It's time for 'civil disobedience' to advance ecumenism

Without "civil disobedience" from below, there will be no movement forward in ecumenism - the words of German Lutheran theologian Joachim Track when presenting his new book, "Kirchengemeinschaft jetzt" ("Ecclesial communion now" doesn't have quite the same ring in English), with co-author Catholic theologian Johannes Brosseder, in Munich on 11 March. It's one of what is likely to be a flood of publications in advance of the Ecumenical Kirchentag in the Bavarian capital in May  "We won't get any further at the moment if there is no pressure from below," the German Protestant news agency epd quoted Track as saying. Te  first Ecumenical Kirchentag in Berlin in 2003 was marked by an unofficial event at which Protestants were invited to share in a Eucharist presided by a Catholic priest - something that later to sanctions against the priest, Gotthold Hasenhuttl, himself an academic theologian. 

Speaking at the book launch, Brosseder said that between Protestants and Catholics there are no differences in the basic understanding of the church, while the practice of faith is necessarily ecumenical, as both church traditions believe in the same God. However, ecumenical progress is still hindered by church leaders. Anyway this is what the book blurb say (apologies for the scratch translation):

The fundamental issues and insights regarding the understanding of church and ministry are discussed in an ecumenical perspective, making clear where there is an existing consensus, studying more contentious issues and examining possible solutions.
It is shown that there is no difference in the insight that there is the necessity of a ministry of Word and Sacrament, including the ministry of episkope (supervision, church leadership)but that there are differences in the way in which this ministry is embodied. But in making a distinction between content and form this does not have and should not have a church-dividing character. The book sets out an analysis of the ecclesial communion that already exists and the models that have been drawn up for future ecclesial communion (Fries-Rahner-plan, conciliar fellowship, unity in reconciled diversity). This leads to the last chapter, under the heading "Unity in that which is necessary, freedom in controversial issues, love in everything", to the concluding considerations on the existing consensus about basic doctrinal and ethical issues, an analysis of the controversies that remain on these issues and their importance, and concrete proposals as to how ecclesial communion towards a mutual recognition as churches can already be practised and put into effect.

'Unity is strength, but diversity is wealth'

Some years ago, while working in Brussels, I wrote an article (posted here) looking at the parallels between the European Union and the ecumenical movement. The starting point was the widespread feeling in the early 1990s of stagnation in the European Union, with the Single Market not being able to meet the challenges posed by the disintegration of communism and the end of the Cold War. There were parallels, I argued, with the challenges facing the ecumenical movement, which in its institutional form at least, was, like the EU a product of the post-Second World War era. Again like the EU, the ecumenical movement was predicated on the promotion of unity as a central task, while also having the pragmatic function of representing their still separate members. The article explored the extent to which the "paradigm shift" outlined by ecumenical theologian Konrad Raiser in his book Ecumenism in Transition might be applied also to the European Union based on the "house rules" of self-limitation and the renunciation of violence; dialogue and striving for truth; sharing in solidarity; ecumenical learning; and ecumenical hospitality.

I was reminded of all this when reading a recent blog post by Dan Smith on the "long term view" for the new EU high representative for foreign affairs, Catherine Ashton.