The Missionary Origins of Modern Ecumenism

The Missionary Origins of Modern Ecumenism: Milestones Leading up to 1920; An address prepared for the Academic Conference The Mission of the Orthodox Church and The World Council of Churches, Sponsored by the Pan-Hellenic Union of Theologians, Athens, May 15, 2005

Publication Data: Thessalonica, Greece: Uncut Mountain Press, 2007
Format: softcover
Number of Pages: 46
Dimensions (l × w × h): 20.8 cm × 14.0 cm × 0.3 cm
Additional Information: black-and-white illustrations
ISBN: 978‒960‒86778‒7‒6

   
Fr. Peter Alban Heers

“The impact of the contemporary ecumenical movement on the life of the Church in the 20th century has been immense. Orthodox involvement has steadily increased over the years and is now generally accepted as a given by many. Still, many questions remain unanswered or unasked. How did the modern ecumenical movement begin? What were the causes, motivations, and reasons for its development? Why and how did the Orthodox first become involved? Did the movement for Christian unity begin with the 1920 Encyclical 'Unto the Churches of Christ Everywhere' and arise out of a search for 'unity in truth' and doctrinal agreement, as if often maintained? In this lecture, I have attempted to give answers to these questions, basing my analysis on authoritative sources of ecumenical history, so that we might be brought face-to-face with the historical record.”
—“Preface”

CONTENTS

Preface
INTRODUCTION
The Historical Record and the Ecclesiological Framework of Ecumenism
MILESTONE ONE
The Protestant Missionary Movement of the 19th Century
MILESTONE TWO
The Evangelical Ecclesiology: The Invisible Church
MILESTONE THREE
The Y.M.C.A. and the Student Christian Movements: The Inspiration of the Ecumenical Generation
MILESTONE FOUR
Edinburgh 1910: The Cradle of Modern Ecumenism
MILESTONE FIVE
Widening the Notion of the Church: The 1920 Encyclical and Early Orthodox Participation
Conclusion