Seminar Notes 64 - ECUMENISM: ANCIENT AND MODERN
Christian: Unity with Diversity (Ephesians 4:3,13)
Counterfeit: Unity with Diversity
In ancient times - Satab fornmed one pagan religion; Tower of Babel and the confusion of languages spread this paganism throughout the world
Rome brought best pagan ideas to their Empire
Hierarchical (not true) church became state religion in 385
Christian grouos separated from Rome through beginning of 20th century
Now striving for unity - Liberals, Eastern Orthodox, Charismatic Catholics unite with Charismatic Protestants Evangelicals through ECT
Madame Blavatsky: All world religions have a common truth [error] that transcends potential differences. Every false religion has a common author (Satan), a common theology (Do) a common humanism (man becoming God) and a common destiny
Archbishop of Canterbury Carey said he would make CofE more biblical - by stronger ties with Rome and more women priests
His latest statement "While the vision of one, great Church may be unachievable, a different type of unity is possible among the world's Christians. I abandoned a long time ago a theology of unity that assumes it means uniformity and sameness"
Pointing out that New Testament scholars now consider diversity to be key to studying the origins of the faith, Carey talked about what he termed an "ecology of unity," as the word ecology refers to a variety of living organisms living together and contributing to one another's welfare."
All great religious traditions accept expressions of diversity. Ecological unity, the archbishop said, "may encourage us to move in stages toward whatever final form of unity God may have in store for us."
British, Australian, Canadian, American troops in WW2 - different uniforms, same goal.
How about Catholicism? - Trent (unified) vs Vatican II (diversified) - ethnic RCs, charismatic RCs, traditional RCs, same goal, different uniforms
Ancient Ecumenism Demanded Evangelism - the prospect of a united antichristian religion demanded true believers must evangelize. (Anabaptists, when they were commissioned as missionaries, had a 2 year life expectancy.)
Evangelism Fostered Modern Ecumenism - it was a desire to win the world that initially caused evangelicals to try to accept Rcs as Christians
Modern Ecumenism Opposes Evangelism (Colson, etc) - The ECT Statement discouraged "proselytizing" (evangelism)