Ecumenical Methodology & Achievements

Following a brief history of the ecumenical movement, this course examines the ecumenical documents of the Catholic church outlining the principles, spirituality, and norms governing the practice of ecumenism in the Catholic Church. It then examines the ecumenical processes that developed beginning from the moment in which the churches established contacts among themselves and undertook conversations and identifies the presuppositions and implications of these practices. Various methodologies used in ecumenical dialogue examined in this course include a historical method, the turn to constructive theology, differentiating consensus, and receptive ecumenism. The various kinds of ecumenical documents studied include multi-lateral consensus documents from the World Council of Churches, bi-lateral dialogue statements, and interim convergence documents on Eucharist, church, and ministry. The course ends by examining processes of ecumenical reception. Students may develop projects and papers with respect to their own ecclesial traditions.