Abstract
While all churches see themselves in continuity with the apostolic Church, they hold different and often conflicting views on how the activity of the Holy Spirit in the Church relates to institutional structures or ministerial order. This essay provides an overview of the Orthodox engagement with the World Council of Churches’ Faith and Order Commission on the question of apostolic succession. It explores apostolic succession in selected official Orthodox reactions to the Faith and Order documents BEM and TCTCV. Further, it discusses the two distinct understandings of apostolic succession developed in Zizioulas’ ecclesiology, and argues that consensus on apostolic succession can be facilitated by a renewed study of apostolicity as a mark of the Church, and a re-examination of ministry and ministerial order from the perspective of missio Dei.
| Translated title of the contribution | Apostolic Succession as an Ecumenical Inspiration |
|---|---|
| Original language | German |
| Pages (from-to) | 1-4 |
| Number of pages | 4 |
| Journal | Internationale Kirchliche Zeitschrift |
| Volume | 111 |
| Publication status | Published - 2022 |
Keywords
- Ecumenism
- Apostolic Succession
- Ministry
- Leadership
- Theology
- Religion