Conciliarism
Conciliarism
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
Reviews & endorsements
'… 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
'I cannot think of a more valuable book in recent scholarship that combines theology and history with practical advice for church unity.' Reviews in Religion and Theology
'Paul Valliere's impressive and engaging Conciliarism: A History of Decision-Making in the Church … should be read and seriously considered by anyone concerned with the problem of authority within Anglicanism.' The Living Church
'How to create legitimacy at the universal level for a group of distinct autonomous churches will be a question high on the agenda of the next archbishop of Canterbury. The suggestions offered in this fascinating and often tantalizing book might feasibly offer him a degree of hope for the future.' Sewanee Theological Review
Product details
June 2014Paperback
9781107448711
302 pages
229 × 152 × 16 mm
0.44kg
Available
Table of 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.
