First published in 1996 this book examines the search for unity in the Church.

Ivana Noble describes in Essays in Ecumenical Theology I emerging methods, aims and themes. She also shows why the search for common roots, mutual knowledge and shared mission has became so important in (Post)Modern Christianity.

This handbook is currently in development, with individual articles publishing online in advance of print publication. At this time, we cannot add information about unpublished articles in this handbook, however the table of contents will continue to grow as additional articles pass through the review process and are added to the site. Please note that the online publication date for this handbook is the date that the first article in the title was published online. For more information, please read the site FAQs.

"It is our hope in this volume to make a modest but serious contribution to Christian reflection on why unity matters and what kind of unity best serves God's purpose for a divided world" -- back cover.

Receptive Ecumenism is a ground-breaking new ecumenical approach, widely regarded as having the potential to revitalise the Ecumenical Movement. But what is Receptive Ecumenism? Why is it important? In Receptive Ecumenism and the Renewal of the Ecumenical Movement, Antonia Pizzey offers a comprehensive, systematic analysis of Receptive Ecumenism. While still emerging, Receptive Ecumenism is highly promising because it prioritises the need for ecclesial conversion. Pizzey explores the scope and complexity of Receptive Ecumenism, providing much-needed clarity on its aim, key developmental influences and distinctiveness, as well as its virtuous character and relationship with Spiritual Ecumenism. The major implementations of Receptive Ecumenism to date are investigated, along with its significance for the future of ecumenism, especially regarding its engagement with contemporary challenges.

In the past century the ecumenical movement has made extraordinary efforts in healing the wounds of division in the body of Christ—the church. However, in their formal preparation for ministry, many clergy learn little or nothing about the achievements, methods, or implications of ecumenism. This failure to adequately educate and inspire successive generations of Christian leaders about the quest for the church’s visible unity risks not only an irretrievable loss of ecumenical memory, but also a return to a time in which ignorance, fear, mistrust, suspicion, stereotypes, caricatures, recrimination, anathematization—even persecution—characterized the relations between divided churches. Drawing on decades of reflection on ecumenical reception and formation, and using the Anglican Church of Canada as a model, this book presents an approach to teaching the practical and theological aspects of ecumenism in a way that is both holistic and pragmatic and offers the potential to raise up a new generation of church leaders who are also agents of reconciliation and Christian unity.

This book offers a clearly written, informative, and fair critique of Roman Catholicism in defense of the catholic faith. Two leading evangelical thinkers in church history and philosophy summarize the major points of contention between Protestants and Catholics, honestly acknowledging real differences while conveying mutual respect and charity. The authors address key historical, theological, and philosophical issues as they consider what remains at stake five hundred years after the Reformation. They also present a hopeful way forward for future ecumenical relations, showing how Protestants and Catholics can participate in a common witness to the world.

This book is a response to the growing recognition of Receptive Ecumenism as a concept and process that has the potential to bring about the greater flourishing of the Church, both within denominations and across the Church universal.

In the first volume of Essays in Ecumenical Theology Ivana Noble depicts differences between what she calls a sectarian outlook and one which engages in the search for common roots, dialogical relationships and shared mission in a world that has largely become post-Christian, but often also post-secular. Drawing on both Western and Orthodox scholarship, and expressing her own positions, Noble sketches what ecumenical theology is, how it is linked to spirituality, the methods it uses, how it developed during the twentieth century, and the challenges it faces. Specific studies deal with controversial interpretations of Jan Hus, Catholic Modernism, the problematic heritage of the totalitarian regimes, and responses to the current humanitarian crisis.