More from Exploring Ecumenism on Ecumenism Means You, Too

Chris Sissons, Development Officer for Mission and Unity with the Methodist Church of Great Britain, has posted a series of reflections following up on his brief review of Ecumenism Means You, Too on his "Exploring Ecumenism" blog (which has the intriguing subtitle "A Radical Wesleyan Approach to Tranformation through Ecumenical Conversations"):

"Ecumenism Not Pluralism"
"Protection from the Evil One"
"Catholicity"

Interested in Ecumenism Means You, Too? Order the book directly from Cascade Books or via Amazon.

Exploring Ecumenism reviews Ecumenism Means You, Too

Chris Sissons, Development Officer for Mission and Unity with the Methodist Church of Great Britain, has posted a review of Ecumenism Means You, Too on his Exploring Ecumenism blog. Here's a couple of snippets from the review:

It is difficult to find good books about ecumenism. Too many seek to report the Faith and Order debate in tedious detail or else extol the many treasures we have to offer one another. Too often the whole becomes a litany of denominations and what they have to offer each other.

I have avoided this approach and suggest we focus upon how we approach the ecumenical task rather than tedious dissection of issues of little consequence for many people.

I therefore welcome this little book, Ecumenism Means You, Too : Ordinary Christians and the Quest for Christian Unity by Steven R Harmon, which bucks the trend and offers a masterful summary of the case for ecumenism, does not ignore the Faith and Order debates but focuses on what is important to every Christian....

.... I will in a few future posts touch upon some insights from this book but I recommend it in its entirety because it makes a straightforward case for younger people to pick up the baton.

I should add that despite being a short and clear read, this book does not hide its scholarship. This is no attempt to water down ecumenism. Indeed it is a brilliant example of ecumenical reception, the type of reception I have argued is needed between the generations.

Interested in Ecumenism Means You, Too? Order the book directly from Cascade Books or via Amazon.

Gros, McManus, and Riggs, Introduction to Ecumenism

Continuing a series of posts calling attention to selected resources featured in Appendix 1, "Resources for Ecumenical Engagement," in Ecumenism Means You, Too: Ordinary Christians and the Quest for Christian Unity (Cascade Books, 2010):

Jeffrey Gros, Eamon McManus, and Ann Riggs, Introduction to Ecumenism (New York: Paulist Press, 1998) is an accessible introduction to the history, biblical and theological basis, and institutional expressions of the modern ecumenical movement. Though written primarily from a Roman Catholic perspective, the book provides an excellent basic ecumenical orientation for all Christians. This text is an excellent starting place for readers who want to learn more about ecumenism.

Interested in Ecumenism Means You, Too? Order the book directly from Cascade Books or via Amazon.

A Most Interesting Ecumenical Pilgrimage

This weekend Lutheran theologians Sarah and Andrew Wilson will embark on a thousand-mile, seventy-day trek commemorating the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther's 1510 pilgrimage from Erfurt to Rome. The press release explaining this most interesting ecumenical pilgrimage follows.

Lutheran Couple Walks a Thousand Miles for Reconciliation with Rome

On the morning of August 22, 2010, Andrew and Sarah Wilson will depart from the Augustinian priory in Erfurt, Germany, taking the first steps of their thousand-mile pilgrimage to Rome. The Wilsons will follow the same path Augustinian friar Martin Luther trod 500 years ago in 1510.

The hike will take 70 days and will pass through southern Germany, Austria, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, and Italy, before arriving in Rome in the last days of October.

Luther came to Rome with high expectations but was ultimately disappointed. Only seven years after his trip to Rome, he posted the Ninety-Five Theses, commonly regarded as the beginning of the Protestant Reformation. Only three years after that, in 1520, he was excommunicated by Pope Leo X.

But reliving old quarrels is not the Wilsons’ intent.

“We noticed this significant anniversary coming up,” said Andrew Wilson, who holds a doctorate in Church History from Princeton Theological Seminary and is a Fellow at the Foundation for Interreligious and Intercultural Research and Dialogue, “and thought it would be great to commemorate it by retracing Luther’s own steps. But what’s the right way to do that in an ecumenical age?”

The answer came to Sarah Wilson, who holds a doctorate from Princeton Seminary in Systematic Theology and is an ordained Lutheran pastor, after she joined the staff of the Institute for Ecumenical Research in Strasbourg, France. Dedicated to understanding the issues that divide Lutherans from other churches around the globe, the Institute for Ecumenical Research also seeks to work through such divisions and create broader cooperation in global Christianity.

“Incredible progress has been made on the scholarly level between divided churches,” she explained. “But this progress has hardly made its way to the people in the pews at all. It’s as if fifty years of dialogue never happened. How could we let people know about these amazing developments? How could we get them even to care?”

It was Andrew Wilson who realized the possibility of leveraging social media to spread the word on a grassroots level. “People are busy and won’t take time to read stiff academic studies or listen to impenetrable church statements. But they’ll read a hiking blog. They’ll ‘like’ things on Facebook. They’ll follow Tweets. So we’re using these media to share the news about our trip, educate about the Reformation, and highlight the amazing rapprochement that has already occurred between two churches that fought physical as well as theological wars for centuries.”

“The Reformation was a communication revolution where mass-produced polemical pamphlets spread fresh insights into Christianity across Europe,” he mused, “but also hardened a divided and dividing church. Perhaps our current communication revolution will reunite it in unforeseen ways.”

The Wilsons’ blog is called www.hereiwalk.org, a pun on the famous words “Here I stand” that Luther uttered during his trial in Worms, Germany.

Interest in pilgrimages has exploded among Protestants in recent years. Many European churches are setting up offices for pilgrimage and establishing routes for pilgrims to follow.

“Even non-believers can get into ‘pilgrimages,’” added Andrew Wilson, an experienced hiker and mountaineer. “It’s like hiking, but with the added layer of connecting to the past. I’m excited about crossing the Alps, but walking along Roman roads, slowly nearing towering steeples, wandering through silent abbeys, and imagining travel in an era before cars and planes — that’s what sets this trip apart.”

“Actually walking the huge distance from Erfurt to Rome is essential to our goal,” commented Sarah Wilson. “The Reformation ended up severing the connection between Lutherans and Roman Catholics. We are trying to heal that broken link, reconnecting divided places with our own footsteps. We hope others will join us in spirit and in prayer, even if they can’t walk with us in person, on our quest.”

What lies at the end of the journey?

“Our final destination will be the tombs of St. Peter and St. Paul,” responded Sarah Wilson. “Symbolically St. Peter stands for the Catholic church and St. Paul for the Lutheran church. Peter and Paul had their quarrels, but they had the same faith in Christ and both were martyred in Rome. The apostles’ witness invites Lutherans and Catholics today to reconcile on the basis of their shared faith.”

Learn more at www.hereiwalk.org
Contact hereiwalk@gmail.com

Ecumenical bibliographical resources--United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, "A Selected Bibliography"

Continuing a series of posts calling attention to selected resources featured in Appendix 1, "Resources for Ecumenical Engagement," in Ecumenism Means You, Too: Ordinary Christians and the Quest for Christian Unity (Cascade Books, 2010):

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Committee for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs maintains on its web site a select online bibliography of ecumenical resources. Texts listed in the bibliography that are available elsewhere online are hyperlinked.

Interested in the book? Order Ecumenism Means You, Too directly from Cascade Books or via Amazon.

Insights plugs Ecumenism Means You, Too

Stephen Webb, Deputy Editor of Insights, the official publication of the Synod of New South Wales of the Uniting Church in Australia, plugs Ecumenism Means You, Too in an editorial in the August 2010 issue of the magazine. A feature story on the importance of grassroots ecumenical engagement in the same issue borrows "Ecumenism Means You Too" for its title. Webb concludes his editorial, "With Harmon, I pray that each of you who read his book and this edition of Insights will offer your own distinctive gifts in the service of the unity of the church, through Jesus Christ our Lord."

Günther Gassman, "What Is Faith and Order?"

Continuing a series of posts calling attention to selected resources featured in Appendix 1, "Resources for Ecumenical Engagement," in Ecumenism Means You, Too: Ordinary Christians and the Quest for Christian Unity (Cascade Books, 2010):

"What Is Faith and Order?", an address by Günther Gassman (shown in photo at left with Desmond Tutu and Soritua Nababan) delivered to a Faith and Order Consultation with Younger Theologians held at Turku, Finland, August 3-11, 1995, is
an immensely informative introduction to the theological heart of the modern ecumenical movement from the perspective of a former director of the World Council of Churches Faith and Order Commission.

Interested in the book? Order Ecumenism Means You, Too directly from Cascade Books or via Amazon.

Confession and Forgiveness: Ecumenical Practices Exemplified by Lutherans and Mennonites

The most significant ecumenical event of the summer occurred on July 22, when the Lutheran World Federation officially asked forgiveness from the Mennonite World Conference for the violent persecution of Anabaptists in the sixteenth century, for the ways in which the early Lutheran reformers supported these persecutions with theological arguments, and for the negative portrayals of Anabaptists and Mennonites that have continued in their communities and theological institutions. The text of the official LWF statement "Action on the Legacy of Lutheran Persecution of 'Anabaptists'" as drafted and approved by the LWF in advance of this summer's assembly is available online. Below is an unofficial transcript of the response by Mennonite World Conference President Danisa Ndlovu of Zimbabwe, courtesy of the blog of a Lutheran theologian attending the assembly of the LWF in Stuttgart:

“You seek for­give­ness for what your fore­bears in the six­teenth cen­tury did to the Anabap­tists, for for­get­ting about it in the inter­ven­ing cen­turies, for mis­lead­ing things said by Anabap­tist authors…

“Are we wor­thy of this? We are painfully aware of our own inad­e­qua­cies. We can­not come to this table with our heads held high. (chok­ing up) We can only bow down in great humil­ity and in fear of the Lord. We can­not come to this point and fail to see our own sin­ful­ness. We can­not come to this point with­out rec­og­niz­ing our own need for God’s grace and forgiveness.

“At this time we are pro­foundly moved by your spirit of repen­tance and your act of seek­ing for­give­ness, and we remem­ber the prayer of George Blau­rock, first bap­tized Anap­batist, later burned at the stake, who said, “I sin­cerely pray for all my ene­mies”… We believe that God has already heard and granted this Anabap­tist prayer. We believe that God has heard and granted this appeal for for­give­ness. We humbly and joy­fully join with God in grant­ing this gift of for­give­ness. …God also is doing it in heaven. To God be the glory.

“In response we com­mit to pro­mote the inter­pre­ta­tion of the Lutheran-Anabaptist story, which we take seri­ously, the jointly told his­tory in the report. We will take care that your ini­tia­tive for rec­on­cil­i­a­tion is known among us… We will con­tinue delib­er­a­tion on resolv­ing the issues between our two com­mu­ni­ties, open to the move­ment of the Spirit. We will encour­age our local churches and insti­tu­tions to seek greater cop­per­a­tion and rela­tion with Lutheran chruches for ser­vice to the world. Again we say to God be the glory.

“In the last sup­per Jesus gave a new com­mand­ment (quot­ing John 15). He gave them a phys­i­cally embod­ied sym­bol of this new com­mand­ment (retells story of foot­wash­ing). Some Anabap­tist and Men­non­ite churches have main­tained this prac­tice of foot­wash­ing. This tub and towl come from this tra­di­tion (offer­ing them).

“We will learn to seek one another’s good from a pos­ture of vol­un­tary and mutual sub­mis­sion. This is how God’s trans­form­ing pres­ence is made vis­i­ble in the world. Amen.”

Introductions to ecumenism--WCC Faith and Order Commission, Towards Sharing the One Faith

Continuing a series of posts calling attention to selected resources featured in Appendix 1, "Resources for Ecumenical Engagement," in Ecumenism Means You, Too: Ordinary Christians and the Quest for Christian Unity (Cascade Books, 2010):

Towards Sharing the One Faith: A Study Guide for Discussion Groups (Geneva: WCC Publications, 1996) is a booklet in the Faith and Order Paper series of documents produced by the Faith and Order Commission of the World Council of Churches. This is a useful group study guide intended to help ecumenical and denominational groups enter into the process of exploring the faith of the church and of recognizing this faith in their own lives and the lives of other Christian communities, in the hope that such study will move Christians toward common witness to the faith in liturgy and life and toward growth together in visible unity.

Interested in the book? Order Ecumenism Means You, Too directly from Cascade Books or via Amazon.

Ecumenical bibliographical resources--Prairie Centre for Ecumenism, "Bibliography of Ecumenism and the Ecumenical Movement"

Continuing a series of posts calling attention to selected resources featured in Appendix 1, "Resources for Ecumenical Engagement," in Ecumenism Means You, Too: Ordinary Christians and the Quest for Christian Unity (Cascade Books, 2010):

The Prairie Centre for Ecumenism, an ecumenical institute sponsored by seven denominations in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, maintains on its web site "A Bibliography of Ecumenism and the Ecumenical Movement," compiled automatically from database searches of university library catalogs and arranged alphabetically by author.

Interested in the book? Order Ecumenism Means You, Too directly from Cascade Books or via Amazon.

Ecumenical bibliographical resources--Michael Fahey's Ecumenism: A Bibliographical Overview

Continuing a series of posts calling attention to selected resources featured in Appendix 1, "Resources for Ecumenical Engagement," in Ecumenism Means You, Too: Ordinary Christians and the Quest for Christian Unity (Cascade Books, 2010):

Michael A. Fahey's Ecumenism: A Bibliographical Overview (Bibliographies and Indexes in Religious Studies, no. 23; Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1992) is an annotated bibliography that includes entries for over 1,300 books on ecumenism published between 1950 and 1992 and describes 85 journals devoted to ecumenism. The annotations offer a thorough analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of specific publications. The volume provides a theological and historical record of Orthodox, Catholic, Anglican, and Protestant ecumenical literature, and serves as a guide to works on the World Council of Churches, the Second Vatican Council, and modern bilateral dialogues.

Interested in the book? Order Ecumenism Means You, Too directly from Cascade Books or via Amazon.

Ecumenical Bibliographical Resources--Centro Pro Unione Bulletin

Over the next few weeks Ecclesial Theology will call attention to selected resources featured in Appendix 1, "Resources for Ecumenical Engagement," in Ecumenism Means You, Too: Ordinary Christians and the Quest for Christian Unity (Cascade Books, 2010). One important bibliographical resource is the Centro Pro Unione Bulletin. An issue each year of this semi-annual periodical published by the Centro Pro Unione in Rome includes the section “A Bibliography of Interchurch and Interconfessional Dialogues.”

Interested in the book? Order Ecumenism Means You, Too directly from Cascade Books or via Amazon.