Some hundred years from inception, the ecumenical movement is stagnating. William C. Ingle-Gillis argues that the problem lies in modern ecumenism's treatment of denominational Churches as provisional entities requiring reunion to be more fully Christ's Body. In a work unique both to ecumenical studies and to trinitarian theology, the author redefines ecclesial life from the premise that God's essence is personhood-in-communion and that the ultimate calling of human persons is to share as fully in the divine life as Christ himself. Concluding that the Churches are, by the Spirit's action, a tangible, dynamic event, wherein God makes visible his on-going reconciliation of the world to himself, Ingle-Gillis argues that the Churches' true life lies in coming-together, rather than being-together. This conclusion places ecumenism at the heart of Church life and witness.
Author(s): William C. Ingle-gillis
Year: 2007
Language: English
Pages: 256
Contents......Page 8
Acknowledgements......Page 10
List of abbreviations......Page 12
PART 1 The provisionalist ecclesiology of modern ecumenism......Page 14
1 Ecumenism and ecclesiology......Page 16
2 Survey of ecumenical provisionalism......Page 44
PART 2 Trinitarian ontology: the ecclesiological cornerstone......Page 68
3 Principles of trinitarian ontology and cosmology......Page 70
4 The Spirit in the economy of being and salvation......Page 96
PART 3 Event-ecclesiology and -ecumenism......Page 134
5 Ecclesiological principles......Page 136
6 Event-ecclesiology: a response to provisionalism......Page 174
Bibliography......Page 210
C......Page 228
E......Page 229
I......Page 231
N......Page 232
R......Page 233
U......Page 234
Z......Page 235
