Recherche – Detailansicht
Ausgabe: | April/2023 |
Spalte: | 407-409 |
Kategorie: | |
Autor/Hrsg.: | Enns, Fernando |
Titel/Untertitel: | Ecumenism and Peace. From Theory and Practice to Pilgrimage and Companionship. |
Verlag: | Gelassenheit Publication and World Council of Churches Press 2022. 340 S. Kart. EUR 33,00. ISBN 9780988099364. |
Rezensent: | Vladimir Latinovic |
That ecumenism contributes to peace is obvious. This book shows how this is achieved and in doing so provides an excellent overview of the development of ecumenical thought as well as the potential paths that lead to church unity. Fernando Enns (following Harding Meyer) identifies three types of this unity: essential, indicative and imperative (9). Influenced by the Orthodox–Catholic dialogue, he adds a fourth one: the ecumenical vision. By doing so, he brings the eschatological dimension into play. In his words »the seemingly unattainable resolution of the tension between the believed unity of the Church and experienced separation of the churches is tolerable due to the eschatological dimension« (9). This is an important aspect because it decreases achievement mentality and makes room for creativity and surprise. Among the key obstacles of this path are the fact that »[t]he concept of faith is reduced to doctrine, while worship and contemporary church life are only marginally in view« and that there is »a poor process of reception, especially among the laity, so that ecumenical dialogue remains a mere discussion among experts« (13).
He begins his analysis by looking at the bilateral dialogues. He takes the dialogue between Mennonites and Catholics as a point of reference and the »primary testing ground for ecumenism« (27). Its complexity is due to »absence of church hierarchies or doctrinal offices equipped with authority« (28) on the Mennonite side and to their »skepticism toward written confessions« (28). One could of course say that the excess of both on the Catholic side also did not help. The greatest hindrance is historical confessional texts and condemnations (31). The aim is to develop a common hermeneutics and to learn to re-read church history together so that the other side is not perceived with prejudice. Here, also the topic of peace arises. In this dialogue, »the common vocation of supporting peace and being peacemakers« (37) played an important role, which is essential considering the fact that the »majority [of Anabaptists] were killed in Catholic territories« (45). One of the greatest achievements of this dialogue is the common vocation of being a witness to peace, rooted in Christology (47), and renunciation of violence »broadened to both personal and structural forms« (48).
E. also deals with the question of how reexamining the specific issues that led to the separation can move us forward. This »theme-centered ecumenism« (62) is present mainly in the multilateral ecumenical dialogues. As a study case, he uses the example of the mutual recognition of baptism by several churches in Magdeburg in 2007. Here again the example of Mennonites is used to illustrate the difficulties involved in this recognition due to the designation of baptism as a sacrament (87) and the emphasis on its unrepeatability (76). E. also addresses the question of whether mutual recognition of baptism leads to mandatory mutual recognition as a church and concludes that these two are »mutually dependent«(90).
Ecumenical movement was always closely tied to the mission, which he sees »as a testing ground for ecumenism« (97). In order to answer the question of the relationship between the two, E. discusses and analyzes both the »attributes« of the church (notae ecclesiae) and its »features« (notae externae). He poses the following questions: »what is meant when we speak of mission as an essential feature of the Church?« and »[w]hat is a necessary attribute, a characteristic of the visible church, or a feature that can be added?« (99). He sees a main challenge for the church to lie in its »actually be[ing] the confessing, celebrating, ecumenical and inclusive Church« (106). Chief problems of the mission include »stagnation and financial crises in the churches, with mission simply being a fellow captive«, and the fact »that the vitality of mission has regressed through becoming integrated into the Church« (107).
Among other problems, he also discusses the question of ecumenism »not [fully] attending to the collective diaconal and social ethics-oriented activities« (113). This in turn is an opportunity to discuss the role of the church as a peace-building component in society. Peace theology is (or at least should be) present in all aspects of church activity, in leiturgia, martyria, diakonia and of course in koinonia (115). The act of reconciliation inherent in ecumenism can be applied in the secular realm. He discusses the opposing positions of those who advocate radical pacifism and those who believe that the use of military force is still a legitimate means and an ecumenical response. For this purpose, he examines the theology of Dietrich Bonhoeffer who emphasized that the church must really be Christ's church in order to be a witness »to Christ’s actual commandment of peace« (124). Other ecumenical peace-building aspects are also discussed such as creation of the World Council of Churches (WCC) and the contribution of its particular assemblies, the role of the »Historic Peace Churches« (130).
The second part of the book begins with the questions related to creating a »culture of peace« (141). Here E. points to the pre-dominance of violence in the world and discusses the methods of overcoming it, including the WCC initiative »Decade to Overcome Violence« (DOV), which was shaped through WCC meetings in Johannesburg 1994, Boston and Harare 1998, Porto Alegre 2006 and others. Given that many of these places had experienced a fair share of violence, it is not surprising that the WCC's responses to violence »take into account the context-specific challenges and the corresponding methods that were designed according to local initiatives and needs« (161). In order to present the specifically Christian approach to violence, he examines Trinitarian, Christological, pneumatological and eschatological aspects, gives examples of how concrete ecumenical encounters, initiatives and individuals have contributed to the deconstruction of violence and finally examines the relationship between the image of God and the overcoming of violence.
DOV is also a theme of the next chapter. Here he is more focused on political and geopolitical aspects. The specific question is the »issue of intervention for humanitarian purposes from theological and ethical perspectives« (182). He discusses contributions of several ecumenical meetings such as Potsdam 2001, Geneva 2003, Freising 2005, Porto Alegre 2006 and Kingston 2011. The advocacy of non-violent approaches and conflict resolution strategies are identified as the »heart of the message and the mission of the Church« (191). And finally, the lack of action by the churches is identified as the main problem in preventing the violence (194). He concludes that the development of »creativity, for which it will be necessary to tread the ›narrow path‹ of nonviolence« (229), will be the main objective of the ecumenical community in the future.
E. further deals with the new path set by the WCC 10th assembly, held in Busan, Republic of Korea, in 2013, entitled »Pilgrimage of Justice and Peace« (PJP). Before coming to this particular assembly, he looks at the path that has been taken in order to make this possible. The first step was the development of the concept of »just peace« as a new paradigm in ecumenical theology and social ethics. The second step was the work on the »pilgrimage metaphor« and the decision that »the proposed pilgrimage of the churches would itself have to be characterized by justice and peace« (227). Finally, he describes the PJP concept in detail in the light of recent discussions of the WCC (229–235). In conclusion, he raises the important question that emerged from the discussions with the meeting participants, namely, »the perceived gap between the claims of the oikoumene and what it is in reality« (235).
In the final chapter of the book, he looks at the reception and adaptation process of PJP. To this end, he analyzes the work of two groups within the WCC: the International Reference Group and the Theological Study Group, which both work according to the motto »place work on the pilgrim« (238). Their goal is local and global transformation and the main themes they work on are truth and trauma, land and displacement, gender justice and racism. He concludes by looking at pilgrimage as kenotic movement that »leads to an acknowledgment of the need to walk with others, even those who are completely other« (251).
This extremely rich book not only provides insight into the development of ecumenical thought and dialogue, but also offers some valuable assessments of key problems and ways of over-coming them. As such, it is an important contribution not only to scholarship but also to ecumenical dialogue in general. It also explores in detail the issue of the relationship of this dialogue to peace. However, this needs further investigation, particularly in light of recent conflicts. The WCC and the participating churches can make an immense contribution in this regard, and their culture of dialogue and their vast experience can be useful in the secular domain.