Conciliarism: A History of Decision-Making in the ChurchConciliarism is one of the oldest and most essential means of decision-making in the history of the Christian Church. Indeed, as a leading Orthodox theologian Alexander Schmemann states, 'Before we understand the place and the function of the council in the Church, we must, therefore, see the Church herself as a council.' Paul Valliere tells the story of councils and conciliar decision-making in the Christian Church from earliest times to the present. Drawing extensively upon the scholarship on conciliarism which has appeared in the last half-century, Valliere brings a broad ecumenical perspective to the study and shows how the conciliar tradition of the Christian past can serve as a resource for resolving conflicts in the Church today. The book presents a conciliarism which involves historical legacy, but which leads us forward, not backward, and which keeps the Church's collective eyes on the prize - the eschatological kingdom of God. |
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Acts ancient church Anglican Communion Anglican Consultative Council apostles archbishop assembly authority bishops body Braga called canon law Canterbury catholic church Catholic Concordance catholicism century Chalcedon Christ Church of England ciliar clergy conciliar practice conciliar theory conciliar tradition conciliarist concordantia consensus Constantine Constantinople Convocations Council of Churches Council of Jerusalem Cyprian debate decision-making divine doctrine early Christian early church ecclesial ecclesiastical ecclesiology Ecumenical Councils Ecumenical Movement election emperor English church Episcopal Church eucharistic Eusebius faith fellowship gathering global Anglican Gospel Grundtvig heresy Holy Spirit Hooker Ibid imperial institutions issue Jerusalem Jesus John Lambeth Conference letter London Luke Lutheran means medieval modern Montanism Nicaea Nicholas Nicholas of Cusa Orthodox Church Pan-Anglican Council papal patriarch patristic Paul Peter polity pope Primates Priscillian provincial churches reform role Rome Russian Orthodox Church schism secular synod Testament theologians theological tion trans unity University Press vote Windsor Report World Council worldwide