Leading up to my participation in the upcoming plenary meeting of the Commission on Faith and Order of the World Council of Churches in Crete October 7-13, I will post a few links to information about the work of what some have called the "theological heart" of the modern ecumenical movement. The Commission on Faith and Order page on the WCC web site provides a helpful basic overview of the Faith and Order movement and the study programs of the Commission.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
WCC Commission on Faith and Order overview
Leading up to my participation in the upcoming plenary meeting of the Commission on Faith and Order of the World Council of Churches in Crete October 7-13, I will post a few links to information about the work of what some have called the "theological heart" of the modern ecumenical movement. The Commission on Faith and Order page on the WCC web site provides a helpful basic overview of the Faith and Order movement and the study programs of the Commission.
What topic will be the subject of your work at this meeting?
ReplyDeleteJayne,
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by! We'll be working in this meeting toward draft texts on Sources of Authority for the Church (continuing a series of prior studies on Tradition and Traditions) and Moral Discernment in the Churches, and finalizing an ecclesiological text prepared earlier on The Nature and Mission of the Church. In some future posts I'll provide additional information about the meeting agenda and these projects.
SRH
Sounds like it will be a full meeting! I am particularly intrigued by the topic of Moral Discernment in the Churches and will be interested in following where that discussion goes.
ReplyDeleteIn listening to Professor Moltmann speak last week, I was reminded of the essential nature of ecumenical conversation. On our own - whether as individuals, congregations or denominations - we can see but a small piece of God. It takes the full expression of humanity to begin to scratch the surface of the full expression of God. How much we would miss of God's revelation were we to limit the voices at the table. I suppose many fear the blurring of their tradition into the whole. In fact I think it is the distinct voice of each tradition that needs to be valued and heard, not only the places where we are in agreement. Perhaps this is something of what you mean when you speak of An Eclectic Catholicity. I have not followed those 'links' on the page yet to see where they go!
Look forward to hearing more about the work.
Grace.
Jayne,
ReplyDeleteGood to hear about your experience of the Moltmann conference. In regard to the title of my upcoming presentation, I'm responding to questions that have been raised by others as to whether Baptist/evangelical retrievals of the earlier catholic tradition inevitably fall prey to an idiosyncratic eclecticism. Why would we think it's a good thing to retrieve patristic Trinitarian theology and Christology or a deeper understanding of the sacraments, for example, but not the episcopal office and its authoritative teaching function? Attempts to answer such questions coming soon!
SRH