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Religious Studies: Christianity > 4D: Unification > Flashcards

4D: Unification Flashcards

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1
Q

What are some examples of disagreements in the Worldwide Christian Church?

A
  • Great Schism: occurred around the time of the trinity due to disagreements of the doctrine
  • disagreements in practices led to disagreements eg festivals: Eastern and Western Christmas and Easter
  • Ordination of women
  • Views on homosexuality
  • Theories of atonement
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2
Q

What is an example of different churches in the same local communities cooperating together for some purpose?

A

Churches Together in England: supports and encourages Churches from many traditions to work in unity - includes Anglican, Catholic, Pentecostal, Charismatic, Orthodox and Lutheran

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3
Q

John 17:20

A

“Those who will believe in me through their word, may all be one”
- from Gospel of John
- everyone who comes to believe in Jesus will be
- said after Jesus was arrested

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4
Q

1 Corinthians 1:10

A

“That there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought”
- asking not to argue, Paul has to write these letters because the Churches keep arguing

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5
Q

What does the word ecumenism derive from?

A

Greek word oikoumene: means the entire inhabited world

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6
Q

When was the term ‘ecumenical’ first used?

A

381CE - Council of Constantinople. Applied to Nicene Creed as it was universally accepted by all churches

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7
Q

What is the significance of the Edinburgh Missionary Conference?

A

it brought together an unprecedented number of Christian groups and lead to the formation of Church organisations which have evolved into the World Council of Churches

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8
Q

What was the goal of the Edinburgh Missionary Conference?

A

to bring into being a self governing and self supporting Church in ‘each non Christian nation’ which would reflect the undivided Church of Christ

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9
Q

What slogan did the Edinburgh Missionary Conference adopt and why?

A

‘Doctrine Divides but Service Unites’
- the divisions and arguments that marked the Churches in the West were manifesting themselves in new churches in Africa and Asia

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10
Q

What do you understand the EMC’s slogan to mean?

A

If Christians get too fixated on how to define their beliefs, it is likely to emphasise difference. But if they focus instead on working on projects to serve God and other people, that will bring people together

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11
Q

Although the EMC was a breakthrough event involving so many denominations, what were the limitations?

A
  • Only Protestants were involved
  • Neither RCs or Orthodox were invited
  • Some viewed avoiding Church doctrine as a limitation: surely if there were to be greater unity between Churches, differences in beliefs would need to be explored and agreement reached?
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12
Q

What happened in 1920 in ecumenical progress after the EMC?

A

The Orthodox patriarch of Constantinople proposed a ‘league of Churches’

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13
Q

What happened in 1921 in ecumenical progress after the EMC?

A

International Missionary Conference is founded to how to bring the Christian message to a sexual world and how to bring Christian response to war, poverty etc

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14
Q

What happened in 1925 in ecumenical progress after the EMC?

A

Life and Work Movement is formed: dedicated to promotion of social responsibility amongst Christians

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15
Q

What happened in 1927 in ecumenical progress after the EMC?

A

Faith and Order Movement is formed to consider matters of doctrinal divisions between Churches

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16
Q

What happened in 1937 in ecumenical progress after the EMC?

A

Leaders from Life and Work and Faith and Order movements met and proposed that they merge into a ‘World Council of Churches’ (delayed by WW2)

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17
Q

What happened in 1947 in ecumenical progress after the EMC?

A

Formation of the Church of South India, which united Anglican, Methodist, Presbyterian, Congregational Lutheran and Reformed Christians into one denomination

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18
Q

What happened in 1971 in ecumenical progress after the EMC?

A

Formation of the Church of North India: united Anglican, Congregational, Presbyterian, Methodist, Baptist and Disciples of Christ into one denomination

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19
Q

What is the World Council of Churches?

A
  • a fellowship of churches
  • confess the Lord Jesus Christ as God and Saviour according to the scriptures
  • seeking to fulfil together their common calling to the glory of the one God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit
  • a community of churches on the way to visible unity in one faith and one eucharistic fellowship
20
Q

What was the name the WCC’s first General Secretary?

A

Willem A Viseer’t Hooft

21
Q

Where was the first WCC assembly held?

A

Amsterdam

22
Q

How often is a WCC general assembly held?

A

every 7 years

23
Q

What are 5 significant things that happened at the 1961 WCC General assembly?

A
  1. expanded its definition to include reference to Christian scriptures and the Trinity
  2. International Missionary Council (associated with WCC since 1948) became fully integrated
  3. the first Roman Catholics attended as official observers
  4. Russian Orthodox and other Eastern Orthodox Churches became members
  5. The first Pentecostal Church bodies joined from Latin America
24
Q

According to the 1950 Toronto statement, what is the WCC NOT?

A
  1. A super church
  2. does not negotiate unions between churches
  3. not based on one particular conception of the Church
  4. A membership does not imply that a church treats its own conception of the Church as merely relative
  5. A membership does not imply acceptance of a specific doctrine concerning the nature of Church unity
25
Q

According to the 1950 Toronto statement, what is the WCC?

A

The member churches of the Council believe that conversation, cooperation and common witness of churches must be based on the common recognition that Christ is the Divine Head of the Body. They enter a spiritual relationship through which they seek to learn from each other and to give help to each other in order that the body of Christ may be built up and the life of the churches may be renewed

26
Q

What is the aim of the WCC?

A

to pursue the goal of the visible unity of the Church

27
Q

What does the WCC suggest might be the signs of visible unity?

A
  • common confession of Apostolic faith
  • common sacramental life
  • mutual recognition of all members and their ministries
  • common mission in spreading the gospel
  • participation of all churches locally and internationally in agreed structures
  • common service to the world so that all might believe
28
Q

What is the WCC sometimes referred to as?

A

an “ecclesiastical United Nations”

29
Q

What are the WCC’s three main areas of work?

A
  1. Unity, Mission and Ecumenical Relations
  2. Public Witness and Diakonia
  3. Ecumenical Formation
30
Q

Example of what unity, mission and ecumenical relations includes

A
  • the ‘Faith and Order Commission’ which explores theological questions that divide churches: produced the document ‘Baptism, Eucharist and Ministry’ in 1982 to help Christians explore the agreement/disagreement between different Christian churches in these areas
  • programmes that reflect and act on methods of evangelism and building the dignity of all people
  • building relationships with non-member churches
31
Q

Example of what public witness and diakonia (service) includes

A
  • programmes that aim to serve the world’s need for justice and peace
  • supporting charities in conflict zones
  • programmes aimed at social responsibility such as HIV/AIDS work and climate change
32
Q

Example of what ecumenical formation includes

A
  • short term courses and seminars around the world
  • training through the WCC’s ecumenical institute at Bossey in Switzerland
  • networking with theological institutions to provide ecumenical education
33
Q

How did the Catholic Church initially react to the Ecumenical Movement?

A
  • in 1920s they didn’t react positively
  • 1928: Pope Pius XI published ‘’Mortalium Animos” in which he declared the only way to realise Christ’s wish for Church unity was for all Christians to return to the Church of Rome
  • Pope Pius feared that agreements between churches would lead to watered down doctrine and irreligion
  • Refused to join WCC in 1948 and forbade its members from attending as observers
  • 1958: softening of attitude when Pope John XXIII was elected
  • 1960: met with the Archbishop of Canterbury. Pope appointed a ‘Secretariat for Promoting Christian Unity” to develop ecumenical spirit in RCC and encourage collaborations with other churches
  • 1961: approved Catholic observers for the WCC assembly in Delhi and allowed non-Catholic observers at Vatican II
  • 1964: “Unitatis Redintegratio” a new approach to ecumenism that recognises there are Christian activities outside itself while maintaining the Church of Christ is in the RCC in an incomparable way to other churches. “It is only through Christ’s Catholic Church […] that they can benefit fully from the means of salvation”
  • 1965: Pope Paul VI and Patriarch of Constantinople issued a joint statement retracting the excommunications of 1054
  • 1966: Pope Paul VI gave Michael Ramsey an episcopal ring
  • 1967: They established the Anglican-Roman-Catholic International Committee dedicated to ecumenical progress between the 2 churches
34
Q

What did the ARCIC do in 1981?

A

released a report emphasising areas of agreement between the two denominations (including eucharistic understandings and views about ordained ministry)

35
Q

What are the events that have challenged the ARCIC?

A
  • Anglicans decisions to ordain women as priests: the RCC saw this as damaging to the hope of future unity
  • Gene Robinson ordained as Bishop is US Episcopal Church: he was gay. Pope John Paul II suspended participation in ARCIC in 2003
  • Anglican ordination of female bishops: Walter Kasper, a RCC ecumenical official, called this an obstacle for reconciliation between RCC and Anglican church
  • In 2009 the RCC set up a structure to receive Anglican clergy for RC priesthood: tensions rose for some Anglicans
36
Q

What are some tensions in the Ecumenical Movement?

A
  • Orthodox churches argued other churches needed to find consensus with them
  • Orthodox churches resented being treated as a minority
  • Fall of communism has strengthened Orthodox Church
  • Some Orthodox members feel uncomfortable with the worship style adopted at WCC gatherings
  • Some Orthodox churches think the WCC is too Liberal
  • 1991: Theological concerns about the affirmation that Jesus Christ is the world’s saviour
37
Q

Why did the Orthodox church argue that other churches needed to find consensus with them?

A

Because they see themselves as identified with the universal church

38
Q

Why did the Orthodox church resent being treated as a minority?

A

Because they represent nearly a majority in terms of their overall size

39
Q

Why do some Orthodox churches think the WCC is too liberal?

A

Because of other religions and issues of social justice eg homosexual rights

40
Q

What did the theological concerns regarding the affirmation that Jesus Christ is the worlds saviour lead to?

A

A critical statement being issued by Orthodox participants to the WCC

41
Q

Reasons to suggest the work of the WCC can be viewed as a success

A
  • There are now 348 church bodies involved that represent more than half a billion Christians around the world
  • Though the Roman Catholic Church is not a member of the WCC. it does participate fully in certain programme areas
  • it has come a long way in a very short time. It only came into being in 1948 and, prior to this, many of the Protestant and Orthodox Churches did not work together
  • The Roman Catholic Church forbade any involvement in the Ecurenical Moverent prior to the 1960s, and has since become fully involved in several programme areas of the WCC
  • the sheer number of dialogues and Church mergers that have come into being at the same time as its birth and development eg the Church of South India formed in 1947 as a result of six denominations coming together and the Church of North India in 1971 as a result of six denominations merging
  • the breadth and vitality of the WCC’s many programmes also speak of its success eg mission and ecumenical relations to political activism and a wide variety of social justice issues in Church and wider society. These programmes take place all over the world in mutual sponsorship between the WCC and its member churches.
42
Q

Reasons to suggest the work of the WCC can be viewed as a failure

A
  • For almost half of the ‘half a billion’ Christians represented by the WCC are in just 22 of the member churches (Orthodox); means that any tensions experienced by the Orthodox as a result of their participation could have wide-ranging effects on the success of the WCC
  • the fastest growing movements in Christianity are Pentecostal and Evangelical forms
  • the largest Christian Church, (RC) is not a member of the WCC
  • the WCC would have a long way to go in order to be viewed as a success in its mission to bring all churches together
  • the WCC has been perceived by some to have moved from this ‘evangelical fervour’ to a greater emphasis on interfaith ‘dialogue’ and the pursuit of social causes including issues of gender in leadership and sexuality
  • the WCC members of Orthodox Churches issues a statement critical of the WCC: they say that the WCC has moved away from a clear understanding of Jesus as the Saviour of the world as well as from straightforward biblical views on key Christian doctrines
  • many of the Orthodox Churches are increasingly tense about belonging to the WCC due to the rise of nationalism and xenophobia in some of the countries in which they represent the majority of Christians
  • member churches tend to insist that they alone are the ‘true Church’ - eg the Eastern Orthodox Churches who identify themselves with the Universal Church so that other churches need to move towards it rather than they towards other churches if unity is to be found
  • There is an increasing number of Christian denominations. The Centre for the Study of Global Christianity estimated there were 43,000 Christian denominations worldwide in 2012, compared to 1,600 in 1900. This increase could show that there is increased diversity among Christians, so far from advancing visible unity, it looks as if the worldwide body of Christians is becoming even more divided.
43
Q

Reasons to suggest it doesn’t matter if the work of the WCC can be viewed as a success or failure

A
  • it is Jesus who longs for Christian unity; therefore Christian unity is a value that should be striven for regardless of how difficult or impossible it is to achieve
  • this Bible passage makes it clear that it is God’s work to create unity
  • it could be argued that the success or failure of the WCC is God’s business rather than human business. Christians are called to faithfulness not success
44
Q

Reasons to suggest the non-membership of the RCC affects the aims of the WCC

A
  • the WCC thinks of itself as a group of ‘traditions’ in dialogue with one another and the Roman Catholic Church sees itself as the ‘Tradition’ ordained by God to be the universal Church through a divinely ordered papacy
  • WCC state that the ultimate goal is ‘visible unity of the Church’ - includes common worship, common sacraments, a common creed and participation in unified governing bodies
  • there is an assumption about the place of the RCC in God’s plan that would seem to rule out visible unity with the churches that make up the WCC
  • Unitatis Redintegratio is clear that the RCC is the full expression of the Church and that all Christians must eventually belong to it in order to experience a full Christian life
  • RCC represents 50% of Christians but isn’t a part of WCC. prevents WCC from achieving aim of advancing visible unity of Christianity as one faith and in one eucharistic fellowship.
  • the RCC does not allow non Catholics to take the eucharist
  • there are still many tensions between the Anglican and RC communions eg ordination of women
45
Q

Reasons to suggest the non-membership of the RCC does not affect the aims of the WCC

A
  • even though the RCC is not a full member, the spiritual sharing has happened
  • the RCC sent observers to the WCC Assembly 1961; initiated dialogues with many individuals
  • the dialogues between the RCC and the churches of the WCC is only just over 50 years old in comparison to centuries of strife and division: still a cause for celebration
  • the RCC is on a journey that has led it closer to the WCC: participation in numerous dialogues eg “Baptism, Eucharist and Ministry” (1982)
  • Unitatis Redintegratio: RCC accepts other Christians as ‘separated brethren’ rather than heretics
  • existing tensions in the WCC with Orthodox churches are more of a problem than the non-membership of the RCC is
  • 1981 ARCIC report: many areas of agreement between Anglican and RC communions

Religious Studies: Christianity (25 decks)

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