ANUARUL ACADEMIC 2003-2004 - Facultatea de Teologie "Andrei ...

for the so called “sectology”, while ecumenical studies are not part of the doctrine,which still has to be orientated towards (or against) other confessions.We need ecumenical formation because mission and evangelism should bepromoted in unity today 127 . During a special consultation on “ecumenism in the 21 stcentury” a group reflected, on the definition, dimension and methods of ecumenicalformation, highlighting that there was no agreed ecumenical description of whatecumenical formation was. However, all agreed that ecumenical formation wasabout the renewal of a person. It was a change of heart that made us share inChrist’s desire for the Church to be one. They also noted that not only persons butalso structures should be formed ecumenically.It is very important to be aware of all the changes and challenges present inour world, the new global village; to be aware of the need to renew theunderstandings of education theories, to reach an authentic culture of dialogue inteaching - as expressed in the New Testament, where Christ engaged in dialoguewith different people and the salvation started from their own great problems; to beaware that it is wrong to separate theology from spirituality, the witness in theworld from martyria, from martyrdom; to be aware of the holistic character oftheological education and ministerial formation:“… which is grounded in worship, and combines and inter-relates spirituality,academic excellence, mission and evangelism, justice and peace, pastoralsensitivity and competence and the formation of character. For it brings togethereducation of:the ear to hear God’s word and cry of God’s people;the heart to heed and respond to the suffering;the tongue to speak to both the weary and the arrogant;the hands to work with the lowly;the mind to reflect on the good news of the gospel;the will to respond to God’s call;the spirit to wait on God in prayer, to struggle and wrestle with God, to be silentin penitence and humility and to intercede for the church and the world;the body to be the temple of the Holy Spirit” 128 .127 Go to the document Mission and Evangelism in Unity Today, op.cit.128 John S.Pobee, ed., Towards Viable Theological Education: Ecumenical Imperative, Catalyst ofRenewal, Geneva, WCC Publications, 1997, p.1180