What is Ecumenism? How and when did it start? What are its goals and how will they affect the future of the Christian churches? This book answers these questions and examines the remarkable story of new encounters between Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Anglican, Old Catholic, and most Protestant churches. Most of these churches have been divided for centuries over issues of theology, faith, and practice. Ecumenism seeks to reconcile these differences and to bring the churches together into a new unity based on their commonalities and their understanding of Christian faith. Here, FitzGerald traces the history of the churches and their divisions and focuses on the ways in which the Ecumenical movement began and the efforts that have been made to assist the churches in overcoming age-old strife, animosity, and misunderstanding. For centuries, Christian churches have remained divided over their doctrinal differences, but beginning in the late nineteenth century, churches and their members slowly began to emerge from their isolation. They began to abandon competition, mistrust, and misunderstanding in an effort to seek out their common interests and faith through meetings and organizations meant to bring them together. The encounters between the churches led to proposals for common prayers for unity, and for common witness in society. While not without difficulty, these encounters have fostered a renewal in Christian theology, worship, and witness, affecting all levels of church life. The process has touched Christians all over the world in various ways. FitzGerald carefully traces the history of the movement and its impact on the churches themselves, as well as the believers who attend them, making this important reading for all Christians and anyone interested in learning more about church division and efforts to restore unity.

Volume 2 (1948-1968) first appeared in 1970. It covers the history of the World Council of Churches from its first assembly at Amsterdam to its fourth assembly at Uppsala, Sweden; analyzes the development of regional ecumenical organizations; and recounts the impact of the Second Vatican Council on the ecumenical witness of the Roman Catholic Church.

The idea of the Church as the instrument of unity had existed before Second Vatican Council; but the Council made the search for unity explicitly an imperative. From the Second Vatican Council emerged a more emphatic vision of the mission of the Church to the world in which ecumenism is no longer an option but an imperative. From the time of the Council onward, every Christian should positively respond to God's question to Cain: "Where is your brother?" (Gen. 4: 9). The ecumenical imperative is primarily the responsibility of pastoral workers. The book surveys in epochs the historical changes that has occurred in the Church up to Vatican II; reviews reception along the ages of the Church pointing to the uniqueness of Vatican II; and gives through biblical exegesis of 'conversion' a fresh understanding that will help pastoral workers to be ever conscious and ready to serve as Church's instrument of unity wherever they are. This book re-awakens the spirit of the Decree on Ecumenism (Unitatis Redintegratio), offering it to be properly received by all who pray with Christ for unity (Jn 17:21). It proposes pastoral suggestions on the practice of Ecumenism.

This handbook is currently in development, with individual articles publishing online in advance of print publication. At this time, we cannot add information about unpublished articles in this handbook, however the table of contents will continue to grow as additional articles pass through the review process and are added to the site. Please note that the online publication date for this handbook is the date that the first article in the title was published online. For more information, please read the site FAQs.

The Ecumenical Work of the Icon is an invitation to the students and faculties of Catholic seminaries to be a part of the tradition of the icon through the lens of ecumenis. With a view of ecumenism as lived in both the Roman Catholic and Orthodox traditions, the visual theological language of the icon may be engaged more fully and respectfully, thus enriching the theological education and future ministry of those who learn and teach in a Catholic setting. In the third portion of the book, readers are offered multiple practical pedagogical examples of how to integrate teaching and learning about the icon into seminary courses and beyond, including writing assignments, oral presentations, and hands-on activities.

The ecumenical movement is by definition a complex, multifaceted project that encompasses a diverse agenda and resists any singular definition. By examining the various aspects of ecumenical history, this book charts the search for diversity and dialogue in world Christianity. Contents: A DIALOGICAL AFFAIR. Ecumenical Unity, Ecumenical Diversity; Understanding Dialogue; The Multiplicity of Meaning; Focus on the WCC. COMMUNITY AND DIVERSITY IN FAITH AND ORDER. Intending to Stay Together; Faith and Order, and the Quest for Visible Unity; The Solidarity of 'Reconciled Diversity;' ECUMENICAL PRAXIS IN A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE. The Search for Ecumenical Coherence; The Search for Coherence through Reconstruction of Christendom; Toward a Praxis of Solidarity; RENEWING MISSION. Missions and Ecumenics; Missions, Christendom, and the Non-European Other; Defining the Boundaries of Christendom; Re-Marking the Boundaries of Christian Mission; CONTINUING THE DIALOGUE. Multiple Trajectories within the World Council; Multiple Trajectories beyond the World Council; Ecumenical Memories and the Ecumenical Future.

"Rivals the major systematic theologies of this century."--Baptist History and Heritage Journal, July 1996"One of the characteristics of Garrett's system that needs especially to be noted is its balanced, judicious, and nearly invariably objective presentation of materials. While holding true to the teachings of his own Baptist faith, Garrett so carefully and judiciously presents alternatives . . . that teachers and students from other confessional and denominational positions will find his work instructive."--Consensus, 1997"If one is searching for an extensive exposition of the biblical foundations and historical developments of the various loci of systematic theology, there is no more complete presentation in a relatively short work than this . . . Pastors will especially find this feature to be a real help in teaching theology . . . [It is] an indispensable contribution to the task of systematic theology."--Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, September 1999"Many students and pastors will find all they need here, and will in addition be helped to relate their knowledge to recent developments in the theological world."--The Churchman: A Journal of Anglican Theology, 1991"A gold mine of helpful material."--The Christian Century, May 29-June 5, 1991"No book that I know is more loaded with biblical and theological facts than this one. The prodigious research that must have gone into the preparation of this volume is truly mind-boggling."--Faith and Mission, Fall 1991"Garrett has provided a massive and scholarly systematic theology from a thoroughly conservative and comprehensive viewpoint. The work is well documented in both biblical and historical scholarship and will prove to be a classic."--William Hendrickson, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary"One of the most comprehensive, concise books of its type available; it should receive wide use in the classroom and in the study."--Robert H. Culpepper, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

In Recovering the Ecumenical Bonhoeffer, Javier Garcia explores the possibilities for Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s theology to revitalize interest in the ecumenical movement and Christian unity today. Although many commentators have lamented the waning interest in the ecumenical movement since the 1960s, the celebration of the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation in 2017, coupled with recent in-roads such as the ecumenical efforts of Pope Francis, have opened new possibilities for the ecumenical project. In this context, Garcia presents Bonhoeffer as a helpful model for contemporary ecumenical dialogue. He finds important points of convergence between Bonhoeffer and Calvin, thereby establishing potential areas of rapprochement between the Lutheran and Reformed traditions. Beyond examining the state of ecumenism and unfolding the ecumenical promise of Bonhoeffer’s thought, Garcia assesses the future of ecumenical engagement in a secular age. Altogether, he proposes a recovery of the ecumenical Bonhoeffer for envisioning new possibilities for church unity in our day.