Ecumenism
The term “ecumenism” is used primarily to refer to movements intended to achieve greater cooperation and unity among Christian churches. It is normally applied to or by Christian churches and denominations divided by practice or doctrine. The initiatives reflect the concept that there is only one Christian church.
Ecumenism should not be confused with interfaith initiatives, which are intended to foster better relations between different faiths. The interfaith initiatives are aimed at encouraging mutual toleration, cooperation, and respect between different religions. It does not have the goal of uniting all followers into a single group. In simpler terms, interfaith missions seek to achieve respect for, and the cooperation of, all organized religions, including Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, and others, while the ecumenical movement is concerned with reconciling differences between Christian factions.
Within the Christian faith, ecumenism may be viewed as a vastly different concept. Some Catholics, for example, wish to unite all professing to be Christians into one organization such as the Roman Catholic Church. Some Protestants feel that a union of the spirit and agreement on the primary tenets is sufficient. In traditional orthodoxy, however, the view is held that only one true church exists, and that is the Orthodox Church. Therefore, the concept of “sister churches” is irreconcilable.
When viewed as a simplified model, the issues of ecumenism can be examined by reviewing the fundamental differences between the three main Christian divisions. The Catholic Church, from its earliest days, has viewed its highest duty to be a complete union of Christians while rejecting aspects that violate the teachings of tradition and scripture. Prior to the Second Vatican Council, the primary emphasis was on maintaining tradition and obeying the scriptures. The Canons prohibited Catholics from participating in any manner at religious functions that were not Catholic. If the reason for attendance was serious, approval could be obtained for Catholics to appear at weddings, funerals, or other functions if it could be done without fear of scandal or perversion. The current position is fractionally more lax. The unity of Christians, according to Catholic theologians, can only be obtained by standing firm in the teachings of the scripture. Ecumenism is a way of encouraging others to accept that the Catholic church is the one true Christian church.
Protestant ecumenism is typically considered to have begun with the Edinburgh Missionary Conference of 1910. Fueled by such organizations as the Young Men’s Christian Association, the World Student Christian Federation, and the Federal Council of Churches (the forerunner to the National Council of Churches USA) the conference was the largest interdenominational gathering of Protestants aimed at securing commitments to work across sectarian lines to benefit world missions. Further organizations were formed during the middle of the twentieth century, such as the World Council of Churches and the National Council of Churches. As a rule, these are theologically liberal to moderate, reflecting the fact that Protestants are typically less traditional and more liberal than the Roman Catholic, Orthodox, and Anglican churches.
The Anglican Church has largely embraced ecumenism and is an active participant in both the National Council of Churches and the World Council of Churches. However, recent liberal influences within the Protestant community have led to questions as to whether ecumenism is leading them in the right direction. Nevertheless, the Episcopal Church USA continues to discuss the issue of full communion, or intercommunion, with the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church, as well as the Presbyterian and United Methodist churches.
The Eastern and Oriental Orthodox churches are two separate bodies, yet each considers itself as the original true church. While they have participated in interfaith discussions, they are unwilling to accept anything other than the definition of the Eastern Orthodox church as the one and only Christian church. Their role in ecumenism is to bear witness to the truth and to bring the non-Orthodox back into the fold.
Both the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches have revoked the mutual excommunications of 1054 that marked the Great Schism between them. Ongoing discussions between the two have been underway since 1999 in hopes of agreeing upon a joint statement of resolution.
Ecumenism has also been met with polarizing events occurring within the Protestant church. For example, when the Episcopal Church ordained as bishop an admitted homosexual and advocate of same-sex marriages, the Russian Orthodox Church suspended cooperation with it. The Russian Patriarchate eliminated all relations with the Church of Sweden chose to give its blessing to same-sex marriages. Such divisions between traditional and liberal beliefs is foreseen by some to be the abyss that cannot be crossed, dooming the ecumenical movement.
While there are many organizations such as the National Council of Churches and the World Council of Churches who are continuing to promote ecumenical dialog and cooperation, there are serious opponents to the cause as well. Primarily in the Eastern Orthodox church, there are many who oppose all interfaith dialogs as representing a weakening of tradition and tenets. Ecumenism is viewed as an attempt to accommodate those who are uncomfortable with the “true word” by compromising critical parts of the Christian doctrine. They feel that the emphasis should be placed on conversion rather than conversation. However, many more feel that, with continued dialog, such issues can be resolved.