Publication date:
18 April 2007Length of book:
208 pagesPublisher
Rowman & Littlefield PublishersISBN-13: 9780742552562
Ecumenical consciousness has not always been part of the Catholic experience. Frederick M. Bliss, S.M. traces how the concern for ecumenism came about_from uneasy tension to confidence in the true grace of catholicity. This new edition follows significant developments in dialogues with the Catholic Church up to 2006 and suggests likely trends of continuing change. It studies the forces that had an impact on the Second Vatican Council, forces that continue to steer the church into relationships with other Christian communities, other religions, and the world.
Accurate and up-to-date, consistently fair and always lucid, this book is essential reading for all aspiring ecumenists. Bliss's assessments of the many traditions described are a model of how slow but perceptible progress can be made toward the goal of the unity which is the Lord's will. The breadth and depth of Bliss's reading is striking and shows readers something of the work to be done.