Conciliarism is one of the oldest and most essential means of decision-making in the history of the Christian Church. Indeed, as a leading Orthodox theologian Alexander Schmemann states, 'Before we understand the place and the function of the council in the Church, we must, therefore, see the Church herself as a council.' Paul Valliere tells the story of councils and conciliar decision-making in the Christian Church from earliest times to the present. Drawing extensively upon the scholarship on conciliarism which has appeared in the last half-century, Valliere brings a broad ecumenical perspective to the study and shows how the conciliar tradition of the Christian past can serve as a resource for resolving conflicts in the Church today. The book presents a conciliarism which involves historical legacy, but which leads us forward, not backward, and which keeps the Church's collective eyes on the prize – the eschatological kingdom of God.
• Provides a comprehensive overview of the history of councils and conciliar decision-making in the Christian Church • Presents conciliarism within a broad ecumenical perspective, paying attention to all major streams of the Christian tradition • Includes analysis of the contemporary Anglican crisis, offering Anglicans and other Christians a better understanding of conflict-resolution in the Church
Contents
Introduction; 1. The conciliar testament; 2. The conciliar tradition; 3. The conciliar theory; 4. Conciliarism in Anglican experience; 5. The Pan-Anglican Council; Conclusion; Bibliography.
Reviews
'… fascinating …' Church Times
'Valliere has written a wise and distinguished book that deserves to be pondered by all concerned for the unity and integrity of the Church and of Anglicanism in particular. It is marked by a clear and robust style, elegantly and often epigrammatically phrased.' Journal of Anglican Studies
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