Vision of Unity

by Meyendorff, John

• ISBN13: 9780881410686
• ISBN10: 0881410683
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1997-03-01
• Publisher: St Vladimirs Seminary Pr

Summary

John Meyendorff, in his own words, "has dedicated most of this life to teaching and to investigating the past of Christianity, studying the ways in which the faith of the Church was confessed throughout the ages by the Fathers of the Church." It was during a more recent period -- from January 1965 to December 1984 -- that he was also editor of a church monthly, The Orthodox Church, in which he published signed editorials reflecting upon the growth and development of Orthodoxy in America. For him, this work was a blessed challenge. Indeed, he was forced to relate the permanent and unchanging faith of the Church to the changing circumstances of our recent history, and to the birth of a new Orthodox Church on the American continent. The editorials reprinted in Vision of Unity ask the question: Can we survive in chaos and disunity? They are presented in two sections: 1. the issue of Orthodox unity in America, and 2. the basic principles of Church structure. Throughout, the Church is revealed as a "conciliar" Church, the Church of all people, clergy and laity, old and young, men and women -- the "Catholic" Church, of all nations and generations. Book jacket.

Table of Contents

Introduction	p. 9
Steps Towards Unity
Unity of Orthodoxy	p. 15
"Mothers" and "Daughters"	p. 17
Towards One Orthodox Church In America	p. 19
Towards an American Orthodox Church	p. 21
The Future of Our Church	p. 23
The Way to the Future	p. 25
St Vladimir's: 30	p. 27
Standing Conference Takes Step	p. 29
Towards Autocephaly	p. 31
Too Early or Too Late?	p. 33
An "American" Church	p. 35
What Is Autocephaly?	p. 38
Towards Unity	p. 40
A New Beginning	p. 42
Responsibility	p. 44
Building	p. 46
Coming of Age	p. 48
Against Myths	p. 50
The Real Issue at Last!	p. 54
The Forgotten Principle	p. 56
Where Do We Stand? Hope from Constantinople?	p. 59
The Standing Conference: Past and Future	p. 61
The Ukrainian Issue	p. 63
The Church and Ethnicity	p. 66
Orthodox Unity: Where Do We Stand?	p. 68
Ethnicity, Americanization and Orthodox Unity	p. 70
Orthodox America, 1794-1976	p. 72
Renewed Commitment	p. 74
Blind Phyletism	p. 76
A Fifth Step	p. 78
Orthodoxy and Ethnicity	p. 80
Canonizations	p. 82
Why Unity?	p. 85
Planning Ahead	p. 87
Voices of Reason in the Greek Church	p. 89
Let Orthodoxy Come First	p. 92
What Future?	p. 94
Orthodoxy, America and the Future	p. 96
American Autocephaly 1970-1980	p. 98
A Free Debate on Orthodox Unity	p. 100
What Kind of "American Church"?	p. 103
The Rusian Church and America	p. 106
Why Not Admit It?	p. 108
Debates on Church Order
Conciliarity	p. 113
The Eucharist and the Church	p. 115
Do We Know the Meaning of the Word "Parish"?	p. 117
The Message of Pentecost	p. 119
Towards a Great Orthodox Council?	p. 121
New Moves Towards a Pan-Orthodox Council	p. 124
The Council: Where and When?	p. 126
A Welcome Public Debate	p. 128
Orthodoxy Needs a Center	p. 130
Needed: The Ecumenical Patriarchate	p. 133
Orthodox Churches Meet in Switzerland	p. 136
Church or--"Diaspora"?	p. 139
What Is the "Diaspora"?	p. 142
Syndesmos, a Hope for Orthodoxy	p. 145
The Privilege of Freedom	p. 147
Bishops, Clergy and Laity	p. 149
The New Metropolitan	p. 151
For Many Years!	p. 153
Ethnicity	p. 155
Whose Church?	p. 157
Responsibility	p. 159
The Bishop and the Church	p. 161
Tradition and Traditions	p. 163
The F.R.O.C.	p. 165
The Church: One Body	p. 167
American Responsibility	p. 169
Parish Property	p. 171
Common Talk on New Statute	p. 173
The New Statute	p. 175
Electing a Bishop	p. 177
Growing Maturity	p. 179
Our Privilege	p. 181
Stewardship	p. 183
The Church Gathers Together	p. 184
The All-American Council Meets in Detroit	p. 185
Growth and Mission	p. 187
Women in the Church	p. 189
The Laity Includes Men and Women	p. 191
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.