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In Every Knee Should Bow, Steven Harmon explores the manner in
which Clement of Alexandria (ca. 160-215 C.E.), Origen (ca. 185-ca.
251 C.E.), and Gregory of Nyssa (331/340-ca. 395 C.E.) appealed to
Scripture in developing rationales for their concepts of
apokatastasis, the hope that all rational creatures will ultimately
be reconciled to God. Harmon argues that these patristic
universalists maintained their hope for "a wideness in God's mercy"
primarily because they believed this hope was the most coherent
reading of the biblical story. Although Hellenistic thought might
also have suggested an eschatology in which the end corresponds to
the beginning, the eschatologies of these ancient Christian
theologians were shaped mainly by the Hebrew story of creation,
fall, redemption, and consummation, read through the lenses of the
church's experience of God's saving work in the person of Jesus
Christ. These early attempts to take seriously the biblical story's
affirmations of the divine intention to save all people on the one
hand, and of judgment and hell on the other, have a certain
timeless relevance. In a context not unlike that of the late
antique Christian world, the postmodern church again wrestles with
these tensions in the biblical story in the midst of religious
pluralism.
Description: By all accounts, the modern ecumenical movement is not
moving much these days. Despite dramatic breakthroughs in the past
few decades, the quest for a visibly united church--in which there
is common confession of the apostolic faith, full Eucharistic
communion, and mutual recognition of members and ministers--now
meets with indifference by many, impatience by some, and outright
hostility by others. In part, this is because the movement has not
given enough attention to grassroots ecumenical engagement. This
book is written to convince ordinary Christians, especially young
Christian adults, that they too have a stake in the future of the
ecumenical movement as its most indispensable participants.
Ecumenism Means You, Too draws on the music of Irish rock band U2
to cast artistic light on various aspects of the quest for
Christian unity. Whether one is a U2 fan or not, and whether one
thinks the ecumenical movement is a good thing or a bad thing for
the church, everyone who reads this book will learn something about
the Christian theological framework apart from which neither the
modern ecumenical movement nor the meaning of U2's music can be
understood. The book includes an annotated bibliography of
resources for ecumenical engagement and a glossary of key
ecumenical terms for readers who want to learn more about the
Christian practice of seeking the unity of the church.
Endorsements: ."" . . at once profound and straightforward, deeply
reflected yet highly accessible, theologically rich yet directly
practical . . . a source of wisdom to be absorbed into the
life-blood of each of our widely differing communities for their
mutual enrichment . . . a superbly inviting and practical
manifestation of what has come to be referred to as Receptive
Ecumenism."" --Paul D. Murray Durham University, UK ""Whether you
are passionate about, disappointed by, or indifferent to the
church: if you love God, you need this book. Harmon shows you why
mutual tolerance is not the unity that Jesus desired for his Body,
and he gives you the tools to start knitting back together the
broken pieces of the church-so the world might believe. This little
book should be the marching orders for every Christian "" --Sarah
Hinlicky Wilson Institute for Ecumenical Research, Strasbourg,
France ""Few books on the ecumenical movement are as readable, and
I would wager none has as appealing a soundtrack. Harmon invites us
to strive for the hope of fuller visible unity with sisters and
brothers in Christ, not by ignoring denominational differences, but
by acknowledging what divides us while refusing to settle for
division. The 'Ten Things You Can Do for the Unity of the Church'
list alone is worth the price of the book."" --Beth Maynard
co-editor of Get Up Off Your Knees: Preaching the U2 Catalog About
the Contributor(s): Steven R. Harmon teaches Christian Theology at
Gardner-Webb University School of Divinity in Boiling Springs,
North Carolina. A member of the Baptist World Alliance delegations
to the international theological conversations with the Anglican
and Roman Catholic churches and a plenary member of the Faith and
Order Commission of the World Council of Churches, he is the author
of Towards Baptist Catholicity: Essays on Tradition and the Baptist
Vision (2006). He blogs about his work in ecumenical theology at
www.ecclesialtheology.blogspot.com.
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