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Nicene Christianity: The Future for a New Ecumenism

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Deftly edited by Christopher R. Seitz (Professor of Old Testament and Theological Studies, University of St. Andrews), Nicene Christianity: The Future For A New Ecumenism is a selection of scholarly essays by a sixteen erudite and knowledgeable contributors about the relationship between the ecumenical frameworks of contemporary churches and the Nicene Creed of the early Christian church. Exploring ecumenical and practical considerations with regard to the Nicene Creed in the modern day, Nicene Christianity is a fascinating, informative read, and a welcome, recommended addition to Christian Studies supplemental reading lists and academic reference shelves.

Nicene Christianity:
'Nicene Christianity' is all about the relationship between contemporary churches and the ecumenical benchmark, with reference to the Nicene Creed of the early Christian church. For an AmeriCoptic catechetical teacher, Nicene Orthodoxy was formulated and defended in Alexandria by Athanasius and Cyril, when the Church was ecumenical, Catholic and Apostolic.
This is a fine, systematic and thematic book, written by 'Church-Class' Doctrinal theologues for in depth explorers of the core of Orthodox Christian faith, in today's postmodern world, viewed from an ecumenical perspective.


Essays; Soteriology to theology:
Here, the essay's Evangelical theology stresses the continuity with the New Testament, the creeds, and Protestant reformation. But rather than its emphasizes on the infallibility of Scripture, salvation, the cross, and, conversion, Nicene Christianity, is represented as the task for the Christian faithful and Ecumenical Church to witnesses and actively engage with the 'Good News', the Father's revelation in the Gospel of Jesus. The ideal (& Christian) way to affect the message is ecumenically, in humility and modesty. Roman Catholics and Eastern Orthodox proclaim much the same spirit which is in strong support to the 2001 conference, and the essays.

Contribution & Editorship;
Christopher R. Seitz, with other fifteen fine theologians present in this volume, a creative re-exposition of the Nicene Creed by many leading doctrinal and systematic theologians, who contributed to the Charleston conference. Every essay is a thoughtful expression of the theological mind of a unity of Church creed, within the creative diversity of personal and denominational perspectives.
If there is some tension in the general theme of few essays, it is rooted Barth's thesis of Evangelical Theology. The Bible and the creeds, look sometimes controversial and with competing claims to truthfulness (Take the Chaledonian Diophysite nature of Christ, without any true or apparent allusion to scripture).


'Credo Catenata' Sampler:
After an interesting first chapter by editor Seitz, on 'Our help is in the name of the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth,' the next four chapters have a central focus on the inquiry on Christological mystery.
Alan Torrance highlights the incoherence of Arianism; if Christ is not "of one substance with the Father," then humanity's encounter with the Son is not actually an encounter with God. Gunton underlines, meanwhile, that only God has the power over sin and consequently victory over death, to the disadvantage of the wanting Arian christology. Gunton claims it as a recurrent and contemporary revisited heresy, not merely an ancient schismatic history.
Jenson presents his view, on pre-foudation christology, in which the eternal Son has always been in fellowship with the Father prior to the incarnation. Athanasius has always declared: "There could not be a Father without His only begotten, eternal Son." The essays appeal to Scripture as much as to ecclesiastic history and Church tradition.

The Nicene Church:
Wm. Abraham spells it (I believe in One, Holy, Catholic, and apostolic church) in a short paragraph; "I began this way for two reasons. First, it illustrates a useful and long established way to focus our thinking about the church. It is very fitting and relatively easy to think in terms of images of the church. ... Second, the images employed here are intended to correct what is endemic in much thinking about the church, namely a tendency to idealize."

In "Nicene Christianity: The Future For A New Ecumenism," Christopher R. Seitz (Professor at University of St. Andrews), editor, offers a selection of moderate academic articles by numerous non-conservative scholars discussing the outline of the Nicene Creed in relation to ecumenical endeavors of modern churches with a strong focus on mainline churches (called old-line and sideline by an essayist: p. 233). Most of the contributors are from mainline Protestant churches with an appreciative reflection of the Roman Catholic Church. This very readable volume surveys the ecumenical, theological, and pragmatic issues that the contemporary church should apply utilizing the Nicene Creed as the theological framework in its aims.

"NC presents some of the world's premier theologians in an exploration and exposition of the Nicene Creed ... in today's postmodern context" (back cover).

Chapters consist of compositions on:

- The person and nature of Christ
- Creation by God
- The truth of the Resurrection of Jesus
- The need for church unity
- And many more interesting chapters.

Scholars cite Barth, recent Popes, Ogden, Pannenberg, and Mooney to bolster their temperate theological case for Christian unity.

Seitz gives the readers fine scholarship including a marvelous essay on homoousian Christology (p.p. 49-62) as it advocates current scientific orthodoxy and theistic evolution (p.p. 63-73). Moreover this is not a book for conservative Evangelical apologists who covet information to refute aberrant theology or anti-Trinitarian cults such as the Jehovah Witnesses and the LDS church. 239 pages.
The Necessary Existence of God: The Proof of Christianity Through Presuppositional Apologetics

One can find any number of books of recent vintage on the importance and value of the Nicene Creed for the life of the modern church, some of them quite well done while a few others appear somewhat mediocre. Nicene Christianity: The Future for a New Ecumenism offers something uniquely different, while also being "quite well done." This particular work is uniquely different by virtue of its very presentation: a total of 17 "premier theologians" (says the back cover) who offer their views on the value of the creed as an ideal antidote for the divided and fractured state of the modern church, the writers themselves coming from a variety of denominational backgrounds. The panel of writers include Christopher Seitz (editor), Carl Braaten, Colin Gunton, Robert Jensen, John Webster, and Kathryn Greene-McCreight with a truly worthwhile and insightful Introduction by Philip Turner. There's much here to like.

The subtitle "The Future for a New Ecumenism" is a less than subtle reminder that the ecumenical movement itself has proven (for the most part) to be somewhat of a disappointment: great and grand hopes did not materialize. Indeed, the movement appeared to dwindle down to improved relations between Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy, with much of mainline Protestantism basically reduced to looking on while offering gentle applause. The New Ecumenism hopes for something a bit more dynamic and (hopefully) a tad more successful. In any case, it's far too early to determine whether or not such fond hopes might yet be realized. Nonetheless, I view this new ecumenism as a truly hopeful beginning and one that may yet prove its worth.

Readers will form their own opinions as to preferred articles and authors; I can only state here that (inclusive of Turner's Introduction mentioned above) I especially enjoyed reading Jenson, Webster, Braaten and Gunton - with the added comment that I believe Seitz did a remarkable job as editor. Seitz, in point of fact, also wrote the opening chapter: a penetrating bit of analysis in which (for some additional color...I suspect) he made reference to Jesus Seminar participant Marcus Borg (no lover of creeds...we can be certain) who is quoted (pg 21) as stating his particular preference for a "broader universal spirit" as opposed to the now hoary with age personal God of biblical faith. Borg has also repeatedly expressed his deep distaste for a Christianity that claims unique status, in a world of great religious diversity, where Jesus is proclaimed the way to salvation and the fullest revelation that God has given to us. It's all very postmodern and we know that Borg (and the Jesus Seminar in general) would have it no other way - for there is no "reigning meta-narrative"...other than postmodern thought, mind you! (One wonders if perhaps gravity - spelled with a capital "G" - might serve equally well as the broader universal spirit, seeing as how it is impersonal, invisible, possessive of power, and diffused throughout the universe...with the added comfort that no one would ever feel compelled to believe that "the fear of the universal spirit is the beginning of wisdom.") But all this is for another day.

Whether or not this new ecumenism will show itself to have legs is difficult at this point to say. My own view is that I see truly great possibilities here for the future well-being of the church. And yet such a grand vision for the future clearly calls for much greater involvement on the part of the church regarding the matters addressed in these various essays, as well as some rather aggressive and active leadership towards these ends on the part of the very individuals who themselves wrote the articles. I deeply hope this book succeeds in attracting a greater readership audience in the future, and that those who are impacted by these essays (as well they should be!) will themselves become actively involved in promoting this vision of a new ecumenism as outlined in these pages - and an "ecumenism" that will display considerably greater success than what we have seen to date.

So congratulations once again to Brazo Press for another true gem - and to all fellow believers who were (and are!) involved in this project. May it manifest great success in the coming years.