what are the practices of ecumenism?

Answer 1

We try to seek Unity as Christians with one another by focusing on the common beliefs of the Trinity and the Lordship of Christ. We are working to heal the divisions in the Body of Christ.

For Instance the (International) Sword of the Spirit has groups in Northern Ireland that include Protestants and Catholics. And the groups in Lebanon include several different Orthodox and Roman Catholics and Protestant.

Answer 2

Ecumenism is simply the dialog and interaction between different denominations or faith groups. Some ecumenical groups are amongst Christian denominations and/or churches, some are inter-faith, such as between Christian, Jewish, and Muslim. The purpose of ecumenism is to foster understanding and respect, as well as tolerance. Some ecumenical groups plan special worship occasions, some do hands on outreach work. In my community there is a group called "Together We Build" in which Protestant, Catholic, Jewish, and Muslim groups work together to build Habitat for Humanity homes.

Answer 3

Well, first of all, they seem to be very evil.

For one thing, thery are poorly organized and so we can expect that they are unlikely to agree on their practices. That is a *primary violation* of six sigma, and so we must consider it evil, a bad thing, a corporate sin, so to speak.

But, as if that weren't enough, they also seem to be verbose. Now, that sometimes bodes well for longevity in that there are numerous issues to debate. Sometimes, though, it's a bad bad thing. So overall, in other words, guys, invest in this. It does not seem to be going away. Seems like long term.

Then, in true market style, we must analyze it ---after the fact, of course. Here goes....

Their goal seems to be worldwide Christian unity. An impossible goal, at least when I last lived in Dallas.

Life experience tells me that they will be unable to agree on a single Christian faith, which is, after all, the goal. Oh, hell's bells, that's mission failure!

But on the positive side, these notions will develop numerous skilled negotiators, which, despite the flames, should improve the economy overall and create jobs, which all can agree, we sorely need.

Oh, Politics is so hard, and my Chihuahua needs some clothes. I'm off to get my Razr rhinestoned at "Bling My ring" in Vienna. Then, I'm off to tea with the devil.

You figure it out.

Answer 4

ecumenism is finding a common ground with other christian denominations and realizing that we are one in christ inspite of having different rituals, traditions, and core beliefs. its all about respect really if not, religious tolerance.

Answer 5

In regards to just the Christian faith or world wide religions? I'm not really sure on either accounts, but when the world starts striving toward uniting world religions, you will know the end is near.

Answer 6

human sacrifice

Answer 7

The word ecumenism (also oecumenism, œcumenism) is derived from Greek οἰκουμένη (oikoumene), which means "the inhabited world", and was historically used with specific reference to the Roman Empire.

In its broadest meaning, ecumenism refers to initiatives aimed at worldwide religious unity. In a narrower sense (and in the opinion of some the only true meaning), it refers to the movement towards unity among Christians. In this sense, ecumenism is based on the idea that there should be a single Christian Church, a single Christian faith.

A more limited goal of ecumenism is promotion of co-operation and better understanding between religious groups or denominations, without aiming at unity.

The word is used predominantly with reference to (and by) Christian denominations separated by doctrine, history and practice. It is also important to the Baha'i world, which advocates a greater shared spirituality across Christian, Jewish and Islamic faiths as part of its core beliefs.

Christian ecumenism is the promotion of unity or cooperation between distinct religious groups or denominations of the Christian religion. Ecumenism in this sense is distinguished from interfaith pluralism.

Because Christianity is diverse, so is the definition of Christian ecumenism.

The interfaith movement strives for greater mutual respect, toleration, and co-operation among the world religions. Ecumenism in this sense is called religious pluralism, as distinguished from ecumenism within a faith movement.

Ecumenism as interfaith dialogue between representatives of diverse faiths, does not necessarily intend reconciling their adherents into full, organic unity with one another but simply to promote better relations. It promotes toleration, mutual respect and cooperation, whether among Christian denominations, or between Christianity and other faiths.

Alternatively, ecumenism can have the goal of reconciling all who profess Christian faith into a single, visible organization, for example, through union with the Roman Catholic Church, or the Orthodox Church. Ecumenism in this sense focuses on the special problem of the relationship between Christian denominations, where Christianity is dogmatically defined. The World Council of Churches is an instrument in both the unifying ecumenical movement and the interfaith movement.

For a significant part of the Christian world, the highest aim of the Christian faith is the reconciliation of all humanity into a full and conscious union as one Christian Church, visibly united with mutual accountability between the parts and the whole. The desire is expressed by many denominations of Christendom, that all who profess faith in Christ in sincerity, would be more fully cooperative and supportive of one another.

Christian ecumenism can be described in terms of the three largest divisions of Christianity: Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Protestant. While this underemphasizes the complexity of these divisions, it is a useful model.
Ecumenism for the Eastern Orthodox did not begin with the Roman Catholic Second Vatican Council. It is the Eastern Orthodox churches' work to embrace estranged communions as (possibly former) beneficiaries of a common gift, and simultaneously to guard against a promiscuous and false union with them. The history of the relationship between Eastern Orthodoxy and the Oriental Orthodox churches is a case in point. Likewise, the Eastern Orthodox have been leaders in the Interfaith movement, and some Orthodox patriarchs enlisted their communions as charter members of the World Council of Churches. Nevertheless, the Orthodox have not been willing to participate in any redefinition of the Christian faith toward a reduced, minimal, anti-dogmatic and anti-traditional Christianity. Christianity for the Eastern Orthodox is the Church; and the Church is Orthodoxy—nothing less and nothing else. Therefore, while Orthodox ecumenism is "open to dialogue with the devil himself", the goal is to reconcile all non-Orthodox back into Orthodoxy.

One way to observe the attitude of the Orthodox Church towards non-Orthodox is to see how they receive new members from other faiths. Non-Christians, such as Buddhists or atheists, who wish to become Orthodox Christians are accepted through the sacraments of baptism and chrismation. Protestants and Roman Catholics are sometimes received through chrismation only, provided they had received a trinitarian baptism. Also Protestants and Roman Catholics are often referred to as "heterodox", which simply means "other believing", rather than as heretics ("other-choosing"), implying that they did not wilfully reject the Church.

Before the Second Vatican Council, the Roman Catholic Church saw its relations with other Christian groups as basically a matter of persuading them to return to a unity that they themselves had broken. The article Union of Christendom in the Catholic Encyclopedia is an illustration of that attitude. Pursuit of unity, thus understood, was always a principal aim of the Church. At the Council of Lyon (1274) and the Council of Florence (1438-1442), in which some bishops of the Eastern Orthodox Church participated, reunion formulas were worked out that, however, failed to win acceptance by the Eastern Church. The aim of the Second Vatican Council, as its initiator, Pope John XXIII, stated, was instead to seek renewal of the Church itself, which would serve, for those separated from the see of Rome, as a "gentle invitation to seek and find that unity for which Jesus Christ prayed so ardently to his heavenly Father."[1] The Council opened up an era of earnest endeavour not only to explain to others the Church's teaching, but also to understand their outlook.

Some elements of the Roman Catholic perspective on ecumenism are illustrated in the following quotations from the Council's decree on ecumenism, Unitatis Redintegratio (UR), of 21 November 1964, and Pope John Paul II's encyclical, Ut Unum Sint (UUS) of 25 May 1995.

Every renewal of the Church is essentially grounded in an increase of fidelity to her own calling. Undoubtedly this is the basis of the movement toward unity ... There can be no ecumenism worthy of the name without a change of heart. For it is from renewal of the inner life of our minds, from self-denial and an unstinted love that desires of unity take their rise and develop in a mature way. We should therefore pray to the Holy Spirit for the grace to be genuinely self-denying, humble. gentle in the service of others, and to have an attitude of brotherly generosity towards them. ... The words of St. John hold good about sins against unity: "If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us". So we humbly beg pardon of God and of our separated brethren, just as we forgive them that trespass against us. (UR, 6-7)
Christians cannot underestimate the burden of long-standing misgivings inherited from the past, and of mutual misunderstandings and prejudices. Complacency, indifference and insufficient knowledge of one another often make this situation worse. Consequently, the commitment to ecumenism must be based upon the conversion of hearts and upon prayer, which will also lead to the necessary purification of past memories. With the grace of the Holy Spirit, the Lord's disciples, inspired by love, by the power of the truth and by a sincere desire for mutual forgiveness and reconciliation, are called to re-examine together their painful past and the hurt which that past regrettably continues to provoke even today. (UUS, 2)
In ecumenical dialogue, Catholic theologians standing fast by the teaching of the Church and investigating the divine mysteries with the separated brethren must proceed with love for the truth, with charity, and with humility. When comparing doctrines with one another, they should remember that in Catholic doctrine there exists a "hierarchy" of truths, since they vary in their relation to the fundamental Christian faith. Thus the way will be opened by which through fraternal rivalry all will be stirred to a deeper understanding and a clearer presentation of the unfathomable riches of Christ (UR, 11)
The unity willed by God can be attained only by the adherence of all to the content of revealed faith in its entirety. In matters of faith, compromise is in contradiction with God who is Truth. In the Body of Christ, "the way, and the truth, and the life" (Jn 14:6), who could consider legitimate a reconciliation brought about at the expense of the truth?...Even so, doctrine needs to be presented in a way that makes it understandable to those for whom God himself intends it. (UUS, 18-19)
When the obstacles to perfect ecclesiastical communion have been gradually overcome, all Christians will at last, in a common celebration of the Eucharist, be gathered into the one and only Church in that unity which Christ bestowed on His Church from the beginning. We believe that this unity subsists in the Catholic Church as something she can never lose, and we hope that it will continue to increase until the end of time. (UR, 4)
The contemporary ecumenical movement for Protestants likely began in 1910, with the opening of the 1910 Edinburgh Missionary Conference. Led by Methodist layman John R. Mott, the conference marked the largest Protestant gathering to that time, with the express purposes of working across denominational lines for the sake of world missions. Eventually, formal organizations were formed, including the World Council of Churches, the National Council of Churches, and Churches Uniting in Christ. Protestants have often been leaders of these and other similar groups.

Since that time, Protestants have been involved in a variety of ecumenical groups, working in some cases toward organic denominational unity and in other cases for cooperative purposes alone. Because of the wide spectrum of Protestant denominations and perspectives, full cooperation has been difficult at times.


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