HAS THE ecumenical movement gone as far as it can? Or is the present lull merely a rest period before another surge toward Christian unity?
The reason these questions are currently being raised is clear enough: the ecumenical fervor of the 1960's has faded, or at least become commonplace, and there fore, more placid. Shortly after Vatican II there seemed to be an ecumenical euphoria. Paul VI had sent the Protestant observers on their way, having discovered that in them he had come into contact with "Christian treasures of great value." Oscar Cullmann, one of the Protestant observers, commented on the second Vatican Council decree On Ecumenism saying, "This is more than the opening of a new door; new ground has been broken."
But in the postconciliar years, progress in ecumenism has been far from startling. The strides of the immediate past have culminated in neither organic union nor theological-sacramental unity, thus raising questions about future directions and intentions. Partly because of this, partly because of turmoil within individual churches, there seems to be less interest in the subject than there was a few years ago. And yet relations between Christians, both personal and institutional, still hold a fascination. It seems worth while, then, to think about where we are in Ecumenism today and to try to understand why. The where-do-we-go-from-here syndrome is unquestionably relevant.
Two Divergent Streams
Currently, in fact, there are two divergent and widening streams within the ecumenical movement, whether it be Protestant or Roman Catholic. The first starts at the official or hierarchical level. The other emerges from the movements of the laity within a wide assortment of interconfessional spontaneous groups.
Official ecumenism is, of course, in a direct line with the beginnings of the ecumenical movement. It is still working along lines formulated twenty-five years ago. This traditional approach under lines dialog between denominations at an official level. It strives to foster cooperative work in a growing number of areas, but it also seeks to find common ground in theology and church government. Out of such discussions, it is anticipated, will come some denominational mergers and a growing sense of church unity.
In American Protestantism this quest for a united church equates a "meaningful ecumenism" with in the United States with a large united church body sharing a common church government. It would, to a certain degree, be eclectic in doctrine and church organization and be built primarily along national lines. It is a concept that envisions one large Protestant church exerting a positive influence on the national and international scene.
The crowning effort of this approach so far in the United States is COCU a Consultation on Church Union. Begun in 1962 at the urging of Dr. Eugene Carson Blake, until very recently general secretary of the World Council of Churches, the ultimate hope of COCU is to merge nine Protestant and Anglican denominations in the United States into one, with a membership of about 25 million. Its champions hold that such a union could marshal resources to carry on a noncompetitive well-integrated church program. It would be concerned not so much with unity of doctrine as with social action unity, providing the American population with some sense of belonging to an ongoing program of worship and service.
COCU's Experiment
The whole setup almost got a Presbyterian burial when in the spring of 1972 the United Presbyterian General Assembly decided to withdraw from COCU. Many church leaders, both United Presbyterian and others, deplored the action of the assembly, accusing it of turning its back on the ecumenical movement. But the truth is that COCU was in trouble long before the Presbyterians acted. In spite of its achievements many were convinced that COCU had turned out to be a failure and that it was just a matter of time before someone pointed out the inadequacy of its program.
One reason for its downfall is that COCU belongs to what can be called the Faith and Order ecumenical world whereas a growing number of Christians belong to what may be called the Life and Work ecumenical world. Faith and Order has been primarily concerned with doctrinal and structural differences, how to reconcile these, and how to get Christians to be organized into one church. Life and Work's major concern was to find things that Christians of various traditions can do together. Faith and Order, unwittingly, has emphasized the differences and Life and Work the points of agreement. One movement has tried hard to solve these differences, and the other has endeavored to brush them aside.
When some fifty years ago these phrases Faith and Order and Life and Work were first used, the purpose was to organize ecumenism into two separate but related emphases. But through the years these have indeed be come very different ecumenical worlds. Faith and Order, in the eyes of many, has become the ecumenical world of the elite, made up primarily of the experts on doctrinal and governmental issues. Life and Work has more and more become the ecumenical world of the people, of the grass roots. COCU sought for a super-denomination as a way of ending what has been called the ecumenical scandal, the lack of a united church. Unfortunately for its leaders, people decided that this new machine was not any better than the old machine, so they would not buy it.
A Selective Ecumenism
This writing off of traditional or "churchly" ecumenism is not interpreted in all circles as a setback for the ecumenical movement. In spite of impressions to the contrary, there is little doubt that ecumenism is bursting out all over, but most of it has been unaware of, unrelated to, and unaffected by traditional ecumenism. It often expresses itself in unexpected ways. Thus, for instance, Protestant denominationalism is showing signs of floundering in the growing polarization of beliefs developing within most Protestant communions. Currently there often exists a greater chasm within denominations than between them. An evangelical Baptist, for instance, may be closer to a confessional Lutheran than he would be to a more theologically liberal or socially radical Baptist. Consequently, in repeated instances, there is a declining sense of denominational loyalty within all but the most fundamental Protestant churches where strict doctrinal unity is still maintained.
In an increasing number Protestants are "congregation hopping," searching for preachers and congregations who meet their theological beliefs. They have little hesitancy in traveling miles to find a church of their own denomination that meets their theological criteria, or even in switching denominational allegiance often joining nonecumenical churches if they can't find what they wish in their own local denominational congregation. Although they may be ecumenical in some areas of social concern, they are not ready to make these concerns the basis for total ecumenicity. An increasing number of Protestants and some Roman Catholics are following pace are therefore already practicing a kind of selective inter denominational ecumenism of their own.
Young People's Ecumenical Style
The ecumenical situation has been further complicated by a series of recent developments, which in their most radical expressions have seriously challenged the relevance of traditional ecumenism. In many a circle there is a sense of frustration, that after several decades of living together the churches have reached so few significant results with regard to church unity. Traditional ecumenism, they say, has become institutionalized, over-structured, and the special province of theological bureaucrats. Its concept of unity is long since outmoded and irrelevant, its assumptions surpassed by new theological insights. Many insist that the time has come for Councils of Churches to identify them selves more radically, as an expression of fidelity to the gospel, with the problems of the secular world.
These ideas meet with consider able response among young people who have been deeply disappointed by the lack of effective renewal in the Christian churches. They received further encouragement from the more general anti-institutional wave, which became characteristic of the life of the younger generation in the 1960's. The result has been the growth of various forms of spontaneous ecumenism, outside or within very loose relationship to the traditional ecumenical movement of the churches. The gap between these two worlds has become so wide that often they no longer even understand each other.
This new ecumenism among youth has two major expressions. In the first case, through specialized groups working in specific areas, Christians seek to reach specific problems of social out reach. Here the social activist feels he already has a sense of unity in his participation with other concerned Christians on projects such as poverty programs, peace missions, ministry to the street people, and the like. Besides, since few of them are theologically oriented, problems of church doctrine, church government, church programs are irrelevant to them and merely indicative of the obsolescence of the traditional ecumenical movement.
The other facet of the ecumenical movement among youth is, interestingly enough, more concerned with doctrine, more concerned with an individual's commitment to Christ and the Christian way of life. Organized youth movements in this category join forces with anyone willing to commit himself "to Christ." They reach out into cities, schools, the military, but have no time for denominationalism or even for organized, structured ecumenical programs. They like to form associations, groups, and centers with no denominational requirements for membership. In other words, bypassing the more traditional efforts involved in church unions, these spontaneous groups are developing an ecumenical style all their own. Whatever ecumenical interchange is taking place emerges primarily from programs that appeal to all Christians across denominational lines. Such programs very often draw support from Catholics and Protestants alike, from both fundamentalists and socially oriented Christians.
Unquestionably, the ecumenical movement has reached a critical stage. Its aim was to bring the churches out of their isolation and to draw them into conversation with one another. After twenty-five years' experience it has definitely shown that ,it has achieved the aim in all essentials. It cannot be denied that it has been a powerful factor in bringing Christians of different traditions together. At the same time, however, there is a worldwide malaise in the ecumenical movement, shared equally by Christians whether they are church officials or radicals, administrators or innovators, traditionalists or progressives. Some have even suggested that the movement's very "success" has produced the current crisis.
Not too long ago most laity had no idea of what ecumenism meant. When they heard that the ecumenical movement referred to efforts to unite the Christian communions, most agreed that any attempt at increasing civility among the churches was to be encouraged. Some had great expectations for Christian unity, suggesting that Christians could begin thinking of attaining corporate unity in their own lifetime.
Today the mood has changed. Ecumenism no longer seems exciting or even significant. The goal itself seems less crucial. If some judge Christian unity efforts as secondary to a deep individual be lief in Cod and Jesus Christ as revealed in the Scriptures, others view ecumenism as "churchy" and defensive, a distraction from the larger questions of peace, poverty, and discrimination. The Lutheran Church historian Jaroslav Pelikan remarked that the fundamental question facing Christians is not when or how they should unite but why they should bother to unite at all. At the very least ecumenism no longer seems to occupy the center of attention of many of the most articulate Christians.
Traditional Ecumenism Is Not Dead
Obviously, however, traditional ecumenism is not dead. Member ship of the World Council of Churches has been growing year by year. Numerous bilateral consultations are being held every year, and new mergers are in the planning. And if the Roman Catholic Church is not yet a member, this possibility is nevertheless discussed and cooperation is being increased at every level. World Council advocates are in fact encouraged to consider the present crisis as a lull, merely a moment of lassitude, and probably an important landmark in the further development of the ecumenical movement. The World Council has declared itself ready to re-ex amine the structures established by the Protestant, Anglican, and Eastern Orthodox churches in their attempt to reach unity, and to modify them; that is, the very structures of the World Council, in order to make possible the participation of all Christians and in particular of the Roman Catholic Church. At the same time a new awareness of the prophetic mission of the church toward society, of the social dimension of its call ing, has brought the World Council to review its understanding of the ecumenical program. Thus, in order to maintain the momentum of the ecumenical possibility, serious study is being given to the next phases of the ecumenical movement, what still remains in the eyes of many a magnificent hope of our time. A lull exists, but not a setback, declare ecumenical leaders in all parts of the world. It is a lull, which they recognize and are trying to meet in order to discover "how the World Council of Churches can be both faithful and flexible in its response to the calling of God."
In spite of this increasing dialog across denominational lines by church officials, the movement at the grass-roots level is developing a life and ecumenical style all its own. In some instances church members and congregations practice a kind of selective fellowship according to what they as individuals believe they can expect from any ecumenical association. Others, the activists, are forming groups outside the traditional lines, uniting around one simple dictum faith in Christ and claiming no specific denominational ties, but dedicated to helping others in specific areas. Ecumenism is not dead, but it is difficult to predict the future. One thing, however, is sure: Christian churches and Christian individuals are in an exciting formation period of rearrangement.
