A theological analysis of the ecumenical dialogue between the Anglican and Roman Catholic churches: the case of women’s ordination.

Abstract

The restoration of unity among Christians is at the centre of the Second Vatican Council. The restoration of unity among christians is at the centre of the Second Vatican Council. Christ the Lord founded only one church. However, many Christian churches present themselves to the world as the true heirs of Christ. Although Christians claim to be followers of Christ, they differ in mind and practice and each take their different paths as if Christ were divided. For the Vatican Council Fathers, such divisions contradict the will of Christ, scandalise the world and disrupt the holy cause of preaching the Gospel to all nations. Theological thinkers have extensively debated on how the practice of women’s ordination have dominantly challenged the unity between the Anglican and Roman Catholic churches. It is in this context that the study examines the ecumenical dialogue between the Anglican and Roman Catholic churches on a gendered ministerial position of the two churches. It explores in detail how women’s ordination is an issue of divergence between the two churches, hindering their progress to full communion. Within the wider context of the mainline churches, the dissertation applies the South African context in examining how matters surrounding women’s ordination have influenced unity at the local level. This study was motivated by the question of how current approaches to ecumenical dialogue between the Anglican and Roman Catholic churches impact on issues of gender. To explore the ecumenical dialogue on women’s ordination in the two churches, the study is informed by the theoretical frameworks of feminist ecclesiology, and African women’s theologies. The methodology is purely theological. Using the available literature, the research examines the efforts in the ecumenical dialogue as established by the Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC). A look at some selected Second Vatican Council documents which have provided a theological direction to ecumenical relationship with the Roman Catholic Church and other Christian churches are considered. Given the nature of the study, the correspondence between Canterbury and Rome on women’s ordination from 1975 to 1986 greatly informed the study. It also relied heavily on the official statements from the Lambeth Conferences from 1920 to the present day. Finally, the study turned to receptive ecumenism as a preferred method in ecumenical dialogue between the two churches. Christ the Lord founded only one church. However, many Christian churches present themselves to the world as the true heirs of Christ. Although Christians claim to be followers of Christ, they differ in mind and practice and each take their different paths as if Christ were divided. For the Vatican Council Fathers, such divisions contradict the will of Christ, scandalise the world and disrupt the holy cause of preaching the Gospel to all nations. Theological thinkers have extensively debated on how the practice of women’s ordination have dominantly challenged the unity between the Anglican and Roman Catholic churches. It is in this context that the study examines the ecumenical dialogue between the Anglican and Roman Catholic churches on a gendered ministerial position of the two churches. It explores in detail how women’s ordination is an issue of divergence between the two churches, hindering their progress to full communion. Within the wider context of the mainline churches, the dissertation applies the South African context in examining how matters surrounding women’s ordination have influenced unity at the local level. This study was motivated by the question of how current approaches to ecumenical dialogue between the Anglican and Roman Catholic churches impact on issues of gender. To explore the ecumenical dialogue on women’s ordination in the two churches, the study is informed by the theoretical frameworks of feminist ecclesiology, and African women’s theologies. The methodology is purely theological. Using the available literature, the research examines the efforts in the ecumenical dialogue as established by the Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC). A look at some selected Second Vatican Council documents which have provided a theological direction to ecumenical relationship with the Roman Catholic Church and other Christian churches are considered. Given the nature of the study, the correspondence between Canterbury and Rome on women’s ordination from 1975 to 1986 greatly informed the study. It also relied heavily on the official statements from the Lambeth Conferences from 1920 to the present day. Finally, the study turned to receptive ecumenism as a preferred method in ecumenical dialogue between the two churches.