Conciliarism: A History of Decision-Making in the Church
Cambridge University Press, 2/9/2012
EAN 9781107015746, ISBN10: 110701574X
Hardcover, 302 pages, 22.9 x 15.5 x 2.3 cm
Language: English
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.
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.
'… 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