The Holy Spirit and Christian unity

Photo: Part of the ecumenical conference group in Italy, against the Swiss Alps.

Last October, Helmut Harder represented Mennonites at an inter-church conference in northern Italy on “The Holy Spirit and ecumenism.” In this article he reflects on what he heard.

The 20 scholars gathered at the Ecumenical Monastery of Bose in Italy came from Europe, North America and South Africa. They represented a cross section of Christian communions—Orthodox,

Roman Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, Reformed, Methodist, Pentecostal, Quaker and Mennonite.

Bose is a community of 75 men and women from various churches, Catholic and Protestant. Members are devoted to prayer, poverty, celibacy and obedience to the Gospel. We worshiped and ate with the community, and enjoyed interaction with them.

Pastors in Christian churches often dismiss congregations with the benediction from 2 Corinthians 13:13: “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with all of you.” What does it mean for Christians to lay claim to “the communion of the Holy Spirit” and to pray, each in their own setting, that “the Holy Spirit be with all of you?”

Walter Kasper’s opening address on “The Holy Spirit and the unity of Christians” flagged the issue. The cardinal identified the 1000-year old division between the Catholics in the West and the Orthodox in the East as a major tragedy of Christendom. All the more because the schism was brought on by a difference of opinion on the Holy Spirit, the very person of the Trinity that gives the gift of unity.

Kasper concluded that only a renewed trust in the miraculous power of the Holy Spirit could overcome the scandal of this massive division. But this calls for an intensification of the Christian’s experience of the Holy Spirit and a radical commitment to Christian unity.

This point was taken a step further by Belgian theologian Joseph Femeree. In his view, the challenge before the churches is to bring Christians of diverse traditions together in a deeper way than heretofore. This would require a shift from doctrinal and structural unity to “a dialogue of love in the Holy Spirit.”

For this to happen, said Femeree, it would be necessary for Christians of each church to recognize the full churchly status of the other as they heed the stirrings of the Holy Spirit in ecumenical contexts.

Spirit within Trinity

Throughout the conference, the discussion focused on the Holy Spirit in the context of the Trinity. Lorelei Fuchs of the Graymoor Institute in New York pointed to the interrelation of Father, Son and Holy Spirit as the theological and confessional basis for the identity of the church as koinonia. The Trinitarian fellowship of the Godhead is foundational for an ecumenical understanding of church unity.

The Spirit has a role different from the Father and the Son. For example, it is the Holy Spirit that urges the gift of inter-church fellowship upon the churches.

Boris Bobrinskoy, a Russian Orthodox priest from Paris, concluded on the basis of biblical study that Christians should foster a personal relationship with the Holy Spirit by praying directly to the Spirit, not only to the Father and the Son. Similarly, Geoffrey Wainwright, a U.S. Methodist theologian, extended the discussion to include the Spirit’s role in worship. His study of Romans 8 and 15 led him to observe that early Christians addressed the Spirit specifically in their worship. One does not always have to link the Holy Spirit to the Father and the Son, he said.

Ralph Del Colle, a U.S. Catholic, said that “the church exists in the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.” The Holy Spirit is not only the power that started the church (Acts 1-2), but also the very substance that forms and reforms the Church from age to age. As such, the Spirit is the sign of the church’s continual posture before God, and the locus of her life and theology. It is the Holy Spirit that makes known the things of Christ, said Del Colle.

Mennonites tend to begin with Christ, who makes known the things of the Spirit. This is our way of controlling “far-out” claims about the work of the Holy Spirit. But in doing so we run the risk of quenching the Spirit with a narrow interpretation of Christ.

Jesus promised his followers more than he was able to teach them in three years. He said he would send his advocate, the Spirit, who will “guide you into all truth” (John 16:13). The Ephesian writer prays that we, the believers, may be “strengthened in our inner being with power through his Spirit” (3:16) so that God “is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine” (3:20).

These texts suggest that the Spirit has the specific task of expanding what we have learned about Jesus. At the least, we should allow the Son and the Spirit equal authority in their Trinitarian roles, and not subject the Spirit to the Son.

Passion for unity

Should a passion for unity be of primary concern to Christian churches? Alan Sell, a Reformed theologian from England, argued that if Christians around the world claim union with Christ, we have no choice but to seek unity with one another as churches. To stand in the way of Christian unity is sectarian.

Sectarianism can show itself in restrictions we make due to life-style, in opposing biblical interpretation and doctrines, in judging one another’s liturgical practices, or in denying access to the Lord’s table. God’s free Spirit must hold greater sway than any particular conception of the church. Sell maintained that faithfulness to the Gospel requires Christian churches to be ecumenical in spirit.

Others supported Sell’s point. Michael Fahey, a U.S. Jesuit theologian, also saw the ecumenical movement as a movement of the Holy Spirit. As such it should receive high priority by clergy and theologians alike. Regrettably, according to Fahey, the Catholic Church’s initial vision and enthusiasm, sparked by the Second Vatican Council in the 1960s, appears to be waning. Surely this grieves the Holy Spirit, said Fahey.

A number of speakers drew attention to the unbounded activity of the Holy Spirit. Elizabeth Hastings, a charismatic Anglican from South Africa, proposed that the manifestation of the Spirit across a multitude of ecclesial traditions calls into question our notions of how and where the Holy Spirit is at work.

Hastings asked: Might the Holy Spirit have the mission of breaking open our confining institutional boundaries and their sometimes narrow articles of faith?

Several scholars drew attention to the renewal movements that have permeated global Christianity. A recent statistic claims that Pentecostals, Charismatics and Neo-charismatics make up 27 percent of the 2 billion Christians in the world. And they come from all directions—Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, Protestant. Adelbert Denaux, a Catholic scholar from Belgium, suggested that if the renewal movements are the work of the Holy Spirit, this presents challenging agenda for the established denominations and for inter-church relations.

Cecil Roebeck, a U.S. Pentecostal churchman, criticized the mainline churches for not giving due recognition to the work of the Holy Spirit in Pentecostal and charismatic circles. What might these movements be saying to the ancient churches and the churches of the Reformation?

Mennonites and the Holy Spirit

In my paper, I began by noting that Mennonite theology is orthodox in that it has held to the historic Trinitarian view and has respected the person of the Holy Spirit in its doctrine of God. However Mennonites have not entered the debate about the internal (imminent, eternal) workings of the Trinity. They have given their attention to practical Christianity more than to doctrinal exactions.

On the whole this has been a good thing. It is more important to show that “God is love” than to be distracted by endless debate about the inner mysteries of God. At the same time, practical Christianity, which is all too prone to becoming human-centred, needs to be nurtured by a Trinitarian approach to worship, confession and theology.

In the beginning, the Anabaptists had a vital theology of the Holy Spirit that served them well in evangelism and mission and interpreting Scripture. They took account of the Spirit in their understanding of baptism, their examination of Scripture, and in decision-making in the church.

Later, particularly in the twentieth century, Mennonites concentrated their attention on Christology. It is time that we recapture the place of the Holy Spirit in the life and thought of communal and personal faith. Biblical texts, as well as Trinitarian theology, would suggest that Father, Son and Holy Spirit should be studied in harmony, rather than in isolation from one another. This process holds the promise of a renewed movement of the Holy Spirit in our midst.

The ecumenical fervour of the Anabaptists was remarkable. They were passionate about identifying the will of God for the whole church. How else could one explain their missionary zeal and their willingness to die for their faith? They were willing to engage in debate with anyone. And while the Anabaptists’ convictions resulted in a major rupture in the universal church of the day, this was not their original intention.

Had the Anabaptist movement been accepted as a renewal movement within the church, those who find themselves in the Mennonite Church today may have remained a part of the one Catholic Church. Unfortunately, persecution and martyrdom spelled the end of this ecumenical vision.

Now, 475 years later, Mennonites have a new opportunity and responsibility to participate in the pursuit of Christian unity. What is the Spirit saying to the Mennonite churches concerning this challenge? Perhaps our greatest gift to the churches is the attitude of peace and hospitality toward all God’s creation, including the Christian churches. This in itself would be a contribution of great significance to the ecumenical movement.

But to offer the legacy of peace and hospitality to all, and to gain what the Spirit has in store for us in return, we need to be in dialogue with Christians of all denominations.

Renewed attention to the rich theology of the Holy Spirit is a good place to start the ecumenical journey.—Helmut Harder

The writer is former general secretary of the Conference of Mennonites in Canada and taught theology at Canadian Mennonite Bible College.

Canadian churches have a lot in common

Coming to delegates this summer is a recommendation that Mennonite Church Canada become a full member of both the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada and Canadian Council of Churches, with “the Confession of Faith in a Mennonite Perspective as the framework for our participation.” Following is a report from recent meetings of both groups.

Ecumenism is an exciting part of church life today, according to Dan Nighswander, general secretary of Mennonite Church Canada, who attended two inter-church meetings in Ontario last fall. The first was “President’s Day” organized by the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada (EFC), and the second was the board meeting of the Canadian Council of Churches (CCC).

“What impressed me most about these meetings,” said Nighswander, “is how much we have in common—theologically, ethically, experientially...and how much our church life intersects with that of other churches. Our structures, our experiences, our economics, our concerns, our leadership issues, and educational interests—all intersect.”

He was also struck by the significant impact that Mennonite groups have, and can have, on the wider church community. “Our presence seems much appreciated.”

For example, the theme of the EFC meeting was reconciliation. “That’s something with which Mennonites feel very comfortable (as do other Christians), though how one develops this, or how we carry it out, may be different.”

Also familiar and inspiring were the “extensive” times of worship and Bible study which highlighted the CCC meetings, along with their emphasis on peace and justice, and “respectful” discussions on controversial issues such as same-sex marriage.

In both settings, hallway conversations with people from a variety of backgrounds reinforced the feeling of welcome and commonality.

Evangelical Fellowship

The one-day EFC meeting, held in Burlington in late October, was attended by about 100 representatives of denominations, ministry groups and schools, as well as individuals, ranging from Anglican and United Church to Jews for Jesus and World Vision.

“It was ‘a new style’ of meeting,” said Nighswander. In the past, EFC was governed by a General Council of about 125 representatives from each participating group. Now EFC is governed by a smaller board with two-thirds of the board members nominated by the General Council. The constituency gathering has been replaced by an annual meeting of denominational/ministry presidents.

The meeting featured a staff report (EFC has 7 executive and 12 support staff) and three speakers. Miroslav Volf, author and theologian from Yale University (of Croatian background), gave the opening address.

“He said a lot of really great things,” noted Nighswander. For example, “we can choose to define ourselves by what distinguishes us from others or by what we have in common.” Boundaries are important, but they must be permeable. “The heart of Christian faith is not only to live with people but to embrace them.... If I’m crushed by the embrace, it is no longer an embrace but an act of aggression.”

The second speaker, Michael Cassidy (writer and director of Africa Enterprise), shared stories of church involvement during the changeover in South Africa.

John McKay, Liberal Member of Parliament for Scarborough East, spoke at the evening banquet. He noted that the religious faith communities continue to be important factors in democracy.

“But,” he continued, “evangelical Christians should be more involved in shaping public policy. You’re always there for issues such as homosexuality, abortion, but we need you to be there for ongoing work which occupies most of our time: health care, environment, infrastructure issues, etc.”

Canadian Council of Churches

The CCC meeting was a three-day event in late November, attended by 35 church representatives from Protestant, Catholic and Orthodox traditions. Present at both EFC and CCC meetings were Baptists, Salvation Army, Christian Reformed and Mennonites.

The CCC operates as a “forum,” similar to Mennonite World Conference, said Nighswander. “The focus...is on providing a space for the Christian community to come together for discussion of issues, program reporting and times of shared worship.” Bible studies were led by Karen Hamilton, General Secretary of the CCC, and by a representative from the Canadian Bible Society. Like Mennonite World Conference, the CCC does not speak on behalf of member churches, but on points of action, churches sign individually.

The CCC, with the equivalent of three full-time staff, has two program commissions. The Faith and Witness Commission recently sponsored a forum on ecumenical dialogue, at which Helmut Harder presented a paper. The commission is preparing a pamphlet on theology and anthropology.

Three groups work on interfaith issues—one plans the Week of Prayer and Christian Unity. An upcoming initiative is to develop strategies for responding to spiritual needs after disasters.

The Justice and Peace Commission focuses on five areas: globalization, the war on terrorism, racism, health, bio-technology. A sub-committee sent delegates to China recently to talk about religious freedom. Next February, a delegation will be coming from China to Canada. Project Ploughshares, directed by Ernie Regehr, is also a program of CCC.

The meeting included a two-hour discussion on same-sex marriage, with reports on “official positions” of three member churches.

“Discussion was lively, respectful, with a large amount of common ground,” commented Nighswander. All agreed that the government has a legitimate interest in regulating marriage relationships, but that the church should not be bound by government regulations. Except for the United Church and the Quakers, member churches are not willing to recognize same-sex unions as “marriages.”

In the coming year, the CCC wants to invite the EFC and other faith groups to discuss the relationship between the legal and religious aspects of marriage. The churches want to present their views to government, especially because Ontario and Quebec courts are forcing government to clarify legal definitions of marriage.

It was “interesting to note the differences in how these three churches approached the marriage topic in their reports,” said Nighswander. The United Church spoke from a peace and justice and ethics stance, the Christian Reformed from a doctrinal basis, the Orthodox church via iconography (what the image of God says about marriage).

“The discussion was fairly free because we didn’t have to take action, have consensus, or share communion with each other afterwards!” noted Nighswander.

Common ground

When asked where EFC and CCC agendas intersect, Nighswander highlighted their joint application against patenting the “Harvard mouse” in Canada. They made “a strong moral case together against patenting life forms and were successful,” he said.

“However, the CCC and EFC tend to go to government about different things,” he added. For example, the CCC is not too concerned about Bill C-250 on hate propaganda since it feels there is enough protection for the church, whereas the EFC has more concern about religious liberty in Canada. Also, the CCC recently sponsored a letter to government on Iraq which MC Canada signed, whereas the Iraq situation was not on the EFC agenda even though the theme was reconciliation.

Hallway conversations revealed many other commonalities and desire for further dialogue. People from the Baptist church “welcomed my presence as a Mennonite and appreciated someone with similar assumptions,” said Nighswander. The Salvation Army rep “thoroughly welcomed us” to the CCC.

“We need to talk about our history,” said a Christian Reformed person, “particularly since Mennonites are still in referred to as ‘Anabaptist heretics’ in their confession of faith.” The Christan Reformed church is “locked into a prison” of history, similar to Mennonites, observed Nighswander. We can help each other “unlock that prison.”

Nighswander also noted historical connections with a Ukrainian Orthodox leader and common interests in Ethiopia. He and a Catholic bishop from Ontario spoke about the Mennonite cemetery near Reesor.

“There were so many connections everywhere, threads intertwining.... All of us are working on the same things.”

Differences

The CCC meeting seemed “hands on,” oriented to conversation and discussion with agenda shaped by participants, said Nighswander, while the EFC had a set program with guest speakers and less opportunity for discussion. This was largely due to the nature of the organizations.

“The churches affiliated with EFC do not have board responsibility/accountability,” he said, “so the program is set...by staff, whereas the CCC is a board meeting. Also, the CCC meets twice a year and the EFC once. The EFC has just begun separate meeting of church heads; CCC has had them for a number of years.
Anoother difference: “There were more women at the CCC meeting, except for the Orthodox reps who were male!”

Nighswander felt at home in both meetings. “In each I had a good deal in common.... I felt particularly in the CCC an opportunity for people to express interest in perspectives I bring as a Mennonite.”

—Leona Dueck Penner