ECUMENICAL REVIEW最新文献

As a tribute to the German theologian Jürgen Moltmann, who died on 3 June 2024 in Tübingen, Germany, this issue of The Ecumenical Review is publishing a chapter from his book Hope in These Troubled Times, launched during Moltmann's last visit to the World Council of Churches in 2019. This chapter offers a critique of a theological approach that puts the human being at the centre of the relationship toward nature, an approach that has become questionable because of the ecological crisis. Instead, this chapter argues for a paradigm shift from placing the human being at the centre of the world to a cosmic integration of humanity, from the arrogance of global dominion to cosmic humbleness, from a distinction between God and the world to a mutual participation of a “world in God” and “God in the world.”

The Lutheran–Catholic report Baptism and Growth in Communion (2019) argued that on the basis of a common understanding of baptism, it would be possible for both Lutherans and Catholics to consider themselves as being in communion within the one body of Christ and in this sense as churches. However, this approach was not supported unambiguously on the Catholic side. One commission member stated that the Catholic Church is the “only fully identifiable” visible manifestation of the body of Christ. Also, the use of “elements of sanctification and truth” as ecclesial criteria was seen to be too optimistic. As a result of this, Baptism and Growth in Communion is now understood only as an open-ended study document that is not yet ready for reception. It seems the starting point of the report was a belief that the Lutheran and Catholic understandings of the church differ so much that a new approach is needed, namely through the mutual recognition of baptism and the mutual recognition of baptizing communities as members of the body of Christ. However, this path does not appear to be possible in the proposed form because of the criticism from the Catholic side. Instead, it might be possible to make progress through a Joint Declaration on the Church that can pick up the insights of the reports On Church and Church Communion (2018), Communion in Growth (2017), as well as Baptism and Growth in Communion and other major dialogue documents in ecumenical ecclesiology.

This article takes as its point of departure the suggestion by the World Council of Churches (WCC) that the capitalist economic system is the root cause of current crises, in particular the climate catastrophe. In facing the world crises, the ecumenical movement has developed an approach called the “Economy of Life.” Member churches of the WCC, as well as other institutions, are asked to engage with and promote this approach. This article investigates whether and how the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD), a member church of the WCC, has adopted the concept of an economy of life with its notion of a necessary change of the economic system. The findings show that, in the period analyzed, the EKD did not mention the concept, nor did it oppose or assess the capitalistic and neoliberal economic system.

Dialogue and engaging with the religious Other are essential questions that warrant even greater attention in the Christian communities at large. In 2020, the World Council of Churches and the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue jointly published a document on interreligious solidarity titled Serving a Wounded World in Interreligious Solidarity: A Christian Call to Reflection and Action During COVID-19 and Beyond. This document serves as an exhortation for Christians and all people of goodwill to collaborate and cultivate a world where fraternity and the unwavering dignity of every human being motivate our actions. Meanwhile, the document offers a comprehensive account of a Christian approach to religious diversity, which can prove very valuable for the faith communities. This article discusses the document through the lens of the philosophies of dialogue presented by David Bohm and Martin Buber. It analyzes how the document portrays the approach to the religious Other and the principles that underpin encounters and dialogue with them.