EcumenicalPublications

Ecumenical Publications

News briefs | New resources | Handbooks of churches and councils | Presbyterian documents and news

| Ecumenical organizations | Other publications |

The legacy of John Calvin highlighted in new book published by WARC

The legacy of John Calvin: Some actions for the Church in the 21st century, edited by Setri Nyomi and published by the World Alliance of Reformed Churches and the John Knox International Reformed Center. Seeks to celebrate the 500th anniversary of Calvin's birth by outlining areas for a new commitment to being "God's agents of transformation." ISBN #978-2-9700619-0-8, can be ordered from PC(USA), 100 Witherspoon St., Room 4421A, Louisville KY 40202, Att. Deborah Harrison, $12.00 enclosed.

News briefs

Ecumenical News: short synopses of ENI news articles with worldwide coverage

Worldwide Faith News: church news and news archives, largely from the U.S.

New resources

Being the Church in the Midst of Empire: Trinitarian Reflections, edited by Karen Bloomquist, director of the Lutheran World Federation department of theology and studies. The first in the LWF/DTS Theology in the Life of the Church series, this book examines a theme that is also central to the work of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches. Order from Lutheran University Press, P. O. Box 390759 Minneapolis, MN 55439.

Handbooks of churches and councils

The 2008 Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches, edited by Eileen Lindner, the most reliable source for statistics and information, includes a subscription for online access and updated material. This year's theme is When Did We See Thee Sick? Congregations Respond.

A Handbook of Churches and Councils: Profiles of Ecumenical Relationships brings together in one volume information on conciliar and confessional bodies and their members. “This book demonstrates concretely the reach of the ecumenical movement and also shows how much broader it is than the WCC alone.” ISBN 2-8254-1480-8.

Web sites for member churches of the National Council of Churches / Church World Service can be located through the CWS web site listing.

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Presbyterian documents and news

Ecu-Dialogue, now archived online, a previously published newsletter from the General Assembly Council-related office with responsibilities for ecumenical formation and interfaith relations. Archived issues include:

Fall 2006: Robina Winbush on Called to Be One Church (a WCC document)
Spring 2006: Jay Rock on PC(USA) standards for interfaith relations
Fall 2005: Freda Gardner on the CUIC ministry task force
Fall 2004: Nena do Nascimento on being a steward at the WARC general council meeting
Summer 2004: Sara Lisherness on the WCC Decade to Overcome Violence in the U.S.

OGA Ecumenical News, from the PC(USA) Office of the General Assembly, collections of news items related to contemporary ecumenical issues relevant to the PC(USA):

General Assembly activity

Research business of the 216th General Assembly (2004)
Read actions of the 217th General Assembly (2006) and proposals coming to the 218th G.A.
Learn about the Committee on Ecumenical Relations, a permanent committee of the General Assembly

Forms, procedures, and policies

Media resources

One Lord, One Faith . . . Many Churches: The Search for Christian Unity, intended to be viewed for for adult study in segments, accompanied by study guide, PDS #041076

Relationships, Reflections

A Reformed Perspective on the Ecumenical Movement by Jane Dempsey Douglass, an address given while she was still the WARC president
Being Reformed, Theology and Worship Occasional Paper #9, by Milan Opocensky, PDS #70-420-97-200
Calvin, Ecumenism and Justice, Theology and Worship Occasional Paper #19, by Jane Dempsey Douglass and Margit Ernst-Habib, PDS # #7042006007
Indiscriminate Baptism and Baptismal Integrity by Ronald Byars
One Holy Catholic Apostolic Church. No Commas. Period. by Jerry Andrews, posted online by the Presbyterian Coalition.
Pia Conspiratio: Calvin's Commitment to the Unity of Christ's Church, reproduced as Theology and Worship Occasional Paper #20, by Lukas Vischer, PDS # 2116207001
¿Que Significa ser Ecumenico? brochure in Spanish, available from Office of the General Assembly
Renewing the Ecumenical Vision, Theology and Worship Occasional Paper #7, by Lewis Mudge, PDS #70-420-95-200
The Unity We Seek by George Lindbeck, on types of ecumenism
What’s Happening to the Ecumenical Movement? by Eileen Lindner. A short curriculum item from The Thoughtful Christian to download online

Catholic-Presbyterian/Reformed relations

Catholic and Reformed, Theology and Worship Occasional Paper #8 on Roman Catholic and Reformed Christians, by John A. Radano, PDS #70-420-96-200
Deus Caritas Est, Pope Benedict XVI’s encyclical letter on Christian love
Dominus Iesus, a Vatican declaration from the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith on the salvific universality of Jesus Christ and the Church
Faith and Order (U.S.A.) response to “Petrine Ministry”
Family and Procreation document released by Vatican
Journey in Faith: Forty Years of Reformed-Catholic Dialogue: 1965-2005
Presbyterian and Roman Catholic Dialogue by James Moorhead and Frederick Heuser
Pope Benedict XVI makes restoration of full unity among Christians a priority, news article
Interchurch Families and Christian Unity. Rome 2003 statement of the Association of Interchurch
Families (not exclusively Catholic-Reformed)
Together newsletter for Catholic-other interchurch marriages
Interchurch Families: Resources for Ecumenical Hope edited by John Bush and Patrick Cooney, a resource growing out of Reformed-Roman Catholic dialogue, available from Office of the General Assembly
Joint Statement, PC(USA) delegates and Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity
Kirkpatrick to the His Holiness, John Paul II on behalf of the delegation from the PC(USA), 2002
Petrine Ministry and the Unity of the Church: Toward a Patient and Fraternal Dialogue edited by James F. Puglisi, with a chapter from the Reformed viewpoint written by Lukas Vischer
Sacramentum Caritatis, On the Eucharist, an apostolic exhortation by Pope Benedict XVI
The Ecumenical Patriarch comments on the decision of Pope Benedict XVI to remove “Patriarch of the West” from his titles (click here to go to June 30, 2006 Ecumenical News, then go to page 7 of the PDF file)
The Successor to Peter, a paper from the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) for dialogue with Roman Catholics in Louisville, December 2000
Unitatis Redintegratio, the Vatican II decree on ecumenism
Ut unum sint, the encyclical of Pope John Paul II on ecumenical commitment

Intra-Presbyterian relations in U.S.

Streams of Faith, video on PC(USA) relationships with Cumberland Presbyterians, available from Office of the General Assembly

Lutheran-Reformed relations

A Common Calling: the Witness of Our Reformation Churches in North America Today, report of the Lutheran-Reformed Committee for Theological Conversations, PDS #243-93-033
A Common Discovery, study guide for congregations to discover commonalities and differences in Lutheran and Reformed understandings of baptism, Eucharist, and ministry, PDS #243-93-034

Building Bridges in the Body of Christ, downloadable flyers from the ELCA with brief descriptions of its full communion and interim eucharistic sharing partners, including the PC(USA) and the ELCA itself
Called to Communion and Common Witness, the report of the joint working group between WARC and the Lutheran World Federation, 1999-2001
Celebration of Full Common video available from Office of the General Assembly
Churches of the Reformation: Healing the Break by Aurelia Fule, edited by Lynn Delgado, written during the discussion of Lutheran-Reformed full communion
Ecclesial Identity and Ecumenical Decisions by Joseph Small
Formula of Agreement of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the Reformed Church in America, the United Church of Christ, and the PC(USA)
Lutheran-Reformed Coordinating Committee web page of the ELCA, includes posted minutes of meetings, the charter, the list of participants
See other resources listed by the ELCA on its web pages

Orthodox-Reformed relations

The Catholicity and Mission of the Church, a common statement from the 2005 international theological dialogue between the Orthodox Church and the World Alliance of Reformed Churches.

Pentecostal-Presbyterian relations

Spirit’s Gifts -- God’s Reign, Theology and Worship Occasional Paper #11, by Yohan Hyun and Frank Macchia, on Presbyterian-Pentecostal relations, PDS #70-420-99-008

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Ecumenical organizations

Christian Churches Together in the U.S.A. (CCT)

An Invitation to a Journey, Chicago statement of 2002
Full CCT proposal, January 2003
Announcement of CCT formation, March 2006
e-Newsletter, October 2008
e-Newsletter back issues

Churches Uniting in Christ (CUIC)

Message from the Stated Clerk on CUIC
CUIC update news from the Kentucky Council of Churches web site
CUIC Notes
May 2007

March 2007

December 2006
May 2006, including ministry task force update, and Feb. 2006
Ecu-Dialogue, Fall 2005 (page 3f), article on the CUIC Ministry Task Force by Freda Gardner, task force member
A New Creation in Christ: A Study Guide for Churches Uniting in Christ, PDS #74-290-99- 003
Essential Things by Joseph Small, study of the CUIC proposal and still useful, PDS #OGA-96-003
Activities and Ideas, suggestions for implementing CUIC relationships locally and regionally
Churches Uniting in Christ Brochure
Churches Uniting in Christ: A Resource Booklet for CUIC Congregations, PDS #74-280-02- 007
CUIC video produced by United Methodists, about 10 minutes, e-mail for information and ordering
Power point presentations on What Is CUIC, Member Communions, Next Steps, downloadable
Signs of Hope -- Promise of Change available from the Office of the General Assembly
Talk About Race, a resource for local use

Faith and Order

Electronic journals, to be distributed without cost, only online:

Speaking of Unity, National Council of Churches. See the article by Joseph Small on “Making Sense of the Church,” a good companion piece to the ecclesiology work of the World Council of Churches.
New Horizons in Faith and Order, National Council of Churches and World Council of Churches, a scholar-reviewed journal written by younger theologians. See the article on worship at World Council of Churches assemblies.

Local and regional councils of churches

Ecumenical Accountability: What Are Our Responsibilities to and for Each Other?, Massachusetts Council of Churches, provides guidelines on worship, pastoral concerns (baptisms, marriages, funerals), protocol, evangelism, social witness
Baptismal Practice in an Ecumenical Context, Massachusetts Council of Churches
Constructive Conflict in Ecumenical Contexts, Massachusetts Council of Churches, centered on guidelines for good practice

National Association of Ecumenical and Interreligious Staff (NAEIS)

Professional standards for ecumenical and interreligious staff
A tapestry of justice, service, and unity: Local ecumenism in the United States, 1950-2000, Arleon Kelley, general editor. A few copies remain. Order from NAEIS, P.O. Box 7093, Tacoma, WA 98417. $22.95 including postage and handling.

National Council of Churches and Church World Service

Capsules: Eco-Justice News and Views, November 2006
Church World Service publications -- brochures, newsletters
EcuLink, November 2006 issue; fill in a subscription form to get this sent free by mail
Church World Service news publications (go to page and click)
Ancient Faith and American-Born Churches, a Faith and Order publication
Environmental Racism: An Ecumenical Study Guide
Faith and Order Commission current priorities, studies, and resources
Faith and Order (and related) publications, list at Amazon.com
Faith and Order Commission Handbook, October 2005
Governance documents
NCC introduction, a slide show in Power Point or web-based format
NCC study guides for congregational and small group use on peace, poverty, and economics. For information, scroll down the NCCCUSA home page.
Problems with the Meaning of Full Communion by O.C. Edwards, Jr., on the Faith and Order study of this issue
Reclaiming the Vision, Deepening Our Commitment, Expanding the Table, report of the Ecclesiology Study Task Force
Report, 2006, of Church World Service (click to go to its sections)
Report, 2006, of the NCC General Secretary
Response of Faith and Order to the Catholic paper, a Petrine Ministry: A Working Paper
Resolutions of the 2006 NCC General Assembly
Sixty Years of Help and Hope (click to upload) -- CWS online 8-minute video for local viewing
The Authority of the Church in the World, a Faith and Order convergence document from a wide spectrum of traditions (with introduction by A. Kireopoulos)
Theological Language and Ecumenical Methodology by John T. Ford
Toward the Common Confession of the Apostolic Faith Today bibliography from Faith and Order

World Alliance of Reformed Churches

Reformed Online: Look for Reformed news, information about Reformed churches around the world, study material on Reformed history
Reformed World, March 2004, 24th General Council issue on mission, justice, covenant
Reformed World, September-December 2004, with articles on challenges to mission in the 21st century, confessing the faith in times of empire, renewal of Reformed spirituality
WARC Update
September 2008, including a tribute to Clifton Kirkpatrick, news of a new endowment fund

June 2008, including further responses to the Accra Confession

March 2008, including news of Reformed participation in ecumenical events and of work being done on globalization / empire
December 2007, including news of historic decisions by WARC's executive committee
March 2007, including stories of partnership, local churches need global vision
December 2006, including reflections on empire, global warming, violence
September 2006, including material on Middle East violence, covenanting for justice and living out the Accra Confession
June 2006, including information on the Caribbean and North American Area Council (CANAAC)
March 2006, including stories on a new call for partnership with the Vatican and the ninth Reformed-Orthodox dialogue
Ecu-Dialogue, Fall 2004, articles on the WARC General Council meeting in Accra
Accra Confession of Faith in the Face of Economic Injustice and Ecological Destruction
The Alliance in Dialogue, 1970-2003 by Alan Sell, an article from The Reformed World
“Break the Chains of Injustice” video available from the PC(USA) Office of the General Assembly
Confessing Unity: A Reformed Perspective on Ecumenism by Michael Weinrich, an article from the Reformed World
Covenanting for Justice
Globalization and Trade Study Papers, prepared by the PC(USA) Advisory Committee on Social Witness Policy, can contribute to the PC(USA) commitment to study globalization, which is a current WARC emphasis
Letter from Accra
Living Out the Implications of the Accra Confession
Manila Declaration: An Ecumenical Faith Stance Against Global Empire
Mission Section Plenary Report, 24th General Council
Mission to Argavia resource for a role play on mission and unity (dated to a 2005 event but still contemporary)
Spirituality Section Report, 24th General Council
Pope hails spirit of Christian unity news story, January 2006
WARC lays out its new agenda news story
WARC Worship Book from the 24th General Council, in English PDS #74-280-04-007 and in Spanish PDS #74-280-04-008
World Alliance of Reformed Churches, article in The Ecumenical Dictionary

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World Council of Churches

Called to the One Hope by Samuel Kobia. Reflections on renewal of the ecumenical movement based on the general secretary's travels to various geographic regions. ISBN 2-8254-1489-1.
World Council of Churches 2005 annual review
Documents from the 9th WCC Assembly, February 2006
Brief report on the 9th WCC Assembly
Baptism, Eucharist, and Ministry , available in full online
BEM at 25: Critical Insights into a Continuing Legacy, edited by Thomas F. Best and Tamara Grdzelidze. Traces the influence of Baptism, Eucharist, Ministry and raises questions about participation in the BEM process. ISBN 978-2-8254-1517-7.
Ecu-Dialogue, Summer 2004, article on the Decade to Overcome Violence in the U.S.
The Ecumenical Courier, Winter 2006, from the WCC U.S. office, to download
Ecumenical Letter on Evangelism, new issues and the archive available to download
Ecumenical Formation: Ecumenical Reflections and Suggestions, a document of the Joint Working Group of Roman Catholic Church & World Council of Churches
Ecumenical Review and International Review of Mission subscription and table of content links
In God's Hands , edited by Hugh McCallum and Terry McArthur. A revision of the ecumenical prayer cycle with aids for use in intercessory prayer. ISBN 2-8254-1488-3.
A Handbook of Churches and Councils: Profiles of Ecumenical Relationships description and information
Online periodicals and newsletters sign-up: on ministerial formation; evangelism; the Decade to Overcome Violence; health; interreligious dialogue; justice, peace and creation; education
Receive One Another: Hospitality in Ecumenical Perspective, Diane Kessler, editor. A WCC Risk book that looks at rites of passage -- weddings, funerals, baptism -- across lines of traditions. Order from a bookseller as ISBN 2825414115.
The Nature and Mission of the Church - A Stage on the Way to a Common Statement, WCC Faith and Order document no. 198 , stating common convictions and identifying ecclesiological issues that divide the churches
The role of bilateral dialogues within the one ecumenical movement: the World Council and the Christian World Communions by Alan P.F. Sell, The Ecumenical Review, October 1994
Towards a Common Understanding and Vision of the World Council of Churches

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Other publications

Links to documents on ecumenical dialogues
Growing Consensus: Church Dialogues in the United States, 1962-1991, Joseph Burgess and Jeffrey Gros, eds.
Toward a More Inclusive Ecumenism, by Richard J. Mouw, keynote speaker at the 2006 National Workshop on Christian Unity

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© 2006 Ecumenical & Interfaith Network - PCUSA