Part of the series on Christianity

History of Christianity Apostles Ecumenical councils Great Schism Reformation See also: Timeline of Christianity Beliefs Jesus crucifixion as portrayed by Diego Velázquez. ... image of a Latin cross. ... This article outlines the history of Christianity and provides links to relevant topics. ... The Twelve Apostles (in Koine Greek απόστολος apostolos [1], someone sent forth/sent out, an emissary) were probably Galilean Jewish men (10 names are Aramaic, 4 names are Greek) chosen from among the disciples, who were sent forth by Jesus of Nazareth to preach the Gospel to both Jews and Gentiles... In Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy, an ecumenical council or general council is a meeting of the bishops of the whole church convened to discuss and settle matters of Church doctrine and practice. ... The East-West Schism, known also as the Great Schism (though this latter term sometimes refers to the later Western Schism), was the event that divided Chalcedonian Christianity into Western Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy. ... The Protestant Reformation was a movement which emerged in the 16th century as a series of attempts to reform the Roman Catholic Church in Western Europe. ...

The Trinity God the Father Christ the Son The Holy Spirit Within Christianity, the catholic doctrine of the Trinity states that God is a single being who exists, simultaneously and eternally, as a communion of three Persons: the Father, the Son (the eternal Logos, incarnate as Jesus of Nazareth), and the Holy Spirit. ... In many religions, the supreme God is given the title and attributions of Father. ... Christ is the English representation of the Greek word Χριστός (transliterated as Khristós), which means anointed. ... Jesus, also known as Jesus of Nazareth, is the central figure of Christianity, in which context he is known as Jesus Christ (from Greek Ιησούς Χριστός) with Christ not being a name but rather a title meaning Anointed. He is also considered a very important prophet in Islam. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ...

The Bible Old Testament New Testament Apocrypha The Gospels Ten Commandments Sermon on the Mount The Bible (From Greek βιβλια—biblia, meaning books, which in turn is derived from βυβλος—byblos meaning papyrus, from the ancient Phoenician city of Byblos which exported papyrus) is the sacred scripture of Christianity. ... Note: Judaism uses the term Tanakh instead of Old Testament, because it does not recognize the New Testament as being part of the Biblical canon. ... // What is the New Testament? The New Testament, sometimes called the Greek Testament or Greek Scriptures, is the name given to the part of the Christian Bible that was written after the birth of Jesus. ... Apocrypha is a Greek word (απόκρυφα, neuter plural of απόκρυφος), from αποκρυπτειν, to hide away. ... For the genre of Christian-themed music, see gospel music. ... The Ten Commandments on a monument in the grounds of the Texas State Capitol This 1768 parchment (612x502 mm) by Jekuthiel Sofer emulated 1675 decalogue at the Esnoga synagogue of Amsterdam The Ten Commandments, or Decalogue, is a list of religious and moral imperatives which, according to the Bible, was... The Sermon on the Mount by Carl Heinrich Bloch. ...

Christian theology Salvation · Grace Christian worship Christian theology practices theology from a Christian viewpoint or studies Christianity theologically. ... Salvation refers to deliverance from an undesirable state or condition. ... Divine grace is believed by Christians to be the sovereign favour of God exercised in the bestowment of blessings upon those who have no merit in them. ... This article is in need of attention. ...

Christian Church Catholicism Orthodox Christianity Protestantism The term Christian Church expresses the idea that organised Christianity (the Christian religion) is seen as an institution. ... This article considers Catholicism in the broadest ecclesiastical sense. ... Orthodox Christianity is a generalized reference to the Eastern traditions of Christianity, as opposed to the Western traditions which descend from the Catholic Church. ... Protestantism is a movement within Christianity, representing a split from within the Roman Catholic Church during the mid-to-late Renaissance in Europe —a period known as the Protestant Reformation. ... Christian denominations Christian movements Christian ecumenism A denomination, in the Christian sense of the word, is an identifiable religious body, organization under a common name, structure, and/or doctrine. ... Christian movements are theological, political, or philosophical intepretations of Christianity that are not generally represented by a specific church, sect, or denomination. ...

Christian ecumenism is the promotion of unity or cooperation between distinct religious groups or denominations of the Christian religion, more or less broadly defined. For the purposes of this article, ecumenism in this sense is distinguished from interfaith pluralism, for reasons discussed immediately below. The word ecumenism (also oecumenism, Å“cumenism) (IPA: ) is derived from the Greek oikoumene, which means the inhabited world. The term is usually used with regard to movements toward religious unity. ... Religious pluralism is the belief that one can overcome religious differences between different religions, and denominational conflicts within the same religion. ...

Distinguished from interfaith pluralism

Because the meanings of "Christianity" are diverse, the description of what is meant by "Christian ecumenism" can take any of several directions. See also: Timeline of Christianity Beliefs Jesus crucifixion as portrayed by Diego Velázquez. ...

On the one hand, ecumenism is "interfaith dialogue" between representatives of diverse faiths, not necessarily with the intention of reconciling the professors of other faiths into full, organic unity with one another but simply to promote better relations. With some Christian perspectives on ecumenism, there is no other principle of ecumenism than this. They aim only toward the promotion of toleration, mutual respect and cooperation, whether between Christian churches and denominations, or between Christianity and other faiths. Thus, the World Council of Churches is an instrument in both the Ecumenical Movement and the Interfaith Movement. However, this is not the case for all Christian ecumenical initiatives. It would be difficult if not impossible to discuss them together, since much of the Christian world makes a definite difference between the two ideas. Therefore, readers are referred to the thorough discussion of ecumenism in the sense of the promotion of mutual appreciation and improvement between diverse religions, under the entry on religious pluralism. The World Council of Churches (WCC) is the principal international Christian ecumenical organization. ... Religious pluralism is the belief that one can overcome religious differences between different religions, and denominational conflicts within the same religion. ...

On the other hand, ecumenism means the aim to reconcile 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. It has been suggested that Catholic teachings be merged into this article or section. ... ...

The goal of Christian unity

For a significantly representative part of the Christian world, the highest aim of the Christian faith is the reconciliation of all divided humanity into a full and conscious union with one Christian Church, visibly united in the sense of governmental accountability between all of its parts and the whole. At a minimum, the desire is expressed in many places by official Christendom, that all who profess faith in Christ in sincerity, would be more fully cooperative and mutually correcting of one another.

Three Approaches

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.

Eastern Orthodoxy

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. ... The Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, or Vatican II, was an Ecumenical Council of the Catholic Church opened under Pope John XXIII in 1962 and closed under Pope Paul VI in 1965. ... The World Council of Churches (WCC) is the principal international Christian ecumenical organization. ...

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. Baptism is any water purification ritual practiced in any of various religions including Christianity, Mandaeanism, and Sikhism, and has its origins with the Jewish ritual of mikvah. ... Chrismation is the name given in Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox and Eastern_rite Catholic churches to the sacrament known as confirmation in the Latin Rite Catholic churches. ... Within Christianity, the catholic doctrine of the Trinity states that God is a single being who exists, simultaneously and eternally, as a communion of three Persons: the Father, the Son (the eternal Logos, incarnate as Jesus of Nazareth), and the Holy Spirit. ...

Roman Catholicism

Until the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, the relationship between Rome and other Christian traditions was basically in deadlock. The traditional view of Roman Catholicism is that "there is no salvation outside the (Catholic) Church". To be sure, such intransigence works both ways, and as a result, ecumenism prior to this important council was only different by degrees from evangelization. However, Vatican II initiated a new era in the serious pursuit of unity between Rome and other dogmatic traditions. This new initiative of ecumenism embraces religious inclusivism as compatible with the ultimate aim of Catholic ecumenism, and simultaneously distances itself from pluralism as the ideal state of Christian unity. Two major documents outline the Roman Catholic perspective on ecumenism: The Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, or Vatican II, was an Ecumenical Council of the Catholic Church opened under Pope John XXIII in 1962 and closed under Pope Paul VI in 1965. ... The Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, or Vatican II, was an Ecumenical Council of the Catholic Church opened under Pope John XXIII in 1962 and closed under Pope Paul VI in 1965. ... Inclusivism, one of several approaches to understanding the relationship between religions, asserts that while one set of beliefs is absolutely true, other sets of beliefs are at least partially true. ...

• Unitatis Redintegratio (Restoration of Unity: Vatican II's Decree on Ecumenism — November 21, 1964, Pope Paul VI)
• Ut Unum Sint (That they may be one: Papal encyclical on Commitment to Ecumenism — May 25, 1995) Pope John Paul II

The ultimate objective toward which these documents direct the Catholic ecumenical task, is nothing other than a complete, conscious communion of all Christians, indeed, of all mankind, in a single faith and one Christian Church, beginning with a conversion of the Catholic people. Ecumenism is essentially Catholic renewal. Unitatis Redintegratio is the Second Vatican Councils Decree on Ecumenism. ... November 21 is the 325th day of the year (326th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... For the Nintendo 64 emulator, see 1964 (Emulator). ... Pope Paul VI (Latin: ), born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini (September 26, 1897 – August 6, 1978), reigned as Pope and as sovereign of Vatican City from 1963 to 1978. ... This is an Encyclical Letter of Pope John Paul II published on May 25, 1995 Relations with the Orthodox Church is the theme of Pope John Paul IIs twelfth encyclical, Ut unum sint (That They May Be One). ... May 25 is the 145th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (146th in leap years). ... 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Pope John Paul II (Latin: ), born Karol Józef Wojtyła (May 18, 1920 – April 2, 2005) reigned as pope of the Catholic Church for almost 27 years, from 16 October 1978 until his death, making his the second-longest pontificate (or the third-longest, as enumerated by Roman Catholic...

"6. 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..." (UR)

"The unity of all divided humanity is the will of God. For this reason he sent his Son, so that by dying and rising for us he might bestow on us the Spirit of love. On the eve of his sacrifice on the Cross, Jesus himself prayed to the Father for his disciples and for all those who believe in him, that they might be one, a living communion. This is the basis not only of the duty, but also of the responsibility before God and his plan, which falls to those who through Baptism become members of the Body of Christ, a Body in which the fullness of reconciliation and communion must be made present." (UUS)

At the same time, the pursuit of renewal is not compatible with a complacent settling into the very patterns of sin that must be removed before renewal can take place.

"In a corresponding way, there is an increased sense of the need for repentance: an awareness of certain exclusions which seriously harm fraternal charity, of certain refusals to forgive, of a certain pride, of an unevangelical insistence on condemning the "other side", of a disdain born of an unhealthy presumption." (UUS)

7. 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 ... 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)

Therefore, ecumenism expresses a central concern of the whole Christian life.

"How is it possible to remain divided, if we have been "buried" through Baptism in the Lord's death, in the very act by which God, through the death of his Son, has broken down the walls of division? Division "openly contradicts the will of Christ, provides a stumbling block to the world, and inflicts damage on the most holy cause of proclaiming the Good News to every creature". (UUS quoting UR)

In the pursuit of this ultimate objective, it is necessary to reverse past patterns of hostility, and place the Church in the service of those who are alienated from it. This service cannot paradoxically aim at the destruction of enemies through a deceitful conquest by flattery, but must sincerely desire their benefit in terms that can be immediately understood as such without first requiring the reconciliation of the enemy. Thus, there is compatibility at least in principle, between religious inclusivism, and the ultimate aim of full agreement in the faith, as long as the principle of inclusivism to which the Church adheres is not a contradiction of fidelity to her own calling, but in fact, an expression of it. Therefore, Catholic ecumenism depicts itself as the attempt of the Catholic church to repair a conflict within itself.

Main articles: Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity & Category:Catholic ecumenical and interfaith relations

The Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity origins are associated with the Second Vatican Council. ...

Protestantism

Some Protestants, particularly those in the United States of America, hold this Christian flag as a symbol of Christian unity.

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. Image File history File links Flag_of_Christians. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Christians. ... The Christian flag The Christian flag is a flag designed to represent all of Christianity, but flown mainly by Protestant churches in North America, Africa, and Latin America. ... The Edinburgh Missionary Conference held in June of 1910 was both the culmination of nineteenth-century Christian missions and the formal beginning of the modern Christian ecumenical movement. ... The Methodist movement is a group of denominations of Protestant Christianity. ... John Raleigh Mott (May 25, 1865 - January 31, 1955) was a long-serving leader of the YMCA. He received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1946 for his work in establishing and strengthening international Christian student organizations that worked to promote peace. ... Since the Lausanne Congress of 1974, a widely-accepted definition of a Christian mission has been to form a viable indigenous church-planting movement. ... The World Council of Churches (WCC) is the principal international Christian ecumenical organization. ... The National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA (or National Council of Churches USA, NCC) is religious organization currently (2005) consisting of 35 Protestant, Anglican, and Orthodox Christian denominations. ... Churches Uniting in Christ (CUIC) brings together nine mainline American denominations (including both predominantly white and predominantly black churches), and was inaugurated on January 20, 2002. ...

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.

Contemporary developments

Catholic and Orthodox bishops in North America are engaged in an ongoing dialogue. They are meeting together periodically as the "North American Orthodox-Catholic Theological Consultation". It has been meeting semiannually since it was founded in 1965 under the auspices of the Bishops’ Committee for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Standing Conference of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas (SCOBA). The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops officially joined the Consultation as a sponsor in 1997. The Consultation works in tandem with the Joint Committee of Orthodox and Catholic Bishops which has been meeting annually since 1981. Since 1999 the Consultation has been discussing the filioque clause, with the hope of eventually reaching an agreed joint statement. 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (link goes to calendar). ... The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (also known as the USCCB) is the official governing body of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States. ... 1997 (MCMXCVII) is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1981 (MCMLXXXI) is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... In Christian theology the filioque clause or filioque controversy (filioque meaning and the Son) is a disputed part of the Nicene Creed. ...

The original anathemas (excommunications) that mark the "official" Great Schism of 1054 between Catholics and Orthodox were mutually revoked in 1965 by the Pope and the Patriarch of Constantinople. But just as the original schism developed over time rather than erupting overnight, reconciliation is proceeding slowly. The East-West Schism, known also as the Great Schism (though this latter term sometimes refers to the later Western Schism), was the event that divided Chalcedonian Christianity into Western Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy. ... Events Cardinal Humbertus, a representative of Pope Leo IX, and Michael Cerularius, Patriarch of Constantinople, decree each others excommunication. ... 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (link goes to calendar). ...

Organizations such as the World Council of Churches, the National Council of Churches and Churches Uniting in Christ, and Christian Churches Together continue to encourage ecumenical cooperation among Protestants, Eastern Orthodox, and, at times, Roman Catholics. Christian Churches Together in the USA (CCT) is a new ecumenical group growing out of a deeply felt need to broaden and expand fellowship, unity and witness among the diverse expressions of Christian faith today. CCT is envisioned as a place where people of widely differing Christian backgrounds can come...

United and Uniting churches

Influenced by the ecumenical movement, the "scandal of separation" and local developments a number of United and Uniting churches have formed, there are also a range of mutual recognition strategies being practised where union is not feasible.

Main articles: United / Uniting churches & Category:United Uniting churches

United / Uniting Churches are churches that unite different protestant assemblies under the roof of one organisation. ...

Ecumenical organisations

• Action of Churches Together in Scotland
• Churches Together in Britain and Ireland
• Conference of European Churches
• World Council of Churches
• World Alliance of Reformed Churches

Action of Churches Together in Scotland (ACTS) is an ecumenical grouping of churches and associated organisations founded in 1990. ... An ecumenical organisation, often abbreviated to CTBI. The members include most of the major churches in England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. ... The Conference of European Churches (CEC) was founded in 1959 to promote reconciliation, dialogue and friendship between the churches of Europe at a time of growing Cold War political tensions and divisions. ... The World Council of Churches (WCC) is the principal international Christian ecumenical organization. ... The World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC) is a fellowship of more than 200 churches with roots in the 16th-century Reformation. ...

See also

• Full communion
• Taizé Community

Full communion is completeness of that relationship between Christian individuals and groups which is known as communion. ... Brother Roger of Taizé, 2003 The Taizé Community is an ecumenical Christian mens monastic order in Taizé, Saône-et-Loire, Burgundy, France // Priory It was initiated in 1940 by Frère Roger (Brother Roger), who remained its Prior until his death on August 16, 2005 and is dedicated...

External links

• Canadian Council of Churches
• Conference of European Churches (CEC)
• Ecumenism in Canada — Extensive links to documents, ecumenical agencies, and denominational webpages
• Ecumenical News International (ENI) Geneva-based press agency
• National Council of Churches, USA
• North American Academy of Ecumenists
• Oecuménisme au Canada
• World Council of Churches