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History of Christianity: Ecumenical Movements

This is a guide to information resources helpful for research on the history of the Christian Church from Apostolic times to the Reformation, and beyond.

Ecumenical Movements

Despite years -- centuries! -- of mutual wall-building, Christian denominations have begun to communicate about their shared beliefs and missions, and not just their differences.  Here are some resources for examining some of the more prominent ecumenical dialogues.  NOTE: This page is under slow construction; check back for updates.

GENERAL CATHOLIC

USCCB (SEIA) Official Dialogues

Papal Encyclical (JP II): Ut Unum Sint

Vatican II Document: Nostra Aetate

 

SPECIFIC

Greek Orthodox - Roman Catholic

Dialogue with the Orthodox Churches of Byzantine Tradition

Huffington Ecumenical Institute (Loyola Marymount Univ.)

The Ravenna Document (13 Oct. 2007 document from the Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church on Ecclesial Communion, Conciliarity and Authority ) 

Anglican - Roman Catholic*

Anglican-Roman Catholic Dialogue:Online resource centre for Anglican-Roman Catholic relations

Site of the International Anglican-Roman Catholic Commission for Unity and Mission (IARCCUM)

 

Lutheran - Roman Catholic

Lutheran - Roman Catholic Dialogue (Lutheran World Federation)

Lutheran - Roman Catholic Dialogue (Strasbourg Institute)

Lutheran - Catholic Commission on Unity (Pro Unione)

Orthodox - Evangelical

What Can Orthodox and Evangelicals Learn From One Another

A lecture (text and media) by the late noted theologian, Metropolitan Kallistos of Diocleia (Timothy Ware) given in February, 2011

 

Ukrainian Orthodox - Ukrainian Catholic

Historic Ukrainian Hierarchy Encounter, 2011

Holodomor Commemoration at LMU (LibGuide)

 

Evangelical - Roman Catholic

Henry Blocher at the European Leadership Forum

Cooperation between Catholics and conservative Protestants

Common Ground: What Catholics and Protestants can learn from each other (DVD)

 

Islamic-Catholic Dialogue

USCCB Interreligious Affairs

 

Jewish-Christian/Jewish-Catholic Dialogue**

Los Angeles: Priest-Rabbi Council and later Jewish-Catholic Dialogue

A Journey of Discovery: a Resource manual for Jewish-Catholic Dialogue

Philadelphia: Jewish-Christian Relations Institute

Boston: Center for Jewish-Christian Learning (Boston College)

South Orange NJ: Jewish-Christian Studies Program (Seton Hall U.)

Open Access Journal: Studies in Jewish-Christian Relations  (Council of Centers on Jewish-Christian Relations)  2005-present

 

*Note: The late LMU Professor of Theology, Herb Ryan, SJ, worked with John Courtney Murray during Vatican II, and played an important part in establishing a Catholic-Anglican dialogue.

**Note: The late Rabbi and Professor Michael A. Signer was an important pioneering figure in Jewish-Catholic dialogue.  LMU was able to obtain a good part of his book collection, now in the Hannon Library.  See the Michael A. Signer Collection at LMU LibGuide for an overview of this extraordinary man, and the collection.

Going for Baroque II

 

 

Church of Sant'Ignazio, interior

Rome

Historical note:  This Jesuit church (begun 1620s by bequest of Gregory XV, the first Jesuit-educated pope) is famous for its amazing ceiling frescoes, and for the fact that the cupola one sees from near the altar is -- an illusion!  Out of money, and with a large dedicatory ceremony pending, the Jesuit art instructor and his students painted a realistic looking and perspective-correct cupola interior on a large canvas.  Where the cupola would be, on the roof, is the Jesuit astronomical observatory.

 

 

photos: T. Amodeo 2010

NOTE: East-West Symposium

The Huffington Ecumenical Institute sponsored this one of many engaging two-day Symposia:

Women and Church, East and West:
a Catholic-Orthodox Conversation

The program included stellar guest speakers and LMU faculty, as well as both Orthodox and Catholic LMU students in dialogue, covering a wide area of concerns.

The five sessions, as well as videos from earlier and later annuall HEI symposia and talks, are now available as downloadable videos from the HEI Web site.