Beyond the East-West Divide: The World Council of Churches and "the Orthodox Problem"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 This situation has lately reached crisis proportions: two Orthodox churches have withdrawn their membership; more threaten to follow.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. |
Common terms and phrases
Anna Marie Aagaard apostolic succession believe body of Christ calling canonical catholic and apostolic Christ-formed Christian identity Christian unity Christian worship Church unity Commission on Orthodox common ordo communion communion-koinonia conciliar confess Council of Churches denominationalist dialogue Ditchingham report divided churches divisions doctrinal Eastern Orthodox churches ecclesial ecumenical councils ecumenical movement ecumenical worship eucharistic Faith and Order faithfully gather fellowship forgiveness Geneva Georges Florovsky Harare assembly Holy Spirit human icon identify intra-Orthodox issues Jesus Christ John Zizioulas koinonia Konrad Raiser liturgical existence living Lutheran mean member churches membership menical Nicene Creed ordo of worship Ortho Orthodox churches Orthodox ecclesiology Orthodox participation Orthodox-Protestant Peter Bouteneff pray preaching Protestant questions reality Reformation Roman Catholic Church schisms scripture sinless sins speak Special Commission theological things tion tradition Trinitarian understanding unity in faith Visions of Ecumenism WCC's word and sacrament World Council worship services