Ecumenism Means You, Too: Ordinary Christians and the Quest for Christian Unity

by Steven R. Harmon

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.

132 pages, Paperback

First published March 15, 2010

Reviews

[Traci Rhoades · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent overview of ecumenism - Jesus' prayer that we would be one as he and the Father are one. Full of documents, organizations and writings that have aided in these efforts throughout church history.

[Kari McDowell · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really struggled to get through this one. Chapter four was excellent on the practical ways laypeople can participate in the ecumenical movement. It still feels pretty far away and impractical, especially as a member of a primitivist group that doesn’t focus on ecumenicism.

[Jeremy · Rating 4 out of 5]

helpful, short