Orthodox Visions of Ecumenism - Statements, Messages & Reports on the Ecumenical Movement, 1902-1992

John Meyendorff, in his own words, "has dedicated most of this life to teaching and to investigating the past of Christianity, studying the ways in which the faith of the Church was confessed throughout the ages by the Fathers of the Church." It was during a more recent period -- from January 1965 to December 1984 -- that he was also editor of a church monthly, The Orthodox Church, in which he published signed editorials reflecting upon the growth and development of Orthodoxy in America. For him, this work was a blessed challenge. Indeed, he was forced to relate the permanent and unchanging faith of the Church to the changing circumstances of our recent history, and to the birth of a new Orthodox Church on the American continent. The editorials reprinted in Vision of Unity ask the question: Can we survive in chaos and disunity? They are presented in two sections: 1. the issue of Orthodox unity in America, and 2. the basic principles of Church structure. Throughout, the Church is revealed as a "conciliar" Church, the Church of all people, clergy and laity, old and young, men and women -- the "Catholic" Church, of all nations and generations. Book jacket.

Sense of Ecumenical Tradition - The Ecumenical Vision & Witness of the Orthodox

A collection of essays on the Orthodox vision of theology, the Bible, catholicity and ecumenism, eucharistic participation for children, witness and service, and Orthodoxy in modern America.

Ecumenical Directions in the United States Today gathers in one place the key presentations from the historic fiftieth anniversary conference of the Faith and Order Commission of the National Council of Churches USA, which study the commission's past and present and offer a vision for ecumenism's future. In addition to documenting an historic ecumenical event, these essays Offer theological and methodological direction for current and future ecumenical work Provide thoughtful reflections by younger theologians At a time when evangelical involvement in the ecumenical movement is changing, this book features four evangelical authors and essays about evangelical involvement in the ecumenical movement. Additionally, it collects essays ranging from Lutheran, Methodist, and United Church of Christ authors to Episcopal, Orthodox, and Catholic authors. Under one title, it presents an authentic picture of the diversity present in the ecumenical movement today. Book jacket.

Orthodox participation in the World Council of Churches has always been a paradox -- enthusiastically committed and yet plagued by complaints. This situation has lately reached crisis proportions: two Orthodox churches have withdrawn their membership; more threaten to follow. Is this an 'Orthodox problem'? Or is there something fundamentally wrong with the ecumenical machinery? In this book, two theologians -- one an Orthodox and one a Lutheran -- engage in an extended dialogue to illumine some of the issues and possible ways forward. The issues they discuss fall squarely within the agenda of the Special Commission on Orthodox Participation in the WCC, which was created in Harare in 1998.

Essays combining biblical study, theological reflection, and historical and contemporary analysis in developing an eucharistic understanding of the identity of the Church. The author is professor of New Testament at the University of Thessaloniki (North American rights). Joint publication with the World Council of Churches.

Here is a coherent, creative set of essays by a well-established Orthodox theologian who dares to address many of the critical and controversial issues of the day. The author is an Orthodox ecumenist who has taken seriously the ecumenical commitment of his church, and attempts to do theology in conversation with other Christian traditions and theologies, in the context of the ongoing theological deliberations of the World Council of Churches and more specifically of the Faith and Order commission. He deals with a wide range of issues, including: the Orthodox church and the ecumenical movement; naming God; papal primacy; politics and the Christian faith; population, consumption and the environment; violence; what the Spirit says to the churches; the challenge of contextual theologies; and the eucharist as missionary event.