A Handbook of Churches and Councils

A Handbook of Churches and Councils PDF Author: World Council of Churches
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Christian sects
Languages : en
Pages : 644

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Book Description
It has often been said-and rightly so-that the World Council of Churches (WCC) is first and foremost a fellowship of churches. This book is a vivid illustration of that reality. The descriptions, lists, statistical data, and other information presented in these pages give a striking picture of the extent and diversity of this fellowship. It encompasses a Christian population of some 590 million people, in close to 150 countries in all regions of the world, comprised of over 520,000 local congregations served by some 493,000 pastors and priests, as well as countless elders, teachers, members of parish councils, and others. A Handbook of Churches and Councils is not simply a handbook of the member churches of the WCC. At all levels-global, regional and sub-regional, national, and local-member churches of the WCC interact with other churches which, for various reasons, are not formally part of the Council's membership. By combining in one volume all the conciliar and confessional bodies and their membership, this book demonstrates concretely the reach of the ecumenical movement and also shows how much broader it is than the WCC alone. It serves to remind us that ownership of the movement rests not only with the WCC but with all the partners, and ultimately with God.

A Handbook of Churches and Councils

A Handbook of Churches and Councils PDF Author: World Council of Churches
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Christian sects
Languages : en
Pages : 644

Get Book

Book Description
It has often been said-and rightly so-that the World Council of Churches (WCC) is first and foremost a fellowship of churches. This book is a vivid illustration of that reality. The descriptions, lists, statistical data, and other information presented in these pages give a striking picture of the extent and diversity of this fellowship. It encompasses a Christian population of some 590 million people, in close to 150 countries in all regions of the world, comprised of over 520,000 local congregations served by some 493,000 pastors and priests, as well as countless elders, teachers, members of parish councils, and others. A Handbook of Churches and Councils is not simply a handbook of the member churches of the WCC. At all levels-global, regional and sub-regional, national, and local-member churches of the WCC interact with other churches which, for various reasons, are not formally part of the Council's membership. By combining in one volume all the conciliar and confessional bodies and their membership, this book demonstrates concretely the reach of the ecumenical movement and also shows how much broader it is than the WCC alone. It serves to remind us that ownership of the movement rests not only with the WCC but with all the partners, and ultimately with God.

The Genesis and Formation of the World Council of Churches

The Genesis and Formation of the World Council of Churches PDF Author: Willem Adolph Visser 't Hooft
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 152

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Book Description
The book ends with a chapter on the 1950 statement by the Council's central committee, "The church, the churches and the WCC", which remains a key document on how the WCC understands its own identity and role.

Handbook, Member Churches

Handbook, Member Churches PDF Author: World Council of Churches
Publisher: World Council of Churches
ISBN: 9782825407257
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 281

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Book Description


The Idea of Nicaea in the Early Church Councils, Ad 431-451

The Idea of Nicaea in the Early Church Councils, Ad 431-451 PDF Author: Mark S. Smith
Publisher: Oxford Early Christian Studies
ISBN: 0198835272
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 245

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Book Description
The Idea of Nicaea in the Early Church Councils examines the role that appeals to Nicaea (both the council and its creed) played in the major councils of the mid-fifth century. It argues that the conflict between rival construals of Nicaea, and the struggle convincingly to arbitrate between them, represented a key dynamic driving--and unsettling--the conciliar activity of these decades. Mark S. Smith identifies a set of inherited assumptions concerning the role that Nicaea was expected to play in orthodox discourse--namely, that it possessed unique authority as a conciliar event, and sole sufficiency as a credal statement. The fundamental dilemma was thus how such shibboleths could be persuasively reaffirmed in the context of a dispute over Christological doctrine that the resources of the Nicene Creed were inadequate to address, and how the convening of new oecumenical councils could avoid fatally undermining Nicaea's special status. Smith examines the articulation of these contested ideas of 'Nicaea' at the councils of Ephesus I (431), Constantinople (448), Ephesus II (449), and Chalcedon (451). Particular attention is paid to the role of conciliar acta in providing carefully-shaped written contexts within which the Nicene Creed could be read and interpreted. This study proposes that the capacity of the idea of 'Nicaea' for flexible re-expression was a source of opportunity as well as a cause of strife, allowing continuity with the past to be asserted precisely through adaptation and modification, and opening up significant new paths for the articulation of credal and conciliar authority. The work thus combines a detailed historical analysis of the reception of Nicaea in the proceedings of the fifth-century councils, with an examination of the complex delineation of theological 'orthodoxy' in this period. It also reflects more widely on questions of doctrinal development and ecclesial reception in the early church.

A History of the Councils of the Church

A History of the Councils of the Church PDF Author: Karl Joseph von Hefele
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Councils and synods
Languages : en
Pages : 534

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Book Description


A Manual of Councils of the Holy Catholic Church

A Manual of Councils of the Holy Catholic Church PDF Author: Edward Henry Landon
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Councils and synods
Languages : en
Pages : 436

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Book Description


The Handbook of the Churches

The Handbook of the Churches PDF Author: Benjamin Severance Winchester
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Christian sects
Languages : en
Pages : 456

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Book Description


The Oxford Handbook of Ecumenical Studies

The Oxford Handbook of Ecumenical Studies PDF Author: Geoffrey Wainwright
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0199600848
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 705

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Book Description
This handbook is currently in development, with individual articles publishing online in advance of print publication. At this time, we cannot add information about unpublished articles in this handbook, however the table of contents will continue to grow as additional articles pass through the review process and are added to the site. Please note that the online publication date for this handbook is the date that the first article in the title was published online. For more information, please read the site FAQs.

The Ecumenical Councils of the Catholic Church

The Ecumenical Councils of the Catholic Church PDF Author: Joseph F. Kelly
Publisher: Liturgical Press
ISBN: 0814657036
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 212

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Book Description
There have been twenty-one universal gatherings 'ecumenical councils' of the Catholic Church. The first opened in 325, the last closed in 1965, and the names of many ring out in the history of the church: Nicea, Chalcedon, Trent, Vatican II. Though centuries separate the councils, each occurred when the church faced serious crises, sometimes with doctrinal matters, sometimes with moral or even political matters, and sometimes with discerning the church's relation to the world. The councils determined much of what the Catholic Church is and believes. Additionally, many councils impacted believers in other Christian traditions and even in other faiths. In this accessible, readable, and yet substantial account of the councils Joseph Kelly provides both the historical context for each council as well as an account of its proceedings. Readers will discover how the councils shaped the debate for the following decades and even centuries, and will appreciate the occasional portraits of important conciliar figures from Emperor Constantine to Pope John XXIII.

The Nature and Mission of the Church

The Nature and Mission of the Church PDF Author: World Council of Churches
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 78

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Book Description
What is the church, and what is it for? For all the remarkable advances in understanding and cooperation among the churches, such questions remain at the heart of the ecumenical movement today. And they are central to the work of Faith and Order, as perhaps the most inclusive and diverse church-based theological forum in the world. Building on the churches' and other reactions to earlier ecumenical work -- this Faith and Order study document is a substantial, new text offered for discussion and response. Reflecting what the churches can say together about the nature of the church; identifying honestly the issues which still divide the churches; offering a framework for the churches in their common confession, life and witness -- this book will be an important resource for all who care about the nature and mission of the church today.