Skip to main content icon/video/no-internet
icon backReturn to Entries

Ecumenicalism

Ecumenicalism, the friendship and cooperation among differing religious groups and faiths, has a long and rich history. The varied trends in ecumenical thought and action can be traced to the various understandings of the word itself. “Ecumenism” originates from the Greek noun oikoumenē, “the inhabited earth” or “the whole world,” and the adjective “oikoumenikos,” understood as “ecumenical.” There are few biblical passages that use the word oikoumenē. The 15 references to oikoumenē are all found in the New Testament; interpretations of each use and its significance vary.

With so few references, the purpose and function of ecumenicalism has been derived mostly from applications of the term. During the fourth century CE, oikoumenē often referred to the Christian empire under Roman rule. Ecumenical councils gathered periodically to discuss the state of the Christian faith within the Roman Empire and to settle disputes among Christian groups. Both Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox traditions are considered to have continued this trend with their own ecumenical councils. Similarly, early creeds, such as the Nicene or the Apostles' Creed, are generally considered ecumenical because they are widely accepted by Christians. Since these early instances, the term largely fell out of use until the 19th century, when Christians became increasingly concerned with divisions in doctrine and polity among Christians around the world. From this concern, the modern ecumenical movement was born. The modern ecumenical movement was and is the pursuit of reconciliation among various Christian groups, including the Roman Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant faiths. As a result, much of the history of ecumenicalism pertains to Christians working together for the “church universal,” or a single Christian church. More recently, however, common parlance often equates “ecumenical” with increased interaction and unity among world religions through interfaith dialogue and cooperation. These contemporary ecumenical organizations promote religious pluralism and pursue increased interaction among diverse faiths rather than agreement on theology.

The Modern Ecumenical Movement

The modern ecumenical movement began among Protestant denominations after the 1910 World Missionary Conference in Edinburgh, Scotland. Delegates from various Protestant missionary organizations met to consider the division and competition among Christians. Noticeably absent from the conference were Catholic and Orthodox delegates as well as representatives from non-Western countries. Though representation at the meeting was not ecumenical in composition, the principle topic for the 1910 conference was an ecumenical one. The intent of the World Missionary Conference was to unite “Christendom” in an effort to advance worldwide missions. Focusing on the mission set forth in Matthew 28:19 to “make disciples of all nations,” delegates agreed that fulfilling such a mission appeared impossible in light of divisions over theology and polity. The goal of the conference was to develop a consensus on how the Christian church, broadly conceived, could progress in its missionizing efforts in a cooperative way. Several issues emerged as central to this ecumenical movement: the missionary enterprise of the church, the shared social and welfare services offered by churches, and the ideological points of contention that separate denominations from one another.

One legacy of the 1910 World Missionary Conference was the creation of the World Council of Churches in 1948. The World Council of Churches hosted its first assembly in Amsterdam in 1948 with the theme “Man's Disorder and God's Designs.” In all, 90 churches around the world accepted the invitation to join. The Roman Catholic Church surprisingly declined the invitation, though it remained open to dialogue. Still in existence today, the goal of the World Council of Churches is to unify all Christians under one ecumenical organization. Currently, the World Council of Churches includes 349 churches from 110 countries. Although Roman Catholic churches are not members of the World Council of Churches, dialogue between the Roman Catholic Church and the World Council of Churches continues to occur. Dialogue began in 1960 when Pope John XXII created an official secretariat position for Christian unity.

...

  • Loading...
locked icon

Sign in to access this content

Get a 30 day FREE TRIAL

  • Watch videos from a variety of sources bringing classroom topics to life
  • Read modern, diverse business cases
  • Explore hundreds of books and reference titles

Read next

More like this

Sage Recommends

We found other relevant content for you on other Sage platforms.

close

Have you created a personal profile? Login or create a profile so that you can save clips, playlists and searches

close
close
close Signed In to profile You are signed in as:
close
Logged in Institution Institution