failed to achieve its attempt to limit the authority of
pope.
The Reformation of
the 16th century introduced divisions graver and more serious than
earlier days. The movement was strengthened by the rise of nations and national
feeling which began to pull in pieces the Medieval Europe. Attempts had been
made to bring the warring Roman Catholics and the Protestants.
6.
Opposition to Ecumenism
A sizable minority of
Christians oppose ecumenism. They tend to be from churches of fundamentalist or
charismatic backgrounds and strongly conservative sections of mainline
Protestant churches. Greek Old Calendarists claim that the teachings of the
Seven Ecumenical Councils forbid changing the church calendar through
abandonment of the Julian calendar. They regard ecumenism as compromising
essential doctrinal stands in order to accommodate other Christians, and object
to the emphasis on dialogue leading to intercommunion rather than conversion on
the part of participants in ecumenical initiatives.[13]
Traditional Catholics
also see ecumenism as aiming at a false pan-Christian religious unity which
does not require non-Catholics to convert to the Catholic faith. Traditional
Catholics see this as a contradiction to Catholic interpretations of the Bible
and other documents. Some evangelical and many charismatic Christians view
ecumenism as a sign of end times apostasy before Jesus Christ’s return as
prophesied in the Bible, and see substantial similarities between the doctrinal
stance of end times false teachers, as described in 2 Peter 2:1-2, and the
theological pronouncements of certain leaders of ecumenical movements.
7. Rebirth of Ecumenism: Towards a
New Unity
The
Ecumenical Movement aims to reunite the different Christian denomination and churches
to work together. The ecumenical movement reflects on the inter-connection
between unity and world evangelization. Today the ecumenical Movement is a
certain approach of theological reflection on mission and evangelism.
Ecumenism
was not an agenda of the 16th century reformation. The main concern of the
Protestantism was the creation of a church independent of papal control and
teachings. But the reform movement produced autonomous and independent
traditions. Each church maintained its own distinctive identity and looked at
the concept of Christianity from the spectacle of one’s own denomination.
However with the advent of Pietistic Movement, evangelical Awakening, the rise
of Modern missionary Movement, Students’ Movement and interdenominational organizations-churches
and missions of Protestant origin began to realize the important of
cross-denominational involvement.
7.1 Pietistic Movement
Philip
Jacob Spener (1635-1705) of the German Lutheran church was the pioneer of the
pietistic movement. Pietism was a religious and spiritual movement that emerged
in response to moral degradation, low spirituality and fragmented Christianity.
Members and friends who associated with the pietistic movement shared
theological teachings and experiences in common. Members and friends who
associated with the pietistic movement shared theological teachings and
experiences in common. Repentance, regeneration, holiness, Bible-centered
teaching, prayer and fasting were all common features that brought all of them
to a sense of unity.[14]
7.2 Christian Institutions in
Cross-Denominational Cooperation.
The
rise of student Movements and interdenominational institutions, which permeated
confessional self-enclosed identity, tremendously contributed to the
development of modern ecumenical movements.[15]
Some of these movements and organization are:-
(i)
The Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) and the Young Women’s Christian
Association (YWCA) (ii) The Student Movements and (iii) Interdenominational
Societies.
7.3 The Rise of Evangelical
Awakening
Like
the Pietistic movement, the rise of the Evangelical Awakening in Europe and
North America in the 18th and 19th centuries contributed towards the creation
of ecumenical awareness among most leaders of Protestant Churches. In fact the
evangelical Awakening did not produce the ecumenical movement but its belief
system and activities carries tremendous ecumenical ideals. The prominent
activities are: - (i) sharing the same faith (ii) moving towards the same goal
and (iii) fighting against the social evils.
8.
Conclusion
Ecumenism, or the
Ecumenical Movement, represents a modern unity movement seen most prevalently
among liberal Protestants, Roman Catholics, and the Eastern Orthodox. The
primary goal of ecumenism is the attainment of full communion of the
constituent separated churches within the movement and other ecclesiastical
communities, manifest in shared events, collaboration in missions and other
activities, and continued dialogue. Ecumenism in the twentieth and now the
twenty-first century is greatly responsible for overall attitudes espousing
unity-in-diversity among different churches and the common appearance that all
churches are essentially the same.
9. Bibliography
Antone, Hope, et al. Asian Handbook for theological Education and
Ecumenism. UK: Regnum Book International, 2013.
Best, Thomas F. Beyond Unity in Tension. Geneva: WCC
Publication, 1988.
Georg Link, Hans. One God, One Lord and One Spirit.
Geneva: WCC Publication, 1988.
Goodall, Norman. The Ecumenical Movement. London: Oxford
University Press, 1961.
Goosen, Gideon. Bringing Churches together. Geneva: WCC
Publication, 1993.
Lowery, Mark D.
Ecumenism. Connecticut: Twenty Third Publications, 1985.
Philip, T.V. Ecumenism
in Asia. Delhi: ISPCK, 1994.
Richey Hogg, William. Ecumenical Foundations: A History of the IMC
and Its 19th Century Background. New
York: Harper & Brothers Publishers, 1952.
Ruth, Rouse. A History of the Ecumenical Movement 1517-
1948. Geneva: WCC Publications, 1989.
Victor, Vinod, et al. Ecumenism Perspective and Challenges. Delhi:
ISPCK, 2001.
Wainwright, Geoffrey. The Ecumenical Movement: Crisis and
Opportunity for the Church. Geoffery: Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1939.
[1] Vinod Victor, et al., Ecumenism Perspective and Challenges (Delfi: ISPCK, 2001), 273.
[2] T.V. Philip, Ecumenism
in Asia (Delhi: ISPCK, 1994), 3.
[3] Gideon Goosen, Bringing
Churches together (Geneva: WCC Publication, 1993), 10
[4] Hans Georg Link,One
God,One Lord and One Spirit (Geneva: WCC Publication,1988),4.
[5] Gideon Goosen, Bringing
Churches together…, 11.
[6] Hope Antone, et al., Asian Handbook for theological Education and Ecumenism (UK: Regnum Book International, 2013), 127.
[7] Norman Goodall, The Ecumenical Movement (London:
Oxford University Press, 1961), 3.
[8] Mark D Lowery, Ecumenism
(Connecticut: Twenty Third Publication, 1985), 39.
[9] Geoffrey Wainwright, The Ecumenical Movement: Crisis and Opportunity for the Church
(Geoffery: Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1939), 67.
[10] Rouse Ruth, A
History of the Ecumenical Movement 1517-1948 (Geneva: WCC Publications,
1989), 7.
[11] Rouse Ruth, A
History of the Ecumenical Movement 1517- 1948…, 15.
[12] Rouse Ruth, A
History of the Ecumenical Movement 1517- 1948…, 19.
[14] F.
Hrangkhuma, An Introduction to Church
History (Bangalore: Theological Book trust, 2002), 308.
[15]
William Richey Hogg, Ecumenical
Foundations: A History of the IMC and Its 19th Century Background ( New
York: Harper & Brothers Publishers, 1952), 88
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