08.08.2015 Views

Christian Unity (the book) - The Maranatha Community

Christian Unity (the book) - The Maranatha Community

Christian Unity (the book) - The Maranatha Community

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

Create successful ePaper yourself

Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.

He saw <strong>the</strong> Orthodox Church as ‘an organic society of which Christ was <strong>the</strong>Head and <strong>the</strong> Holy Spirit <strong>the</strong> Soul and whose essence was “freedom in <strong>the</strong>spirit at one with itself.”’ 35 He saw Protestants as having freedom but no unityand Roman Catholics as having unity but no freedom. He levelled a devastatingattack on Papal Infallibility – it is a sort of eighth Sacrament in Khomiakov’seyes, in that it suggests <strong>the</strong> person can be separated from holiness and still be<strong>the</strong> Church’s Teacher.On <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r hand, Protestantism replaced <strong>the</strong> Church with <strong>the</strong> ‘I’ of eachindividual having <strong>the</strong> right to interpret and teach.For Khomiakov, holiness of life is <strong>the</strong> basis of <strong>the</strong> Church’s real unity. Dealingwith Khomiakov’s teaching, Serge Bolshakoff writes, ‘<strong>Unity</strong> must be promotedfirst by saintliness,’ and ‘If Eastern and Western <strong>Christian</strong>s lead a godly life,<strong>the</strong>y will find <strong>the</strong> way to unite.’ 36Khomiakov denounced ‘formal unions’. Both Eastern and Western parts of <strong>the</strong><strong>Christian</strong> Church must repent of <strong>the</strong>ir sins and wrong attitudes to <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r.‘<strong>The</strong> reunion of Christendom may be achieved only through <strong>the</strong> mutual love ofEastern and Western <strong>Christian</strong>s.’ <strong>The</strong>rein lies hope.As never before, East and West are talking to each o<strong>the</strong>r and learning fromeach o<strong>the</strong>r. This is part of <strong>the</strong> new thing that is happening in our day. Wecannot repent of our sins if we do not talk to each o<strong>the</strong>r. Our task is to findways of increasing our contacts and our understanding of each o<strong>the</strong>r.One of <strong>the</strong> ways this is being attempted is through <strong>the</strong> work of <strong>the</strong> Fellowshipof St Alban and St Sergius. <strong>The</strong> Fellowship was founded in 1928 by members ofEastern Orthodox and Western churches (<strong>the</strong> latter mainly but not entirelyfrom <strong>the</strong> Anglo-Catholic element in <strong>the</strong> Anglican Church). Before <strong>the</strong>Communist Revolution of 1917 in Russia <strong>the</strong>re had been little contact betweenEastern and Western Churches. In <strong>the</strong> 18 th Century Anglican ‘non-jurors’ (whohad sworn loyalty to James II and would not swear loyalty to <strong>the</strong> incoming and,as <strong>the</strong>y saw it, usurping Protestant William of Orange) had engaged in talkswith <strong>the</strong> Orthodox concerning union, but nothing concrete came of <strong>the</strong>m.35Bolshakoff, Serge, <strong>The</strong> Doctrine of <strong>the</strong> Church in <strong>the</strong> works of Khomiakov and Moehler,SPCK, 1946, p 302.36Bolshakoff, Serge, <strong>The</strong> Doctrine of <strong>the</strong> Church in <strong>the</strong> works of Khomiakov and Moehler,SPCK, 1946, p 302.Page 49

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!