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This article explores the engagement of the Pakistani Jamaʿat-i Islami (JI) with the Iranian Revolution. I argue that the Islamist JI was drawn to the events because it reflected a core concern and signature idea of Abu 'l-Aʿla Maududi, namely to establish the sovereignty of God (hakimiyya) on earth. My analysis of various travelogues and JI publications from the 1980s demonstrates that JI observers were deeply familiar with internal revolutionary dynamics and Iran's Shiʿi identity. The prospect of seeing a proper Islamic system in action, with potentially global consequences for their cause, initially crowded out any sectarian concerns for the JI. At the same time, certain JI leaders began to voice criticism of what they perceived as rash revolutionary policies that differed from Maududi's careful, irenic understanding of a proper Islamic revolution. They also took note of sectarian messages that damaged Iran's ecumenical outreach. It was, however, the more general geopolitical climate in the Middle East and South Asia which forced the JI to publicly downplay its ties with Iran. By the late 1980s, being accused of harbouring affinities for the 'deviant Islam' of Shiʿism was a charge that had to be avoided at all costs in Pakistan and beyond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this article is to explore some of the challenges of measuring Christian spiritual development across distinct traditions of Christian spirituality. This presses into questions of what might be universal and what might be particular when it comes to Christian spirituality in how it is understood and practiced. We address the feasibility of a general, ecumenical measure by hearing from representative voices of five traditions of Christian spirituality: African American spirituality, Anglican spirituality, Benedictine spirituality, Pentecostal spirituality, and Reformed spirituality. After noting some of the distinctives of these traditions, we conclude with four strategies for navigating the unity and diversity of Christian spirituality in conceptualizing and measuring Christian formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The Romanian Archimandrite Andrei Scrima was an important worldwide theological personality. His activity as a kind of ambassador of the Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras to the Second Vatican Council, together with his publications, conferences and activity as a professor, transformed him into a voice that was almost always trusted. His attitudes and speeches that criticized the Romanian Communist regime made him also to be seen as an enemy by Bucharest's government. In this context, the Securitate was interested in his ecumenical activity and in his ideas regarding the ecumenism and the potential role of the Romanian Orthodox Church there, trying also to see if his theological ideas were related to the political world and contained criticisms of the dictatorial regime or its relationship with the Church. In this paper, we will describe how his ecumenical activity is described in the Securitate Archives. Due to the fact that file no. 00005468 contains the most important information regarding this topic, the main references cited in the paper are extracted from this source. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents an overview and an assessment of the international Catholic–Lutheran dialogue through fifty years. During the process, a theological rapprochement that few had dreamt of when the work began has been manifested. In the text Facing Unity (1984), even a detailed plan for a processual realization of Catholic–Lutheran church fellowship is sketched. However, this plan has not been implemented, and the achieved doctrinal convergence has not been transformed into concrete forms of unity. The author also seeks to uncover some of the main causes of this impasse, largely reflecting challenges in contemporary ecumenism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses The World Council of Churches (WCC) celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Leuenberg Agreement, a significant ecumenical agreement among Lutheran, Reformed, and United churches in Europe that recognized each other's baptism, ordination, and shared communion. The agreement has fostered unity and fellowship among these churches and has served as a model for other ecumenical efforts worldwide, emphasizing the ongoing pilgrimage towards visible unity.

When the American Protestant Mission in Syria entered the educational arena of nineteenth-century Tripoli, its administrators founded long-lasting educational institutions primarily for the purpose of converting souls to Protestant Christianity. Secondarily, missionaries sought to impose ideas of gender and class on their students. Through previously unexamined memoirs, school records, and missionary writings, this article offers a microhistorical analysis of the Tripoli Girls' School (est. 1873) and the Tripoli Boys' Boarding School (est. 1904). This study begins by situating the schools within the broader context of an increasingly peripheralized and predominantly Sunni Muslim city, showing that the geographical, social, and educational environment of Tripoli shaped and was shaped by the boarding schools. It explores two trends within the Tripoli schools, namely, the 'professionalization' of female students, and the reification of class divisions, as Tripoli was integrated into a system of global capitalism. Finally, it moves beyond narratives of 'secularization' and argues that students played a significant role in shifting the emphasis of missionary education away from religious conversion to an educational model of interreligious cooperation that saw Muslims and Christians as partners in a syncretic endeavour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay references the WCC's Pilgrimage of Justice and Peace. A peace spirituality rooted in a Trinitarian grammar invites pilgrims to become transformed as they confront the powers of violence and death. This framework makes a clear connection between self and community, self and public witness, and spirituality and ethics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept and practice of ecumenism has played a crucial role in the theological construction of ecclesiology for the last few decades. In spite of the various steps taken for promoting local ecumenism in different parts of the world, the continuing challenge for ecclesiology (and also for theology in general) is to place grassroots efforts for ecumenism in the centre of theological discussions. While local ecumenism is defined and practiced in a number of ways, this essay discusses the ordinary and everyday efforts for church unity among Christians in South India, and the theological potentials of such efforts. A study of local ecumenism can contribute to the discussions in ecclesiology and ethnography, and such discussions in turn can help further to encourage local ecumenism by bringing to the centre the everyday experiences of Christians that have not often been focused or highlighted in mainline academic ecclesiology or theology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the fears and hopes of interchurch parents for their children in 1968 when mixed marriages were considered a principal ecumenical problem. In 1968 it was tentatively suggested that it might be possible to bring up children within two churches; many saw this as impossible. Yet some interchurch families dared to hope that it might prepare the way for visible unity in Christ. This paper considers the response they received and proposes it is time to examine the lived experience of Interchurch Families and to hear the testimony of Interchurch children asking what relevance this has for the church today. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The traditional hermeneutical approach to biblical ethics, which asks the question "What ought we to do?", has led us into some difficulties with regard to the question of same-sex relationships. In particular, it has made the church vulnerable to charges of selectivity with regard to our use of Scripture and failing to live up to biblical values such as mercy, compassion, and church unity. This paper suggests that adopting a hermeneutic based on character ethics, rather than on deontology or utilitarianism, would help Christians to avoid these pitfalls and enable the church to develop a response which is more faithful to Scripture as a whole. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the reception of 'feminist theology and the Bible' amongst Baptists in Italy. The ecumenical context of Italian Baptists and their own marginal location have facilitated its reception, mainly amongst women's groups in Baptist churches and organisations. Reading strategies used by Baptists, similar to liberation methodologies, have enabled scripture reading by women to become a consciousness raising experience, understood theologically as conversion. Women's freedom becomes gift and task to women, men, and the church. Although men generally have been reluctant to engage in the fundamental issues raised by feminism, inclusive language has been adopted in Baptist life and worship. The current resurgence of male violence against women has prompted the Italian Baptist Union to encourage men in the churches to investigate their own connivence in patriarchy, eventually undertaking their own journey of conversion through the Bible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on Taizé Community, an ecumenical monastic order in Taizé, France started by Brother Roger Schutz, and the community's prayer and attention to the Holy Spirit. Topics discussed include the services offered by Taizé, the role of its music to the community's service, and on how people are healed after attending the services offered by Taizé.

The author offers reflections on the Martyrdom and Communion: the XXIV International Ecumenical Conference on Orthodox spirituality. Topics discussed include martyrdom as a constant challenge for the Church, the claim of Patriarch Kirill and Pope Francis about the martyrs, and the horizon of communion shown by martyrdom.

The article discusses the ecumenical council of the Catholic Church, the Second Vatican Council, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2016, and its impact on religious practice and the understanding of theology in the Roman Catholic faith.

The article discusses ecumenical triumphs and failures of 2016. Topics include unusual American presidential election, how problem of the Ukrainian Greco-Catholic Church was successfully resolved by Stalin in 1946, and meeting between the Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church in Chieti, Italy in September 2016.

Pope Francis has asked Catholics to offer their sufferings for the unity of Christians during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. This week of prayer is celebrated annually between January 18th and 25th and brings together different Christian denominations to pray for unity. The Pope marked the end of the week with the evening prayer for the Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul. The prayer materials for this week are prepared jointly by the Roman Catholic Church and the World Council of Churches. [Extracted from the article]

The article presents a speech by His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew to the Synaxis of Hierarchs of the Throne on August 29, 2015. Topics of the speech include all of the Hierarchs of the Ecumenical Throne which bear the episcopal office, all bishops as equal in accordance with Orthodox ecclesiology and the discovery of a skull belonging to a pagan priest.

In this article, the author reflects upon the catholic nature of the Roman Catholic Church during the Vatican II from 1962-1965. Topics discussed include argument for Vatican II as an ecumenical council, participation of large number of bishops from different continents during Vatican II, attendance of various Roman Catholic theologians like Yves Congar and John Courtney Murray. Also mentioned is the acceptance of non-Roman Catholics to visit the council.

The article offers information on the first document of the ecumenical council of the Catholic Church Second Vatican Council, Constitution on the Liturgy which transformed the liturgy of the Catholic Church. It states the significant implications of the Constitution for the liturgical worship including Anglican, Lutheran and Reformed churches worldwide. It also provides an overview of the basic principles as practical directives for the renewal and reform of the liturgy.

The article focuses on the activities of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity (PCPCU) in 2012 that aimed to promote Christian unity restoration. The activities include an executive meeting at Brite Divinity School at Texas Christian University (TCU) in Fort Worth and the second session of the sixth phase of dialogue between PCPCU and Pentecostal leaders in Rome. Also cited is the need for Christians to increase their prayer and practical action to restore Christian unity.

The article explores the links of the compositions of Lutheran composer Johann Sebastian Bach with the ideals and rituals of Freemasonry. Topics include the author's thought that Bach was also a Freemason because of his ecumenical composition, the B-minor Mass called "The Great Catholic Mass," the correlation between the dedication accompanying the seven-voice canon BMW 1078 and Freemasonry's secret passwords and guiding principles, and an interpretation of the wording for BWV 1075.

The Bible is the common source of all Christian theological traditions, it is the book used in the liturgy of every Church, and at the same time the origin of numerous doctrinal controversies. For this reason promoting an ecumenical ethos should be seen as an essential requirement for teaching biblical disciplines. This paper presents in the first part the Catholic guidelinesfor a theologicalformation in an ecumenical spirit, as well as for a proper ecumenicalformation, as established by the 1993 Ecumenical Directory. The second part addresses the principles that should guide the teaching of biblical disciplines in an ecumenical spirit, based on ecclesiastical documents (mainly The Interpretation of the Bible in the Church, 1993), and on the personal didactic experience in the field of biblical and ecumenicalformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the Liturgical Conference, a voluntary nonprofit association of Christians who belong to various churches with a common concern and interest to seek help for the liturgy. It says that the Liturgical Conference has started as an association of Roman Catholic in the 1940s and become ecumenical in the 1960s that advocate for educational and motivational force in Christian renewal. The Liturgical Conference's Benedictine history concern with common prayer is also discussed.

Since the Ottawa Consultation in 1982, the relationship between the Nederduitsch Hervormde Kerk van Afrika (NHKA) and the World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC) was nonexistent. In the NHKA it became progressively clear that it would be impossible to travel the road of faith alone. This article examined the factors which contributed to the growing isolation of the NHKA, especially nationalism, a particularistic ecclesiology and the rejection of Apartheid by international ecumenical bodies. It also reflected on efforts of the NHKA to return to the international ecumenical movement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the condition of the Catholic community in Russia after its revival in April 1991. According to the official data, there are about 600,000 Catholic believers in the country who are mostly citizens of the Russian Federation and that the Catholic community is presented by the media as community of strangers with a non-traditional faith. It also examines the country's stat policy, the nature of the ecumenical context, and the policy of the Catholic hierarchy.

The article discusses the concepts and ideology of justification and imputation in traditional Protestantism, Roman Catholicism, and the disciples of the New Perspective on Paul (NPP). It claims that NPP renders fertile ground for ecumenical dialogue between Protestants and Catholics. The NPP also provides the most common avenue for bridging the gap between evangelicals and Catholics in the aspect of salvation.

Recent years have witnessed an articulated attention given to 'China' as a rising economic power. Parallel to this economic perspective, a renewed attention to the relationship between China and Christianity has also started to become verbalised in speeches of such prominent persons as the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Pope and the general secretary of the World Council of Churches. China is accentuated on the agenda of missionary organizations. Where do fascination and passion for China come from? How does this China-fever influence certain processes within contemporary World Christianity? Where is China in World Christianity today? The present article aims to contest the oversimplifications exercised in the China question and maps the complexity of trajectories involved in the question of the China-World Christianity nexus. Looking at certain examples of global-local dynamics, the article aims to localise 'China' in its relation to World Christianity and vice versa. In doing so, the article focuses on issues such as transnational communities, ecumenical understanding, contextualisation and theological pluralism. The present contribution argues that the 'where' question in this case poses the challenge of moving beyond the geographical and numerical mappings. In order to understand the multiple theological connotations of the 'where' questions, the article proposes a new missiological-ecumenical approach which perceives 'super-diversity' as a guiding principle for the integrity of World Christianity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The All Africa Conference of Churches, an ecumenical council representing church bodies from across sub-Saharan Africa, has provided a context for collective dialogue and action across Africa's many social and religious diversities since 1963. It has been involved in community economic development activities across the continent and political leaders have expressed genuine interest in every ecumenical gathering. The oppression endured by millions of African people is recognized as the context in which the church's mission was to be carried out, and the All Africa Conference of Churches has been a prophetic voice, advocating for peace and reconciliation in conflict situations across sub-Saharan Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A significant number of associations of the faithful have been established in Spanish dioceses, and play an important part in the life and structure of the Church. Many of these are national or diocesan associations, established as public or private legal persons by the Episcopal Conference or the local Bishop in accordance with the Code of Canon Law and particular canonical regulation. Given that it adapts the regulation of the Code to the needs of each diocese, setting out criteria with regard to the procedure by which associations of the faithful are established, their juridical status and the role of ecclesiastical authority in their regard, such particular law is of great significance. However, it is difficult to come by knowledge of this particular law, especially at a diocesan level. The purpose of this study is to provide an overview of particular law relating to associations of the faithful in Spain. The rules defined by the Spanish Episcopal Conference are analyzed, with particular reference to the important 1986 Instruction on the matter. The extensive diocesan rules for associations of the faithful are also compiled in this paper, presenting the main features and the complications to which such regulation may give rise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

International associations of the faithful are not new to canon law. However, as expressed in the Vatican II documents (Decrees Apostolicam actuositatem, n. 19 and Presbyterorum ordinis, n. 8) and the new universal legislation of the Church (CIC, c. 215 and CCEO, n. 18), the recognition of the faithful's fundamental right to association has contributed to the further emergence and expansion of associations of the faithful at an international level. All of the Popes since Pius XII onwards have shown significant interest in such associations. Vatican II marked a new stage in the development of associations of the lay faithful, which is reflected in the emergence of ecclesial movements, many of which are recognized by the Holy See as international associations of the faithful. Ecclesial movements are entrusted with the task of establishing themselves within particular Churches and carrying out their specific mission in ways that foster the common good of all the faithful of the diocese. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A number of canonical issues regarding the relationships between associations of the faithful and consecrated life are addressed within the context of the Church as communion. First, Third Orders are distinguished from other associations of the Christian faithful linked to religious congregations; some differences are illustrated by reference to a number of statutes. Next, the question of married members in the new forms of consecrated life is explored, offering a comparative account in relation to institutes with pontifical approval. With regard to the religious who join ecclesial movements, a series of criteria drawn from the teaching of the Magisterium and other theological sources is presented. Then, the issue of celibate members in some associations of the faithful is addressed, through a definition of the canonical concept of consecration. In light of the pontifical approval for new forms of consecrated life and ecclesial movements, the author argues that it is the duty of each charism to find the juridical form most adequate to its nature and development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The regulation of the fiscal obligations of associations of the faithful is described in the Agreement on Economic Affairs established between the Holy See and the Spanish State (3 January 1979). This Agreement states that associations of the faithful may avail of the fiscal benefits that the legal and tax regulations in Spain provide for non-profit organizations whose purposes are of general interest. This fiscal strategy fosters the purposes of associations of the Christian faithful because of their contribution to the common good of society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores the showdown between Pope Gregory I and Patriarch John IV of Constantinople over the ecumenical title. It argues that the promotion of the title coincided with other Eastern challenges to Roman prestige and that Gregory's diplomatic strategies evolved over the course of the controversy. While nothing in his correspondence suggests that he would endorse subsequent claims to universal Roman privilege, Eastern intransigence pushed the pontiff to embrace the rhetorical claims of Petrine privilege. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dialogue is essential in theology and philosophy. The ecumenism pretends to be the means of the unification hope. The unification hope comes from Christ, in order to love the one near us: "For all to be one!" (John 17.21). The dialogue for unification with the Eastern Churches represents an essential aspect of our belief. The 2nd Vatican Council promulgated the Decree about Ecumenism. The essay to realise the unity with the Orthodoxy has a central and special signification. There are also models of creating unity through a decentralisation. The Greek-Catholic Church represents a problem, an obstacle for the Orthodox Church, but it can be a model for ecumenism and for the realisation of unification so that all should be one, ut unum sint. The faith and the prayer with deeds in the spirit of love for the neighbour through Christ give us the chance and the hope that one day the great dream will come true, without second thoughts or hate. Let the faith, the hope and the love be our help and guidance in our life of Christians! [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discusses the role of Joint Working Group (JWG) formed by the Roman Catholic Church (RCC) and the World Council of Churches (WCC) for managing radical dissents. Problem of mixed marriages; Issues on membership of RCC in WCC; Other radical issues of dissent.

Focuses on the Joint Working Group (JWG) formed in 1965 for discussion of common concerns and promotion of cooperation between the Roman Catholic Church and World Council for Churches. Completion of twenty five years of JWG in promoting ecumenical climate; Foundation of the organization; Mandate and basic tasks of JWG; History of the organization.

Most regional subdivisions of the United States have used one of three unsatisfactory approaches: physiographic, agricultural, or census blocks of states. Any economic subdivision of the United States must recognize that the entire conterminous territory is one economic unit. The census income figure is the most satisfactory statistic available to indicate an aggregation of all forms of economic productivity. Income density (income per square mile) for every county in the conterminous United States suggests the location of divides between the two parts of the ecumene, and the nonecumene, and the areal patterns of relatively high and low productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]