Christian Unity (the book) - The Maranatha Community

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Perhaps this dying process is now beginning. Vidler’s advice for churchinstitutions in the dying period is for them to hang on to their presentstructures so that ‘as large as possible a body of Christians may be ready fordrastic change as soon as the way is opened.’ One clear way to prepare for this‘drastic change’ is to develop ‘spiritual ecumenism’.This is clearly part of the ‘Now what?’ For us today, a ‘Christendom of souls’ (touse G K A Bell’s phrase) is becoming apparent. It is dawning on the Church thatChristian Unity does not mean conformity or uniformity. Speaking aboutrelations between Catholic and non-Catholic Christians, Hans Kung comments:‘There is already a deep communion, koinonia, between them and us; it isfounded on one baptism, faith in one Lord, and love for him; and it isstronger and more important than anything that separates us. We areChristians and they are Christians… what we need for reunion is that thiscommunion which already exists should grow. What we need is that bothsides should create more and more common ground between us, until atlast what separates us becomes insignificant and full unity is a reality. The‘perfect unity’ will not be uniformity. As the Pope (John XXIII) has said, itwill be unity in essentials, freedom in all else… What we can have is unityin the sense of the living koinonia of the Scriptures, which is unity indiversity, unity in a variety of rites, languages, customs, modes of thoughtand action and prayer. Such unity is more perfect than uniformity.’ 199While there is a growing together in the understanding of the essentials of theChristian faith, it may yet be a long time before all Christians can haveintercommunion and share in the elements of the most uniting of all services.Intercommunion already takes place quite frequently within the Protestanttradition, especially among Evangelicals. The united communion at the close ofthe Keswick Convention in the Lake District, whose motto is ‘All one in ChristJesus’ (Galatians 3.28), is a symbol of this oneness. But it is still exceptionalthat Catholic and Orthodox celebrate with one another or with Protestants.In Vatican II’s Decree on Ecumenism, there is a section on Eucharistic sharing: itis made clear that this sharing of Communion is only to be with those199For more material on this point see Hans Kung, The Church, Sheed and Ward, New York,1967, especially pp 107-150 and 203-262.Page 215
Christians who believe a Catholic doctrine of the Eucharist, ‘who have a faith inthe sacrament in conformity with that of the Church.’ 200But where, as yet, full intercommunion is not possible, a ‘sensing thePresence of Christ’ in each other’s communions is already experienced inecumenical gatherings such as those in the Maranatha Community. Iadvocate that this should be more and more a feature of Christian life in thiscentury.d) We should encourage informal grass-roots collaboration through ‘parachurchassociations.’It is quite remarkable how the concept of cooperation between Christians ofgroups who were formerly hostile to each other has gathered pace. Progresshas been made in unity, in the cooperation of Christians at a local level onsocial projects to help the community, in joint prayer meetings and studygroups and in open witness to the Gospel. There is no evidence thatinvolvement in para-church activities lessens a person’s commitment to his orher own denomination.In the book Evangelicals and Catholics Together (1996), J I Packer, a respectedReformed theologian, urged both sides to engage in ‘informal grass rootscollaboration’ through ‘para-church associations’. In general, Evangelicals andCatholics Together holds that the binding force of the acceptance of theclassical Creeds, together with the renewal by the Holy Spirit which exaltsChrist as the only Saviour and Lord, creates a solid basis for united service andwitness.Hope 2008 was planned for the UK by para-church groups getting Christians towork together. Katei Kirby of the African and Caribbean Evangelical Allianceswrote: ‘Hope 2008 has the potential to fulfil Jesus’ prayer in John 17, breakingdown barriers between race, culture and custom.’The 20 th Century saw such para-church activity multiply in schemes ofevangelism, Christian witness in universities and colleges, in emergency anddevelopment programmes worldwide and in prayer and worship.200Ed Flannery, Austin, OP, the Vatican Collection, Vol 1, Vatican Council II, The Conciliarand Post Conciliar Documents, New Revised Edition, 1992, pp 561-562.Page 216
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Can Christian Unity be expressed ac
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‘In the Trinity the three are one
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Protestants, equally, have to be ab
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When John Wesley said that Christia
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(Geneva) Agreed Statement was issue
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While organised Christian endeavour
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Christian Unity consist?’ We shal
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CHAPTER 1CHRISTIAN UNITY IN THE EAR
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Almost all the heresies in the Earl
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interpreted as being against the la
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was raised by the Novatian schism.
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ArianismArianism was the most impor
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the Person of Christ. This was the
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Nicaea (325 AD), which asserted, ag
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He wrote:‘The ancient doctrines o
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agreement into the terms and ethics
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authority of the local bishop; Cypr
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Protestants. He was born in Tagaste
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guide the affairs of men: the Papac
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The distinction between laity and c
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ule. Christians were allowed to be
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fallen corruption and mortality but
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During the 1917 Communist Revolutio
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his repentance and restoration. The
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just before death, they might recei
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In both the East and the West heres
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The Waldensians were so named after
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CHAPTER 4THE SECOND GREAT SPLIT: WE
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Far more serious criticisms of the
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and the sacraments. He was tried by
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and his discovering that the Script
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denominational allegiances: confess
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aptism and substituting for it bapt
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Vincent de Lérins’ threefold bas
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Charles de Guise, Cardinal of Lorra
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CHAPTER 5QUOTATIONS ON THE THEME OF
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Dr Charles Malik - 20 th Century:
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Nicholas Zernov - 20 th Century:‘
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The restoration of the universal Ch
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Timothy Ware - 20 th Century:‘It
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Basilea Schlink - 20 th Century:‘
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Cardinal Basil Hume - 20 th Century
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Keith A Fournier - 20 th Century:
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concept of a contract between a rul
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harmoniously ordered society of pea
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interesting to note that the disput
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• In the Eucharist, Komensky main
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The Conference opened with much pom
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a growing unity among Christians at
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We cannot leave the 17 th Century w
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CHAPTER 7CHRISTIAN UNITY AND THE EV
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In Dr Woodward’s account of the r
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for Whitefield’s work in America,
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the West, the North and the South.
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‘John Wesley, displeased at not b
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formally, though it may have helped
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In view of all this, Charles Wesley
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Some of the refugees were persuaded
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Isaac Watts (1647-1748), the pionee
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CHAPTER 8VISIONS OF CHRISTIAN UNITY
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hymns and Eastern orthodox spiritua
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eplied with a series of Eirenicons
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positively wrote on grace and love
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hand that pours out sorrow’ and t
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He died in England in 1853 an ‘ec
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assembly, without much hesitation r
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‘Loving all whom Christ loves bec
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says, the Broad Church was ‘a moo
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far greater part for the laity in t
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ehind some of the criticism of the
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came together with the clear purpos
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In subsequent missionary conference
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university formed by a federation o
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credo-baptists to accept the provis
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Horton Davies 137 points out in his
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However, since New Delhi, the WCC s
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(b) The Church of Christ in China (
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the Scriptures as the supreme autho
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In 1970 a similar scheme to that of
Page 169 and 170: indulgences, were all confirmed str
Page 171 and 172: however, at a lower level, manifest
Page 173 and 174: In her study of the Evolution of th
Page 175 and 176: Even within the Reformed Protestant
Page 177 and 178: the publisher’s foreword to Gee
Page 179 and 180: and so I have some golden opportuni
Page 181 and 182: CHAPTER 10 THESE BRIDGES CAN’T BE
Page 183 and 184: ‘Only he - only Christ - was able
Page 185 and 186: c) Justification by Faith and Works
Page 187 and 188: However, in the Credo of the People
Page 189 and 190: f) Purgatory‘Purgatory’ is a na
Page 191 and 192: The Catechism of the Catholic Churc
Page 193 and 194: who love and trust the Lord Jesus C
Page 195 and 196: However, there is a growing awarene
Page 197 and 198: encouraged to receive a blessing al
Page 199 and 200: c) Traduction Œcumenique de la Bib
Page 201 and 202: witness. There is one such Sisterho
Page 203 and 204: Practically all para-church groups
Page 205 and 206: s) Missions and CampaignsMissions a
Page 207 and 208: My Protestant friends say to me tha
Page 209 and 210: Most Christians, in all three tradi
Page 211 and 212: of God may be complete, equipped fo
Page 213 and 214: CHAPTER 12NOW WHAT?This book began
Page 215 and 216: c) For some Protestants ecumenism m
Page 217 and 218: The church at Corinth was full of C
Page 219: ) It has become clear that, realist
Page 223 and 224: There are three confessions that ha
Page 225 and 226: ‘The solution to the ecumenical i
Page 227 and 228: k) Christ has left us an example -
Page 229 and 230: day’, the Niceno-Constantinopolit
Page 231 and 232: APPENDIX 2FOUR BIBLICAL TEXTS ON TH
Page 233 and 234: of the common good, and when one’
Page 235 and 236: eaten, as idols did not exist anywa
Page 237 and 238: 14. That to continue in any known s
Page 239 and 240: What all three traditions have in c
Page 241 and 242: Calvin held that the Gospel of Jesu
Page 243 and 244: Relations between Protestantism, Ca
Page 245 and 246: Brandreth, Henry, R T, The Oecumeni
Page 247 and 248: Hopko, Thomas, All the Fullness of
Page 249 and 250: Rupp, E G and Drewery, Benjamin, Ma
Page 251 and 252: INDEXAAct of Uniformity, 114aggiorn
Page 253 and 254: Frame, John M, 91, 187Francis of As
Page 255 and 256: Richardson, Paul, 239Roman Catholic
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