Plaaslike ekumene en die einddoel van die eenheidstrewe

Abstract

Local ecumenism and the goal of the ecumenical endeavour
According to the author the need for local ecumenism arises from the fact that nowadays there is not only the one universal church in many localities as in the early church but a new reality of many churches in one locality - a situation unknown to the Mew Testament. The quest for unity should therefore primarily originate from the local congregation. Gous clarifies the concept “local” and defines the ecumenical activity as such. He describes and evaluates five models for church unity: (i) organic unity, (ii) conciliar fellowship, (iii) reconciled diversity, (iv) communion of communions, and (v) unity as solidarity. He closes his article by listing reasons why churches remain caught in a situation of mutual exclusiveness, instead of full communion. A distorted relationship between unity and truth is one of the primary reasons.