Church Laws And Ecumenism

Written by experts from within their communities, this book compares the legal regimes of Christian churches as systems of religious law. The ecumenical movement, with its historical theological focus, has failed to date to address the role of church law in shaping relations between churches and fostering greater mutual understanding between them. In turn, theologians and jurists from the different traditions have not hitherto worked together on a fully ecumenical appreciation of the potential value of church laws to help, and sometimes to hinder, the achievement of greater Christian unity. This book seeks to correct this ecumenical church law deficit. It takes account of the recent formulation by an ecumenical panel of a Statement of Principles of Christian Law, which has been welcomed by Pope Francis and the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, leader of the Orthodox Church worldwide, as recognizing the importance of canon law for ecumenical dialogue. This book, therefore, not only provides the fruits of an understanding of church laws within ten Christian traditions, but also critically evaluates the Statement against the laws of these individual ecclesial communities. The book will be an essential resource for scholars of law and religion, theology, and sociology. It will also be of interest to those working in religious institutions and policy-makers.

Differences in doctrine and worship that divide Christian churches -- and how to overcome these -- have drawn much ecumenical attention over the years. There has been far less discussion of how the quest for Christian unity is helped or hindered by the legal structures and forms by which churches organize themselves. In most Christian traditions canon law (or church order) has strengthened confessional identity and distinctiveness, taking little account of new realities emerging from the quest for the unity of the church -- common witness and collaboration, a sense of community and mutual accountability, agreements over historic theological disputes, fresh understandings of church-state relations and the establishment of ecumenical organizations. After outlining the historical development of church legislation in Protestant, Orthodox and Catholic traditions, the author explores what ecumenism implies for this central but often neglected element of church life.

Carl Braaten here issues an energetic call for a truly ecumenical church, including a Lutheran rationale for recovery of the historical episcopacy and papal primacy as servants of the gospel. Braaten writes of the church's place in the divine scheme of things and of the various modern isms that distort or hide the classical Christian tradition. Tracing his own ecumenical journey, he outlines an ecclesiology of communion and advances specific proposals for enhancing Christian unity in liturgy, spirituality, and church polity. The confessing movement named after Martin Luther he views in terms of its basic intent to reform and renew the church, not to start a new Christianity in a multiplicity of separate denominations.

An overview of the history, content and future of the modern ecumenical movement, with particular attention to Catholic leadership and the results of dialogues among the churches. +

Ecclesiology is in the centre of current ecumenical dialogue. However, this hardly seems to influence theological reflection on church polity. This book explores new avenues in this respect, in an attempt to enhance a truly ecumenical and inter-cultural approach of the theological discipline of church polity, without neglecting its juridical character.

In this groundbreaking study of ecumenism, author Bernard Leeming explores the history and dynamics of Christianity's effort to achieve greater unity and cooperation across denominational lines. Drawing on extensive research and a deep knowledge of both Catholic and Protestant traditions, Leeming offers a compelling analysis of the challenges and opportunities facing the ecumenical movement today. This book is an essential resource for theologians, pastors, and all those seeking a fuller understanding of Christianity's place in the world. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

This book compares historical and modern natural law ideas across global Christian traditions and explores their use in church law.

What is Ecumenism? Is Christian unity a legitimate hope or just a pious illusion? The aim of this book is to analyze the real obstacles that stand in the path to unity and to propose solutions, where these are possible. Distinguished authors from the main Christian denominations offer a unique insight into the problem of Christian divisions and the relationships between Christian communities. This work is not a politically correct exercise in diplomacy; rather, it informs the reader about the actual state of the ecumenical dialogue.