Ecodomy: Life in its fullness – if love rules the oikoumenē

Abstract

In the article related terms are deconstructively compared with each other, such as oikodomē (encouragement), dioikēsis theia (divine administration) and oikoumenē (inhabited world). The article aims to identify the positive roots of the term oikoumenē beyond the pejorative referencing in the New Testament as ‘imperial power’. It demonstrates that the notion basileiatou theou (kingdom of God) provides a key to discover the gift of love as the heart of ecodomy. The article concludes with a critical discussion of forms of inauthentic love in order to outline what kind of love is conveyed in Jesus’ kingdom ethics. The article consists of four sections:(1) ‘When children rule the oikoumenē’, (2) ‘When power rules the oikoumenē’, (3) ‘When love rules the oikoumenē’, and finally (4) ‘Différance’ – when love is not love.