Editorial. (The quarterly of the World Council of Churches).
Best, Thomas F.
This double issue of The Ecumenical Review is not for the faint of
heart: it deals, in short, with several of the most fraught theological
and ecclesiological questions facing the churches today. It started with
the usual planning for two separate issues: one for January 2002, to
deal with the question of worship in ecumenical contexts, and one for
April 2002, to tackle questions of baptism and ecclesiology, especially
the meaning, and practical implications, of the churches'
"mutual recognition" of baptism.
But, as characters in novels sometimes do (revealingly, to good
authors more often than to bad), the subject matter refused to fit into
the mould foreseen for them. Worship, baptism, ecclesiology,
recognition: these all proved to be so interwoven in their
presuppositions, content and implications that the double issue you now
hold in your hands imposed itself upon us as the best way to present
this material in its coherence and interaction. While these are matters
of general ecumenical interest, we hope particularly to help the WCC Orthodox Special Commission in its reflections on WCC-Orthodox relations
and on what I have called, in another context, "possible
futures" (1) for the ecumenical movement.
We begin with a review of one of the central dilemmas forced upon
the churches by their ecumenical experience: whatever differences still
divide us, we want, and need, to worship together; but precisely because
in worship the churches expose their deepest convictions--their
ecclesial soul, if you will --we can there hurt each other most deeply.
Several essays explore the possibilities, and limits, of worship in
ecumenical contexts. These include searching explorations of
"ecumenical worship" and presentations, as charitable as
clear, of the difficulties felt by some churches in this area.
We turn then to baptism, the ritual act of entry into the body of
Christ, asking about its significance for the churches' relations
one with another, and about the theological and pastoral issues faced by
those who move from one part of Christ's body to another. On the
way we find an important contribution to the current ecumenical
discussion of the event of baptism as a crucial moment within a process
of life-long growth into Christ, as well as careful reflections on the
notion of oikonomia as a help towards wider mutual recognition of our
common baptism in Christ. Two sermons explore aspects of entering
through baptism, and belonging to, the body of Christ. These articles do
not shirk the difficult issues involved; but even the most critical
affirm the crucial importance of baptismal recognition for the
ecumenical movement, and for the churches themselves.
Moderator of the WCC central committee Aram I contributes a
prophetic exploration of the situation of his own church today,
clarifying what is at stake in the encounter of tradition and the
"modern" world. Following this, the contemporary engagement
with the fathers of the church--a fundamental issue for all churches,
whether Orthodox, Protestant or Roman Catholic--is explored. An
internal, first-hand explanation is given of the recent "Social
Doctrine" document of the Russian Orthodox Church, together with an
informed and sensitive commentary from Protestant theologians. We
believe that, in various ways, these articles break new ground and hope
they will encourage a wider and frank dialogue among the churches.
Additional articles explore (not to say challenge) the
churches' commitment to unity, deepening significantly the classic
discussion of "models" of unity. A Roman Catholic voice
explores the philosophical bases of our search for Christian unity, and
we hear a strong call for the Christian World Communions to assume a
clearer role within the ecumenical movement. Finally, we offer a
detailed review of the churches' role in the momentous religious
and political transitions in Western and Eastern Germany before, and
following, the fall of the Berlin Wall.
Differences, sometimes profound, remain in all these areas. Perhaps
most notoriously: all Christians are still not able to gather together
at the Lord's table. To aid this discussion we have reprinted in
the "Ecumenical Chronicle" section the current WCC guidelines
for eucharistic services at ecumenical meetings, as well as the
statement from an Orthodox-Roman Catholic dialogue in North America
(especially significant in view of certain tensions today) reflecting
the commitment to the baptismal reality which unites Christians within
the one body of Christ.
We regret that it has not been possible, for practical reasons, to
include the customary sections on "Books Received" and on
"Significant Ecumenical Journals" and "Bibliographia
Oecumenica". We hope to restore these important resources in
subsequent editions of The Ecumenical Review.
But let us close with a further reflection on baptism. Of course
the churches continue in some cases to differ, and sometimes sharply, in
their understanding and practice of baptism. But do we not sense that,
finally, baptism belongs not to the churches but to Christ? Does not
baptism mean, finally, our being claimed by Christ and brought, through
his grace, into his one body? And is that not the reality behind the
churches' mutual recognition of baptism--however "real, but
imperfect" it may be: the fact that we recognize the priority of
Christ's claim over all competing claims of ecclesial history and
tradition? Do we not sense that to deny another's baptism is,
finally, to deny not another church but Christ himself?
NOTE
(1) Thomas F. Best, "The Issues Beyond the Issues: Possible
Futures for the Faith and Order World Conference", The Ecumenical
Review, vol. 45, no. 1, Jan. 1993, pp.55-65.
