From the Worldwide Faith News archives www.wfn.org


Joint Declaration as a groundbreaking ecumenical document


From FRANK_IMHOFF.parti@ecunet.org (FRANK IMHOFF)
Date 22 Feb 2000 12:37:18

United States theology professors discuss its implications

HANOVER, Germany/GENEVA, 22 February 2000 (lwi) - Reformed, Anglican,
Roman-Catholic and Lutheran church leaders and professors of theology in
the United States have acknowledged the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine
of Justification as a "groundbreaking document".

The theological implications of Joint Declaration was one of the major
points discussed at a symposium from 4 to 6 February at the Yale Divinity
School and Berkeley Divinity School in New Haven (Connecticut, USA).

Participants in the forum included Dr. Christian Krause, President of the
Lutheran World Federation (LWF) and Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran
Church in Brunswick (Germany), Bishop Dr. Walter Kasper, Secretary of the
Vatican's Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity (PCPCU) and Sir
Henry Chadwick, an Anglican professor of theology at Oxford University.

The Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification was affirmed by the
Lutheran World Federation (LWF) and the Roman-Catholic Church and solemnly
confirmed on 31 October 1999 in Augsburg, Germany. For the first time since
the Reformation, both churches made a statement on the doctrine that
severed the unity of the Western church in the 16th century.

During the United States symposium, Krause noted that the Joint Declaration
was held in high regard by the participants. Summarizing the contributions
made by the professors, Krause said that lifting up the theological
approach of the declaration enabled academic theology at the universities
to again concern itself more with ecumenism.

The LWF president said that the significance of the Joint Declaration was
furthermore to be found in the way the document relates to the core of the
biblical message. He noted that the "universal character" of the Joint
Declaration has been acknowledged and bears special significance in the
sense that the other recent interdenominational agreements are regionally
limited while this document is universally valid for both partners.

Krause said he was impressed by the Anglican and Reformed participants'
expression of joy about the Joint Declaration. They had repeatedly voiced
their interest in continuing to develop this ecumenical document in such a
way that it would include other denominations in addition to the
Lutheran/Roman-Catholic context.

William Franklin, Dean of Berkeley Divinity School described the symposium
as a good opportunity for the universities to regain their leading role
within the ecumenical movement, for the development of a new forum for
ecumenical activities, and for encouraging a new generation of future
theologians to work for the unity of the churches.

(This article was written by Udo Hahn, the LWF German National Committee
Press Officer)

(The LWF is a global communion of 128 member churches in 70 countries
representing nearly 59.5 million of the world's 63.1 million Lutherans.
Its highest decision-making body is the Assembly held every six or seven
years. Between Assemblies, the LWF is governed by a 49-member Council,
which meets annually, and by its Executive Committee. The LWF secretariat
is located in Geneva, Switzerland.)

*       *       *
Lutheran World Information
Assistant Editor, English: Pauline Mumia
E-mail: pmu@lutheranworld.org
http://www.lutheranworld.org/


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