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Christianity
Article Free Pass- Introduction
- The church and its history
- The essence and identity of Christianity
- The history of Christianity
- The primitive church
- The internal development of the early Christian Church
- Relations between Christianity and the Roman government and the Hellenistic culture
- The early liturgy, the calendar, and the arts
- The alliance between church and empire
- Theological controversies of the 4th and 5th centuries
- Liturgy and the arts after Constantine
- Political relations between East and West
- Literature and art of the “Dark Ages”
- Missions and monasticism
- The Photian schism and the great East–West schism
- From the schism to the Reformation
- Christianity from the 16th to the 20th century
- Contemporary Christianity
- Christian doctrine
- The nature and functions of doctrine
- Scripture and tradition: the apostolic witness
- Evangelism: the first teaching about the God of Jesus Christ
- Catechesis: instructing candidates for baptism
- Liturgy: the school and feast of faith
- Ethics: obeying the truth
- Aversion of heresy: the establishment of orthodoxy
- Apologetics: defending the faith
- Restatement: respecting language and knowledge
- Inculturation: respecting places and peoples
- Dogma: the most authoritative teaching
- Consensus: patterns of agreement
- Theology: loving God with the mind
- Symbolics: creeds and confessions
- Development: the maturation of understanding
- Schism: division over substantial matters
- Controversy: fighting over the faith
- Ecumenism: speaking the truth in love
- God the Father
- God the Son
- God the Holy Spirit
- The Holy Trinity
- Anthropology
- What it is to be human
- The human as a creature
- The human as the image of God
- Human redemption
- The problem of suffering
- The resurrection of the body
- Progressive human perfection
- The “new man”: The human being in the light of Christ
- The “reborn human”
- Human liberation
- Joy in human existence
- The charismatic believer
- Christian perfection
- Fellow humans as the present Christ
- The church
- Church tradition
- Eschatology
- Expectations of the Kingdom of God in early Christianity
- Expectations of the Kingdom of God in the medieval and Reformation periods
- Expectations of the Kingdom of God in the post-Reformation period
- The role of imminent expectation in missions and emigrations
- Eschatological expectations and secularization
- Concepts of life after death
- Aspects of the Christian religion
- Christian philosophy
- Christian mysticism
- Christian myth and legend
- The Christian community and the world
- The relationships of Christianity
- Christian missions
- Ecumenism
- Christianity and world religions
- Related
- Contributors & Bibliography
- Year in Review Links
- Introduction
- The church and its history
- The essence and identity of Christianity
- The history of Christianity
- The primitive church
- The internal development of the early Christian Church
- Relations between Christianity and the Roman government and the Hellenistic culture
- The early liturgy, the calendar, and the arts
- The alliance between church and empire
- Theological controversies of the 4th and 5th centuries
- Liturgy and the arts after Constantine
- Political relations between East and West
- Literature and art of the “Dark Ages”
- Missions and monasticism
- The Photian schism and the great East–West schism
- From the schism to the Reformation
- Christianity from the 16th to the 20th century
- Contemporary Christianity
- Christian doctrine
- The nature and functions of doctrine
- Scripture and tradition: the apostolic witness
- Evangelism: the first teaching about the God of Jesus Christ
- Catechesis: instructing candidates for baptism
- Liturgy: the school and feast of faith
- Ethics: obeying the truth
- Aversion of heresy: the establishment of orthodoxy
- Apologetics: defending the faith
- Restatement: respecting language and knowledge
- Inculturation: respecting places and peoples
- Dogma: the most authoritative teaching
- Consensus: patterns of agreement
- Theology: loving God with the mind
- Symbolics: creeds and confessions
- Development: the maturation of understanding
- Schism: division over substantial matters
- Controversy: fighting over the faith
- Ecumenism: speaking the truth in love
- God the Father
- God the Son
- God the Holy Spirit
- The Holy Trinity
- Anthropology
- What it is to be human
- The human as a creature
- The human as the image of God
- Human redemption
- The problem of suffering
- The resurrection of the body
- Progressive human perfection
- The “new man”: The human being in the light of Christ
- The “reborn human”
- Human liberation
- Joy in human existence
- The charismatic believer
- Christian perfection
- Fellow humans as the present Christ
- The church
- Church tradition
- Eschatology
- Expectations of the Kingdom of God in early Christianity
- Expectations of the Kingdom of God in the medieval and Reformation periods
- Expectations of the Kingdom of God in the post-Reformation period
- The role of imminent expectation in missions and emigrations
- Eschatological expectations and secularization
- Concepts of life after death
- Aspects of the Christian religion
- Christian philosophy
- Christian mysticism
- Christian myth and legend
- The Christian community and the world
- The relationships of Christianity
- Christian missions
- Ecumenism
- Christianity and world religions
- Related
- Contributors & Bibliography
- Year in Review Links
Ecumenism
The word ecumenism comes from a family of Classical Greek words: oikos, meaning a “house,” “family,” “people,” or “nation”; oikoumenē, “the whole inhabited world”; and oikoumenikos, “open to or participating in the whole world.” Like many biblical words, these were invested with Christian meaning. The oikoumenē describes the place of God’s reconciling mission (Matthew 24:14); the unity of the Roman Empire (Luke 2:1) and of the kingdoms of the earth (Luke 4:5); and the world destined to be redeemed by Christ (Hebrews 2:5). The vision of one church serving God in the world came to reflect a central teaching of the early Christian faith.
In later centuries the word ecumenical was used to denote church councils (e.g., Nicaea, Chalcedon) whose decisions represented the universal church, in contrast to other councils that enjoyed only regional or limited reception. The honorary title of ecumenical patriarch was given to the Greek Orthodox patriarch of Constantinople in the 6th century because his see was located in the capital of the oikoumenē and his leadership was accepted as primus inter pares (first among equals) in the faith and mission of the whole church. The Apostles’, the Nicene, and the Athanasian creeds are called ecumenical because they witness to the faith of all Christians. Since the 19th century the term ecumenism has denoted the movement of the renewal, unity, and mission of Christians and churches of different traditions “so that the world may believe.”
Ecumenism is a vision, a movement, a theology, and a mode of action. It represents the universality of the people of God and affects the way Christians think about their faith, the church, and the world. Ecumenism is a long process that draws Christians together, uniting their life and mission and bringing the Body of Christ and the human community closer to the fulfillment of God’s purposes. Those involved in ecumenism participate in ideas, activities, and institutions that express a spiritual reality of shared love in the church and the human community. Ecumenism is characterized by the work of officially organized ecumenical bodies, the confessing and witnessing of Christians in local places, and the spirituality and actions of those who live together in love and prophetic proclamation. Far more than a program or an organization, ecumenism is, according to the British ecumenist Oliver S. Tomkins, “something that happens to the soul of Christians.”
Any unity worthy of this vision cannot be identified with political or spiritual coercion, strategies of dominance or superiority, calls for “a return to the mother church,” or expectations of monolithic uniformity or a super-church. The weapons of faith are not those of force or intolerance; neither can divisions be overcome nor authentic unity manifested by syncretism, a least-common-denominator theology, or a casual friendliness. Ecumenism accepts the diversity of God’s people, given in creation and redemption, and strives to bring these confessional, cultural, national, and racial differences into one fully committed fellowship.
Ultimately the purpose of ecumenism is to glorify the triune God and to help the one missionary church to witness effectively and faithfully among all peoples and nations. In the second half of the 20th century Christians confessed new dimensions of this vocation, especially in relation to what divides the churches. Progress was made on historical theological issues that have divided Christians through the centuries—baptism, the Eucharist, and ministry. But equally divisive among Christians are the divisions of the human family: racism, poverty, sexism, war, injustice, and differing ideologies. These issues are part of the agenda of ecumenism and bring a particular context, dynamic spirit, and urgency to the pursuit of Christian unity as well as of justice and peace. The church’s unity becomes essential for the renewal and unity of the human family. Through its unity the church becomes a sign, the first fruits of the promised unity and peace among God’s peoples and the nations.
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People
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(German theologian and church historian)"/>
(German theologian and church historian)"/> Adolf von Harnack (German theologian and church historian)
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al-Ḥākim (Fāṭimid caliph)
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(Flemish theologian)"/>
(Flemish theologian)"/> Cornelius Otto Jansen (Flemish theologian)
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(king of Scotland)"/>
(king of Scotland)"/> David I (king of Scotland)
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(Dutch humanist and scholar)"/>
(Dutch humanist and scholar)"/> Desiderius Erasmus (Dutch humanist and scholar)
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Elaine Pagels (American scholar)
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(German theologian)"/>
(German theologian)"/> Ernst Troeltsch (German theologian)
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(German theologian)"/>
(German theologian)"/> Ferdinand Christian Baur (German theologian)
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(king of Denmark)"/>
(king of Denmark)"/> Harald I (king of Denmark)
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(Bohemian religious leader)"/>
(Bohemian religious leader)"/> Jan Hus (Bohemian religious leader)
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(Czech philosopher)"/>
(Czech philosopher)"/> Jerome Of Prague (Czech philosopher)
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Jesus Christ
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(English philosopher)"/>
(English philosopher)"/> John Locke (English philosopher)
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John Toland (British author)
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(Mohawk chief)"/>
(Mohawk chief)"/> Joseph Brant (Mohawk chief)
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(Spanish architect)"/>
(Spanish architect)"/> Juan de Herrera (Spanish architect)
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Keshab Chunder Sen (Hindu philosopher and social reformer)
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(German religious philosopher)"/>
(German religious philosopher)"/> Martin Buber (German religious philosopher)
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Martin E. Marty (American historian of religion)
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(mother of Jesus)"/>
(mother of Jesus)"/> Mary (mother of Jesus)
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Mary Hannah Fulton (American physician and missionary)
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Matthias Flacius Illyricus (European religious reformer)
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Michael Psellus (Byzantine philosopher, theologian, and statesman)
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(Italian artist)"/>
(Italian artist)"/> Michelozzo (Italian artist)
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Mieszko I (duke and prince of Poland)
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Minh Mang (emperor of Vietnam)
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(Danish bishop and poet)"/>
(Danish bishop and poet)"/> N.F.S. Grundtvig (Danish bishop and poet)
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(German religious leader)"/>
(German religious leader)"/> Nikolaus Ludwig, count von Zinzendorf (German religious leader)
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Nikolay Aleksandrovich Berdyayev (Russian philosopher)
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Olaf I Tryggvason (king of Norway)
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Olaf II Haraldsson (king of Norway)
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Pelagius (Christian theologian)
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(American theologian)"/>
(American theologian)"/> Philip Schaff (American theologian)
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(French philosopher)"/>
(French philosopher)"/> Pierre Bayle (French philosopher)
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Pseudo-Dionysius The Areopagite (Syrian author)
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(German theologian, scientist, and philosopher)"/>
(German theologian, scientist, and philosopher)"/> Saint Albertus Magnus (German theologian, scientist, and philosopher)
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(Russian painter)"/>
(Russian painter)"/> Saint Andrey Rublyov (Russian painter)
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(Christian bishop and theologian)"/>
(Christian bishop and theologian)"/> Saint Augustine (Christian bishop and theologian)
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(Anglo-Saxon historian)"/>
(Anglo-Saxon historian)"/> Saint Bede the Venerable (Anglo-Saxon historian)
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(Christian Apostle)"/>
(Christian Apostle)"/> Saint Paul, the Apostle (Christian Apostle)
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Saint Theophilus of Alexandria (Egyptian theologian)
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Sir Sigmund Sternberg (British philanthropist and entrepreneur)
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(Danish philosopher)"/>
(Danish philosopher)"/> Søren Kierkegaard (Danish philosopher)
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(king of Hungary)"/>
(king of Hungary)"/> Stephen I (king of Hungary)
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(American missionary and educator)"/>
(American missionary and educator)"/> Susan Lincoln Tolman Mills (American missionary and educator)
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Theōdūrus Abū Qurrah (Syrian bishop)
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Tu Duc (emperor of Vietnam)
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(grand prince of Kiev)"/>
(grand prince of Kiev)"/> Vladimir I (grand prince of Kiev)
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(prince of Bohemia)"/>
(prince of Bohemia)"/> Wenceslas I (prince of Bohemia)
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(British missionary)"/>
(British missionary)"/> William Carey (British missionary)
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Places
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Armageddon (biblical place)
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(ancient city, Israel)"/>
(ancient city, Israel)"/> Caesarea (ancient city, Israel)
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(Ireland)"/>
(Ireland)"/> Clonmacnoise (Ireland)
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(Spain)"/>
(Spain)"/> El Escorial (Spain)
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Le Temple (prison, Paris, France)
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(monasteries, Greece)"/>
(monasteries, Greece)"/> Metéora (monasteries, Greece)
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(mosque, Córdoba, Spain)"/>
(mosque, Córdoba, Spain)"/> Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba (mosque, Córdoba, Spain)
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(mountain, Greece)"/>
(mountain, Greece)"/> Mount Athos (mountain, Greece)
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(ridge, Jerusalem)"/>
(ridge, Jerusalem)"/> Mount of Olives (ridge, Jerusalem)
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(Italy)"/>
(Italy)"/> Rome (Italy)
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(monastery and church, Assisi, Italy)"/>
(monastery and church, Assisi, Italy)"/> San Francesco (monastery and church, Assisi, Italy)
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School of Alexandria (institution, Alexandria, Egypt)
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(ecclesiastical state, Europe)"/>
(ecclesiastical state, Europe)"/> Vatican City (ecclesiastical state, Europe)
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(Scotland, United Kingdom)"/>
(Scotland, United Kingdom)"/> Whithorn (Scotland, United Kingdom)
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Topics
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(Christianity)"/>
(Christianity)"/> Annunciation (Christianity)
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apocrypha (biblical literature)
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apologetics (Christianity)
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(Christianity)"/>
(Christianity)"/> Apostle (Christianity)
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(Christianity)"/>
(Christianity)"/> Ascension (Christianity)
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(Christianity)"/>
(Christianity)"/> Assumption (Christianity)
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(Christianity)"/>
(Christianity)"/> baptism (Christianity)
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(denomination)"/>
(denomination)"/> Baptist (denomination)
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(biblical literature)"/>
(biblical literature)"/> Beatitude (biblical literature)
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(sacred text)"/>
(sacred text)"/> Bible (sacred text)
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biblical literature
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canon law (religion)
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catechism (religious manual)
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(liturgical vessel)"/>
(liturgical vessel)"/> chalice (liturgical vessel)
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(doctrine of Christ)"/>
(doctrine of Christ)"/> Christology (doctrine of Christ)
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church (Christianity)
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Church Father (Christianity)
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church year (Christianity)
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city mission (Christianity)
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confirmation (Christianity)
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creationism
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(religious symbol)"/>
(religious symbol)"/> cross (religious symbol)
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(Christianity)"/>
(Christianity)"/> ecumenism (Christianity)
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gospel music
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heresy
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(Jesus Christ)"/>
(Jesus Christ)"/> Incarnation (Jesus Christ)
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justification (Christianity)
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kerygma and catechesis (Christian theology)
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Kingdom of God (Christianity)
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Kirishitan (religion)
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(Christianity)"/>
(Christianity)"/> Last Supper (Christianity)
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(philosophy and theology)"/>
(philosophy and theology)"/> logos (philosophy and theology)
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Lord’s Prayer (Christianity)
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(theology)"/>
(theology)"/> Mariology (theology)
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ministry (Christianity)
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moral theology
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(biblical literature)"/>
(biblical literature)"/> New Testament (biblical literature)
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oratorio (music)
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(religion)"/>
(religion)"/> ordination (religion)
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original sin (theology)
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Passion music (vocal music)
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patristic literature (Christianity)
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(Christianity)"/>
(Christianity)"/> Protestantism (Christianity)
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Religionsgeschichtliche Schule (biblical criticism)
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Roman Catholicism
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Second Coming (Christianity)
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Sunday school
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theological liberalism (religion)
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tithe (almsgiving)
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