<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>This paper explores the role of the appeal to the early Church in Old Catholic theology, describing how this appeal has been challenged and further developed through ecumenical dialogue in particular. Noting the various problems involved in this appeal and the manner in which they have been discussed within the Old Catholic (ecumenical) theological discourse, the paper highlights the process of discernment within the Union of Utrecht of Old Catholic Churches, and from that in particular the consultation with the Ecumenical Patriarchate on the subject, and analyses the role of the appeal to the early church in this setting. Notably, the hermeneutically reflected appeal to the early church paved the way for a theologically responsible manner of opening the apostolic ministry to women as well as men.</p></abstract>

This paper explores the role of the appeal to the early Church in Old Catholic theology, describing how this appeal has been challenged and further developed through ecumenical dialogue in particular. Noting the various problems involved in this appeal and the manner in which they have been discussed within the Old Catholic (ecumenical) theological discourse, the paper highlights the process of discernment within the Union of Utrecht of Old Catholic Churches, and from that in particular the consultation with the Ecumenical Patriarchate on the subject, and analyses the role of the appeal to the early church in this setting. Notably, the hermeneutically reflected appeal to the early church paved the way for a theologically responsible manner of opening the apostolic ministry to women as well as men.

Charism and Challenge – Old Catholic Ecumenism and the Appeal to the Early Church

Review of Ecumenical Studies Sibiu

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

This paper explores the role of the appeal to the early Church in Old Catholic theology, describing how this appeal has been challenged and further developed...

Charism and Challenge – Old Catholic Ecumenism and the Appeal to the Early Church

Published Online: May 13, 2019

Page range: 58 - 75

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/ress-2019-0005

Keywords
Early church, Old Catholicism, ecumenism, Orthodoxy, hermeneutics, synodality, conciliarity, women’s ordination, ministry

© 2019 Peter-Ben Smit, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Charism and Challenge – Old Catholic Ecumenism and the Appeal to the Early Church

Published Online: May 13, 2019

Page range: 58 - 75

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/ress-2019-0005

KeywordsEarly church, Old Catholicism, ecumenism, Orthodoxy, hermeneutics, synodality, conciliarity, women’s ordination, ministry

© 2019 Peter-Ben Smit, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Keywords
Early church, Old Catholicism, ecumenism, Orthodoxy, hermeneutics, synodality, conciliarity, women’s ordination, ministry