Stolen Churches or Bridges to Orthodoxy?: Volume 2: Ecumenical and Practical Perspectives on the Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Dialogue (Pathways for Ecumenical and Interreligious Dialogue)

"Throughout their shared history, Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches have lived through a very complex and sometimes tense relationship --not only theologically, but also politically. In most cases such relationships remain to this day; indeed, in some cases the tension has increased. In July 2019, scholars of both traditions gathered in Stuttgart, Germany, for an unprecedented conference devoted to exploring and overcoming the division between these churches. This book, the second in a two-volume set of the essays presented at the conference, explores the ecumenical and practical implications of the relationship between Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches. Like the conference, the volume brings together representatives of these Churches, as well as theologians from different geographical contexts where tensions are the greatest. The published essays represent the great achievements of the conference: willingness to engage in dialogue, general openness to new ideas, and opportunities to address difficult questions and heal inherited wounds." --Provided by publisher Preface Contents Notes on Contributors Ecumenical Impulses Church Unions of the Early Modern Period in Relation and Contradiction to the Council of Ferrara/Florence 1 The Council of Ferrara/Florence (1438/1439) 2 The Reception of the Council of Florence in the Face of Historical Ruptures 2.1 The Fall of Constantinople 2.2 The Anti-Protestant Centralism of the Latin Church of the West 2.3 The “Confessionalist” Tendencies in Relations Between the East and the West 3 The Church Unions After the Sixteenth Century: An Insufficient Hermeneutics 4 How to Continue “They Shall Beat Their Swords into Plowshares”: Orthodox-Eastern Catholics Conflicts and the Ecumenical Progress That They Generated 1 Historical Considerations 1.1 Writing a Common History 1.2 Persecution 1.3 Post-Communist Reemergence 1.4 Orthodox-Catholic Dialogue 2 Ecclesiological Considerations 2.1 Papacy and Latinization 2.2 Eastern Identity and Equal Status Giorgio Agamben’s Stasis (Civil War): An Illuminating Paradigm for Ecumenical Studies? 1 Stasis 2 Stasis: Civil War as Political Paradigm 3 Civil War as a War at Home 4 Civil War as a Paradigm for Ecumenical Engagement 5 Stasis and Orthodox–Eastern Catholic Engagement 6 The Balamand Statement 7 Conclusion The Church of England as a Bridge Church 1 The Via Media or Bridge Church 2 Yves Congar and the Incoherence of Anglicanism 3 Via Media Anglicanism from the Outside: William H. Van de Pol and Ecumenical Anglicanism 4 Via Media Anglicanism from the Inside: Richard Montagu, Alexander Knox and John Jebb 5 George Tavard and Anglicanism: A Catholicity of the Future 6 Conclusion Kenotic Ecumenism: What Can Eastern Catholics and Orthodox Learn from the Parable of the Grain of Wheat? 1 Kenosis 2 Asymmetry 3 Eschato-centrism 4 Utopia? Eastern Catholic Churches and the Theological Dialogue Between the Latin Church and the Orthodox Church Seen Through the Category of Prophetic Dialogue 1 Sketching Out Some Elements of Prophetic Dialogue 2 Some Ecclesiological Implications for Today 3 Sketching Out the Role of the Eastern Catholic Churches in the Theological Dialogue Between the Latin Church and the Orthodox Church 4 An Answer of an Orthodox Missiologist to the Question “Stolen Churches” or “Bridges to Orthodoxy”? 1 Reconciliation Is the Mission of God and Mission of the Church 2 Intraconfessional Tensions 3 What Is an Answer to the Question: “Stolen Churches” or “Bridges to Orthodoxy”? 4 Practical Peacemaking Steps 5 Eastern Europe and Christian Mission Today 6 Conclusion Practical Impulses How Modern Orthodox Ecclesiology Hinders the Orthodox-Catholic Theological Dialogue on Uniatism: Romantic Approach, Nationalism, and Anti-colonial Narrative 1 Eastern Orthodox Anti-colonial Narrative 2 Uniatism in the Orthodox Decolonization Narrative 3 The Romantic Paradigm in Ecclesiology 4 Romanticism and Nationalism 5 Uniatism in the Perspective of Romantic Ecclesiology 6 Postcolonial Instead of Anti-colonial Ordination of Women: A “Bridge” or a “Brake” for Christian Unity? 1 Roman Catholic Teaching on the Ordination of Women 1.1 The Years Following Vatican II 2 Orthodox Teaching on the Ordination of Women 2.1 Orthodox Theology of Ordination: Tradition 2.2 Orthodox Theology of Ordination: Scripture 2.3 Orthodox Theology of Ordination: Liturgical Symbolism 3 Differing Eucharistic Understandings Between East and West 3.1 Cultural Differences Between East and West 4 Maronites in the Middle 5 A Way Forward for Both East and West: A Theology of “Communion” 6 Zizioulas and Johnson: A Convergence? 7 Conclusion Ecclesiological Differences and Law: Is the Eastern Churches Canon Law a Bridge Between the Western and the Eastern Canonical Tradition? 1 The Century of Codification in the Catholic Church and the Origins of the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches 2 Lex Ecclesiae Fundamentalis (1965–1981) 3 The Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches (1990) 4 The Asymmetry of East and West Historical Canon Law in the Formation of the Western Legal Tradition 5 Conclusion: The Gap Between the Legal Traditions of the Churches Marks the Challenge for the Future The Principle of Synodality: Similarities and Differences Between Eastern Catholic and Orthodox Canon Law 1 The Importance of Canon Law in Inter-Church Relations 1.1 Encouraging the Adoption of a Canon Law Perspective 1.2 Approaching the Issue from the Canon Law Perspective 1.3 Various Approaches to Canon Law 1.4 The Principle of Synodality from a Comparative Perspective 2 Comparing Two Legal Traditions 2.1 The Russian Orthodox Church 2.1.1 The Synods in the Central Organization of the Russian Orthodox Church 2.1.2 Other Synodal Bodies 2.2 The Eastern Catholic Churches 2.2.1 The Synods of the Patriarchal and Archiepiscopal Churches 2.2.2 The Patriarchal Assembly 2.3 Comparison of Laws 2.3.1 The Different Types of Synods 2.3.2 Legislation 2.3.3 Court 2.3.4 Election of the Patriarch and Bishops 3 Concluding Remarks The Canonical Territory Concept and the Eastern Catholic Churches: Challenges on the Ukrainian Example 1 Principal Issues Concerning the Concept of Canonical Territory from the Point of View of Ecclesiology and Canon Law 2 Evaluation of the Concept of Canonical Territory in the Context of Ecclesial History and Praxis 3 The Specific Case of Ukraine as One of the Most Disputed Canonical Territories 4 The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church and Other Eastern Catholic Churches as a Factor That Complicates the Concept of Canonical Territory 5 Conclusion: Could the New Geo-ecclesiological Paradigm Respond Successfully to Challenges Concerning the Concept of the Canonical Territory? Fr. John Long on Ukraine Between the Three Romes 1 The Ecumenical Career of Fr. John Long 2 The 1989 Reflections on the History of the Ruthenian (Greek) Catholic Church An Ecumenical Revolution in Ukraine?: Perspectives for a Regional Greek-Catholic/Orthodox Dialogue 1 Positioning on the Basis of Historical Experience 2 The Theological Foundations for the Ecumenical Commitment of the UGCC 3 Ecumenical Goals 4 The Kyivan Church in a Specific Vision of Unity 5 The Urgent Need for Regional Ecumenical Dialogue Orthodox-Catholic and Greek Catholic Relations After the Ukrainian Crisis 1 Preamble 2 The Balamand Declaration 3 A New Perspective in the Orthodox-Greek Catholic Relations? 4 The Ukrainian Autocephaly an Ecumenical Miracle? 5 Conclusion The Eastern Catholic Churches and the Furtherance of Catholic-Orthodox Unity: Three Possible Paths 1 Introduction 2 The Loyal Opposition 3 Via Media 4 Canary in the Coal Mine 5 Conclusion Index