Theme 4 DEF

1. Theme 4 DEF Religious practices that shape religious identity

2. D: Religious identity through unification Father Ted

3. Throughout this course we have looked at differing Christian beliefs and practices, highlighting the divisions and conflicts within the religion. Many Christians want Christianity to be known more for what is shared than what is different. The Ecumenical Movement is a movement for unity. Ecumenical comes from the Greek word 'oikumene' meaning the entire inhabited world. Prayer of Jesus (John 17:20-22) "I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may these also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me." Similarly, Apostle Paul urged Christians to be united in 1 Corinthians 1:10: "I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought." The core message of all these passages is that all Christians are called to fellowship with God and therefore can and should live in fellowship with each other. 

4. Edinburgh Missionary Conference 1910 The conference decided unanimously to create a committee that would coordinate missionary activity.  This was a breakthrough for ecumenism since there was acceptance of other branches of the Church and a willingness to work together. However, it was solely an evangelical Protestant gathering – neither the RC Church or Orthodox Churches were invited.  The first use of the term 'ecumenical' in Christian discussions was in 381CE when the Council of Constantinople applied it to the Council of Nicea in 325CE. The Nicene Creed is known as an 'ecumenical creed' as the entire Christian world at the time gave assent. In 1910 over 1200 missionaries from about 160 missionary boards gathered in Edinburgh for 10 days to consider reports on different aspects of missionary work. The goal that brought them together was to create a self-governing, self-supporting Church in 'each non-Christian nation' which reflected an undivided Church of Christ. However, the divisions and arguments of Churches in the West were manifesting in the new Churches in Africa and Asia – so the conference adopted the slogan 'Doctrine Divides but Service Unites'.

5. The World Council of Churches So what happened after the conference? There were several developments after the Edinburgh conference that furthered ecumenism: • 1920: Orthodox Patriarch of Constantinople proposed a 'league' of Churches (inspired by the League of Nations) which resulted in the International Missionary Conference in 1921. • 1925: Life and Work Movement met and focused on the responsibility of Christians in the social and economic problems in the aftermath of WWI. • 1927: Faith and Order Movement met to consider doctrinal divisions between Churches.  • 1937: LaWM and FaOM met to propose a merge into a 'World Council of Churches' - this was delayed by the outbreak of WWII. The first WCC was held in Amsterdam in 1948. There were 351 delegates representing 147 different Churches. The WCC defined itself as 'a fellowship of Churches which accept our Lord Jesus Christ as God and Saviour'.  Like the UN, the WCC was born after a period of war and bodies send representatives to general assemblies. Also, like the UN, not all Churches are members and some are observers.  This video explains some of the work of the WCC.

6. 1. Explain the origins of the Ecumenical Movement. Inc. The WCC The World Council of Churches was formed in 1948. It arose from three earlier movements that originated out of the World Missionary Conference held in Edinburgh in 1910. These movements were “Faith and Order”, “Life and work” and “the International Missionary Council”. The Roman Catholic Church remained non-members but observers.

7. In 1950, the WCC set out the Toronto Statement which made some assertions about what the WCC is and isn't. 1. The World Council of Churches is not and must never become a superchurch. 2. The purpose of the World Council of Churches is not to negotiate unions between churches. 3.The World Council cannot and should not be based on any one particular conception of the Church. It does not prejudge the ecclesiological problem. 4. Membership in the World Council of Churches does not imply that a church treats its own conception of the Church as merely relative. 5. Membership in the World Council does not imply the acceptance of a specific doctrine concerning the nature of Church unity. The member churches of the Council believe that conversation, cooperation and common witness of the churches must be based on the common recognition that Christ is the Divine Head of the Body...The member churches enter into a spiritual relationship through which they seek to learn from each other and to give help to each other in order that the body of Christ may be built up and that the life of the churches may be renewed. 

8. The WCC revised its definition to include a reference to Christian scripture and to the Trinity  The International Missionary Council, which had been associated with the WCC since 1948, became fully integrated The WCC holds a General Assembly about every 7 years (a central committee meets between these and programmes run continuously). In 1961, a particularly significant assembly was held: The first RCs attended as official observers The Russian OC and other Eastern OC became members The unity of the Church includes: • A common confession of the apostolic faith • A common sacramental life • Mutual recognition of all members • A common mission in spreading the Gospel • Participation of all churches locally and globally in agreed structures • Common service to the world The first Pentecostal Christian Church bodies from Latin America joined the WCC

9. Reactions of the Catholic Church In the 1920s the Catholic Church did not react positively to the Ecumenical Movement. In 1928, Pope Pius XI published a letter in which he declared that the only way to realise Christ's wish for Church unity was for all Christians to return to the Church of Rome.  The 'Apostolic See has never allowed its subjects to take part in the assembles of non-Catholics...' Pope Pius feared that agreements between churches would lead to watered down doctrine and to irreligion. The RCC refused to join the WCC in 1948 and forbade its members from attending as observers.  Your Task Split your page into 3 with the following headings: • Unity, Mission and Ecumenical Relations • Public Witness and Diakonia • Ecumenical Formation Use the information and make notes on the three programme areas of the WCC.  Pope John XXIII was elected in 1958 and brought a new approach to ecumenism. In 1960 he met with the Archbishop of Canterbury (this was the first time the AoC had visited the Vatican in 600 years).  In the same year the Pope appointed a 'Secretariat for Promoting Christian Unity' to develop an ecumenical spirit in the RCC and encourage collaborations with other churches. He also approved Catholic observers for the WCC assembly in Delhi in 1961 and allowed non-Catholic observers at Vatican II. 

10. The new approach to ecumenism is found in UnitatisRedintegratio (restoration of unity), a Vatican II document.  Your Task Read the excerpt from Unitatis Redintegratio. Highlight any key passages and write a brief summary of what the document says about ecumenism.  It describes Christians outside the RCC as 'separated brethren' rather than 'heretics' It accepts that both sides share a responsibility for divisions in the Church It demonstrates an appreciation for the contributions non-Catholics make to the spirituality and practice of Christianity It moves away from the simple identification of the one true Church with the current form of the RCC This document is the RCC recognising that there are Christian activities outside itself – but maintaining that the Church of Christ is in the RCC in an incomparable way to other Churches. "It is only through Christ's Catholic Church...that they can benefit fully from the means of salvation." SUBSISTS: Nobody can quite agree how this word is being used in the document but Pope Benedict XVI said 'the Council of Fathers meant to say that the being of the Church...is a broader entity than the RCC, but within [the RCC] it acquires...the character of a true and proper subject.'

11. Your Task Read through the sources of tension within the Ecumenical Movement and Anglican-Roman Catholic tensions. For each source, explain why this might lead to tensions between churches.  The RCC became full members of the Faith and Order commission of the WCC in 1968 – but did not become full members of the WCC itself. In 1965, Pope John Paul VI and the Patriarch of Constantinople Athenagoras issued a joint statement retracting the excommunications of 1054. The Pope gave Archbishop of Canterbury, Michael Ramsey, an episcopal ring in 1966 and in 1967 they established the Anglican-Roman-Catholic International Committee (ARCIC) dedicated to ecumenical progress between the two churches. Your Task Go through the AO2 issues on pages 141-144. Highlight the information under the following headings: • Work of WCC is a success • Work of WCC is a failure • It doesn't matter whether it is a success or failure • The non-membership of the RCC does affect the aims of the WCC • The non-membership of the RCC does not affect the aims of the WCC

12. ‘The World Council of Churches can never achieve its aims until the Roman Catholic Church becomes a member.’ Evaluate this view.The Roman Catholic Church is the largest Christian denomination. However, it is not a member of the World Council of Churches. If the aim of the World Council of Churches is to achieve Christian unity, then it is difficult to see how it can do so. How can Christian unity be achieved when the largest denomination is not involved? It could be argued that a majority of denominations are part of the World Council of Churches so a large measure of unity is possible to achieve. Indeed, many Christian denominations share views on major doctrines and the Council has successfully initiated conversations between a wide range of Christian denominations. E.G. However, other evidence suggests that the diversity has widened. Itseems that even those present members of the World Council of Churches can’t even achieve unity. The Centre for the Study of Global Christianity estimates that Christian denominations have increased in the last 100 years from 1600 to 43000. Even those who are members do not exhibit Christian unity. The World Council of Churches has failed to develop a common ecumenical theology and ecclesiology. Real unitive progress is impossible unless these issues can be resolved. In many ways the Christian Church seems often marginalised in society.Mission has also been an area of disunity, with the emphasis moving between the horizontal (reconciliation between humanity) and the vertical (reconciliation with God). The evangelicals particularly arguing that the vertical was being ignored in statements about mission. However, there has been some success in striking a balance between preaching the Gospel and social responsibility.The Roman Catholic Church is not the only non-member denomination. There are a number of evangelical churches who remain outside of the world Council of Churches. But the Council has achieved success in presenting a coherent Christian message on global issues such as poverty and free trade

13. E: Religious identity through religious experience

14. 1 Corinthians 12-14 contains the most extensive discussion of the spiritual gifts. In these chapters, Paul is concerned that the Church becomes aware of the true purpose of spiritual gifts: to strengthen the body of Christ.  Paul uses the picture of the body when he writes about spiritual gifts. Christians are members of the body; Jesus is the head. Just as parts of the human body have different functions, so Christians experience a variety of spiritual gifts. These are given by the Holy Spirit to strengthen the body of Christ in its worship, witness and service. Paul discouraged 'chaotic' practice of the gifts (where multiple/simultaneous displays of tongues would cause a confusing babble of noise). Instead, he preferred that if you were speaking in tongues, this was kept for private worship unless the experience was interpreted in an orderly fashion – so everyone could understand what was being communicated. Worship in a Charismatic church might include: • Worship bands • Speaking in tongues • Laying on of hands during the Eucharist • Prayer meetings focused on the 'power of the Spirit' Is this what we typically expect of Christian worship? Charismatic (Greek: charismata meaning 'gifts of grace') is the word the Apostle Paul uses to refer to special qualities that Christians receive through the HS. There are several passages in the NT that list these spiritual gifts, but they don't present a standardised version. Instead, they focus on the many ways that Christians can express God's grace.

15. Your Task Read through 1 Corinthians 12-14 and answer these questions: • What were the problems Paul was trying to address at this church? • What were the solutions he proposed? • What do you think are the appealing qualities of the church he described? • What are the unappealing qualities?

16. What is Pentecostalism? Pentecostalism is a form of Christianity that emphasises the work of the Holy Spirit and the direct experience of the presence of God by the believer. Pentecostals believe that faith must be powerfully experiential, and not something found merely through ritual or thinking. Pentecostalism is energetic and dynamic. Its members believe they are driven by the power of God moving within them. Pentecostalism is not a church in itself, but a movement that includes many different churches. It is also a movement of renewal or revival within other denominations. It's not always easy to see if a church is Pentecostal because many Pentecostal denominations don't include the word 'Pentecostal' in their name. In the West, Pentecostalism is strong in African-American churches and the American and Australian 'mega-churches' such as Hillsong Church. One of the world's largest churches - the Yoido Full Gospel Church in Seoul, South Korea, where up to 250,000 people attend each Sunday - is a Pentecostal church. Many scholars trace the beginnings of Pentecostalism to a temporary Bible school set up by Charles Fox Parham in Topeka, Kansas. Parham believed that the HS was going to descend in a special way on the church. He asked his students to read the book of Acts and pray to receive the Spirit. One of his students, Agnes Ozman, reported to speak in tongues on 1st January 1901 – many other students soon followed.

17. The Charismatic Movement is appealing to some Christians because it offers a different experiences of God than a simply intellectual relationship. Charismatic believers claim to have direct 'experience' of God's presence; the fact that so many people become believers after observing and experiencing the gifts of the Spirit seems to confirm this belief. • Development of the Charismatic Movement Post 1960 • Experiences of the Spirit in Churches outside the Pentecostal Movement • https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=charismatic+worship+youtube&view=detail&mid=E0DE45B59CF41652360DE0DE45B59CF41652360D&FORM=VIRE The beginning of the charismatic movement 1960 – Dennis Bennet, a priest in LA, had a charismatic religious experience. He resigned from the diocese after his style of worship (tongues) was criticised. He went to the Diocese of Boston and revitalised a dying parish. He wrote a book called ‘Nine O’Clock in the Morning. Daniel du Plessis – nickname Mr Pentecost, met the Pope and was a member of the WCC Cross and the Switchblade – David Wilkerson Church of England set up the Fountain Trust The charismatic movement in the Roman Catholic Church Vatican II started with a prayer for renewal ‘Divine Spirit, renew you wonders in this age, as in a new Pentecost.’ 1967 – Uni in Pittsburgh – encouraged students to read the Cross and the Switchblade, they met and spoke in tongues and it was recognised by the Church. 1975 – Pope Paul VI welcomed 10, 00 charismatic Christians to a conference. 1980 - Pope John Paul II appointed charismatic priest to Papal household – still there. https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=Catholic+Charismatic+Renewal+YouTube&&view=detail&mid=9467E1F02B4DA7A943829467E1F02B4DA7A94382&&FORM=VRDGAR 1993 – Vatican recognised International Charismatic Renewal. Between 10-15% of Catholics worldwide involved in charismatic movement, about 150 million people Other expressions of the charismatic movement House Church movement Some, like Restorationism, reject denominations and have an eschatological focus Toronto Blessing

18. Page 20 Complete the table on the ways in which Charismatic Christians believe Christians outside their movement can experience the HS. • Speaking in tongues – Xenolalia and Heavenly Language • Prophecy – words of God • Healing – through Spirit of God • Inspiration in worship – freedom of movement in worship • styles of worship Churches have a set of criteria to judge the veracity of experiences. These vary between denominations but usually include the following: • Do the messages of the experience conform to the teaching of the Bible? • Does the experience produce spiritual fruits (like love, joy and peace)? • Is the message supportive of the direction set by church leaders? • Do the experiences affirm that Jesus is Lord, to be esteemed as God and followed? Page 21 Complete the table on the three philosophical challenges to charismatic experiences and the justification for them.  Use your knowledge from Philosophy 3 and 4

19. Your Task Go through the AO2 issues on pages 158-162. Highlight the information under the following headings: • Strengths of the Charismatic Movement • Weaknesses of the Charismatic Movement • Charismatic worship experiences are from God and have value • Charismatic worship experiences are natural and don't have value • Charismatic worship experiences are both • Write up two AO2 plans

20. F: Religious identity through responses to poverty and injustice

21. What is liberation theology? Liberation theology is a movement developed by RC thinkers in Latin America in the 1960s. It calls all Christians to see that their salvation includes fighting for social justice.  LT views freedom from social oppression as a key area of Christian concern.  Gustavo Gutiérrez is a Peruvian priest and theologian who wrote the highly influential book, 'Teologia de la Libercíon' (A Theology of Liberation) in 1971. Gutiérrez contrasts LT with modern European theology. 

22. Gutiérrez says that LT is about abolishing the status quo that has led to suffering and replacing it with a different set of relationships which include relationships to production and the economy.  Therefore, LT has a political edge which has been the target of criticism by some Christians (including the RCC), as well as governments opposed to socialism and communism.  LTs say that their theology stems from the brutal situation facing people in Latin America. LA has been exploited economically for 5 centuries at the hands of colonial powers (Spain, Portugal, Britain). During this time, the Church was associated with the ruling classes.  In the 1950s there was hope that economic development would come to LA, as countries became less reliant on imports and started producing their own goods for national use.  However, capitalism demanded that goods and labour be cheap – so there was no development of a middle class in LA, and continued impoverishment for most.  Economic aid packages (often provided by capitalist states like the US) were seen by LTs to maintain the status quo and keep the workers in poverty and passivity. You can see the amount of ODA received by each country in 2013 here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_Official_Development_Assistance_received Motivations of Capitalism Case study: Guatemala 1954

23. The failure to overcome the status quo of economic inequality played into the socialist and communist movements of Fidel Castro, Che Guevara and others. In the 1970s some priests took part in the Sandinista revolution in Nicaragua (a civil war that broke out after a political dynasty heavily reliant on the US and multi-national corporations were ousted). This also influenced rebellions in Mexico and Columbia.  LTs like Gutiérrez have not promoted violence but have been sympathetic to socialist and communist movements – especially as capitalist development models are seen to only help the rich. Many bishops in LA have been open to LT – especially in Brazil. In 1968, LA bishops met in Medellín and issued a statement which urged action by the Church on behalf of the poor. 

24. ORTHODOXY: Start with the Bible or intellectual thought and seek to determine the truth ('right teaching') and apply that to life. ORTHOPRAXY: The practice of faith applied to life. Gutiérrez says that orthopraxis must come before orthodoxy.  LTs believe that Christology has emphasised Jesus as having a passive attitude to human suffering (impotence of suffering and dying Christ, helpless baby Jesus and king Jesus who is outside the world). These images have been used by governments to support their policies. However, LTs believe that Jesus presented the Kingdom of God as an inclusive society committed to justice.  Gutiérrez says that from the 12th century theology considered itself to be a science that presented faith in clear, rational categories. Becoming more religious meant devoting yourself to more study or withdrawing to a monastery – starting with thought and reflection. However, Gutiérrez says we must remember that for centuries the Church did nothing to help the world – it was involved in creating 'Christendom'. What we need now is to see churches as the place that theology happens – in pastoral situations that the Church encounters human suffering.  There are 3 aspects of Jesus' life that stand out: • His complex relationship with the zealots, a nationalistic Jewish group committed to violent revolt against the Romans. • Critical attitudes towards the religious leaders, especially when they burdened people with excessive demands. • Jesus' death at the hands of political authority.

25. The main concern of LT is the suffering caused by poverty and economic exploitation. This is also an area of concern for the RCC. Pope John XXIII declared that the Church is to be called the Church of the poor. This is documented in Vatican II which urges the Church to walk in poverty, following Jesus' example. Gutiérrez's three types of poverty: • Material poverty: Consistently condemned in the Bible as being outside God's plan. Poverty contradicts the teaching that all humans are created in the likeness of God. Also transgresses the Mosaic religion which sees God 'guiding' his people to a prosperous new land. • Spiritual poverty: Inner attitude of being ready and available to do God's will. Sometimes the Church has confused material poverty with spiritual – poor people are thought to be more spiritual than others. This serves the interests of the rich minority. The true interpretation is that as Jesus' task was liberation, the poor were happy as their poverty was about to end. • Voluntary poverty: The Church choosing to be poor to identify with the poor. This is relevant to kenosis – Christ chose to become 'poor' to relate God's love. Gutiérrez notes that in Acts, when the Church volunteers its goods to everyone's welfare, everyone actually had enough. LTs note that there are political explanations for poverty which exist to maintain the capitalistic exploitation of the poor: • People are poor because of vice (they are too lazy/ignorant/wicked). The solution is to offer economic aid but they can't be trusted with it. • Poverty is the result of social/economic backwardness. Reforms (towards capitalism) will help.

26. Your Task Use the information on pages 169-170 to make notes on base ecclesial communities and the ideas of Leonardo Boff.  LTs view poverty as the logical outcome of cheap labour and goods, as part of the capitalistic enterprise. Only a dramatic change in the system can lead to a better life for the poor.  PREFERENTIAL OPTION FOR THE POOR: A phrase used by LTs in the 1970s which was embraced by Catholic bishops in LA then by the Vatican (Pope JPII and Benedict XVI). Now an integral part of Catholic social teaching. Vatican did not accept the political and economic analysis of Gutiérrez and other LTS, but has embraced the idea that the poor must be prioritised. 

27. Boff says the solution to these problems is found by reflecting on the doctrine of the Trinity. The Trinity has 3 distinct Persons which are in perfect communion with one another. THE FATHER: Ultimate mystery THE SON: Communicates truth of mystery THE HS: Shares the mystery with the world They live in perfect fellowship (koinonia) where they share the life of the others but retain uniqueness. Similarly, humans are also mysteries created in God's likeness. Therefore we should have koinonia which is marked by uniqueness and sharing.  When the Church became part of Constantine's political establishment, it became ecclesio-centric. To be 'for or against' Christ was now seen as being 'for or against' the Church. This created a process where Church life focused on hierarchy, dogmas, rites and clericalism.  Christ was transformed from a suffering servant to an Emperor. The Pope became thought of as God on earth and the Church stopped seeking real solutions for human liberation.  But this is not the case: the institutional Church denies participation and equality to a majority of women and men who remain permanently marginalised. Boff says the Church is organised along a monotheistic line: "a single church body, a single head (the Pope), a single Christ, a single God...the concentration of all power in one person, the sole representative of the sole God." SOLUTION? Abandon paternalistic attitude and submit to the service of all people, fulfilling the model of the Trinity. 

28. Your Task Read through the information on p171 and make notes on Gutiérrez brief mentions of Marxism.  Key Marxist ideas • Exploitation – higher classes exploit lower classes • False consciousness – people get used to their position of poverty in society • History as “dialectial” – a social structure is challenged then changes. LT sees the influence of Marx but does not accept all of Marx’s ideas uncritically. “liberation theology used Marxism purely as an instrument.  It does not venerate it as it venerates the gospel. ” BOFF

29. Your Task Use the four sectioned worksheet to make notes on Boff's views on Pope Paul VIs distinction between four expressions of Marxism (p171). Use pages 172-173 to complete the worksheet on RCC responses to South American LT. Your Task Go through the AO2 issues on pages 175-179. Highlight the information under the following headings: • Political and ethical foundations of LT are more important than other religious foundations • Political and ethical foundations of LT are not more important than other religious foundations. • LT does offer a cultural challenge to the RCC • LT does not offer a cultural challenge to the RCC