ECUMENICAL REVIEW最新文献

Some observers claim that ecumenism has entered the season of winter and that ecumenism does not flourish as it has done in other periods. This article proposes that queer theory, an academic field that in different ways addresses and challenges questions of identity, offers perspectives to respond to this challenge and allow ecumenism to enter springtime. One of the main elements within queer theory is the understanding that identity is not static or binary but rather fluid and moveable. Given that ecumenism is always dealing with identity and the longing to overcome an ecumenical winter, the article investigates how queer theory could be a useful tool within ecumenical relations and work. First, it will discuss what identity is. Second, it will present queer theory. And third, it will attempt to bring together identity and queer theory in an ecumenical effort.

Based on the theme of the 11th Assembly of the World Council of Churches, “Christ's love moves the world to reconciliation and unity,” this article analyzes the concept of “movement” as a theological category on the basis of the scripture. First, it argues that it is important for the churches to be attentive to the movements and transformations taking place in societies, recognizing in them the presence of the Spirit constantly working in the world. It then points out that the presence of the Spirit in the churches should be characterized by two actions: the denunciation of injustice as a prophetic action of believers, and the ecumenical character of synodality as a movement toward encounter with other Christians and a willingness to walk with them. Finally, the article proposes that this movement of the Spirit also requires dialogue with other religions as a necessary condition for building peace in society.

Ecumenical organizations have long agreed that human trafficking and modern slavery are consequences of human sin that, in the words of Pope Francis, have left “an open wound in the body of Christ and in all humanity.” While the ecumenical consensus against human trafficking and other forms of modern slavery remains strong, the discourse lacks clear definitions and, thus, focused engagement. To enrich ecumenical reflection on these phenomena, the prevailing discourse could be reframed through the contextualized, case-based, and comparative lens of asymmetrical dependency theory. Consequently, this article surveys recent ecumenical pronouncements, clarifies relevant legal and definitional considerations, and asks whether it is time to take a “dependency turn” in ecumenical discourse on human trafficking and other forms of modern slavery.

As the world grows into a global village through modernity and migration, one would think that boundaries and differences would be less; however, the closer we get to each other in the world, the more social, ethnic, economic, religious, and political boundaries we encounter. This phenomenon has led to the concepts of the “other” and those on the margins. Trying to define the term “margins” can be problematic. This article begins by reviewing the “incarnational model,” where the mighty and powerful are supposed to move toward the less powerful and bridge the gap between those in the centre and those on the margins. It goes on to propose the “eucharist model” and the “table model” for encounters, in this way removing barriers between people in a quest for a classless world.

Decolonization and decoloniality offer potential gains to African Women Theology (AWT) to address the intersections, continuities, and discontinuities between the pre-colonial, colonial, and Christian gender ideologies that have disempowered African women. While African women theologians have, at different points, identified the patriarchal forces in these three spheres, an intentional intersectional approach has not always successfully challenged the colonial meta-narratives of the construction of the African man. Decolonization and decoloniality offer a critical theoretical framework to not only deal with gender meta-narratives but to deconstruct and dismantle these narratives to develop responses that are appropriate for their communities. These perspectives will also cement AWT as a major player in the renewed calls for decolonization and decoloniality in Africa. This article acknowledges an intersectionality of traditional, colonial, and post-colonial patriarchies and the persistence of coloniality in the present spaces in which AWT operates, as well as discontinuities in the gender perspectives in these different periods.

Until the 1990s, secular feminism prevailed in the socialist Balkan countries, while religious feminism appeared only as an exception in the works of certain Catholic theologians. After democratic changes, gender equality was reaffirmed, but there was no dialogue in feminist knowledge production between secular and religious feminists. This paper presents initiatives by religious scholars and activists aimed at overcoming the secular-religious divide in achieving gender equality. It looks at two key regional initiatives: Believers and Citizens, and the Feminism and Religion online school. These initiatives established collaborations between feminist scholars from various academic disciplines, religions, and worldviews and connected activists from civil society organizations and religious communities. The interreligious and interdisciplinary nature of these initiatives is unique not only in the Balkan region but also in the world.