Thesis advisor: Francine Cardman / The Petrine ministry of the bishops of Rome and relations with the eastern bishops at the time of the first four ecumenical councils are the focus of this thesis. It places the Church in the complex historical context marked by the public recognition of Christianity under Constantine (312) and the great novelty of the close interactions of the emperors with the bishops of the major sees in the period, Rome, Alexandria, Antioch and Constantinople. The study examines the structures of the church (local and regional synods and ecumenical councils) and the roles of bishops and emperors in the ecumenical councils of Nicaea (325), Constantinople I (381), Ephesus (431), and Chalcedon (451), including the “robber” council of 449. Attention is given to the most important and sometimes contested canons of those councils regarding the relationship of the eastern bishops and their sees to the bishop of Rome and his claims to exercise a Petrine ministry and authority for the whole Church: canon 6 (Nicaea), canon 3 (Constantinople), canon 7 (Ephesus) and canon 28 (Chalcedon). The method of the study is historical and draws on the contributions of major Orthodox, Anglican, Lutheran and Catholic scholars. The concluding synthesis and ecclesiological reflection finds that no Roman bishop was present at these councils, but at all but Constantinople, where there was a western observer, he sent legates. Sometimes the bishop of Rome played an important role in the ecumenical councils, i.e., Leo in relation to Ephesus 449 and Chalcedon; Celestine and recognition of Ephesus 431, and in both cases, the emperor also supported the final decisions. Moreover, the bishops of Rome played a minor role in relation to Nicaea and Constantinople. Finally, in regard to canon 3 of Constantinople and 28 of Chalcedon they consistently asserted that their apostolicity and foundation on Peter was the source of the Roman bishop’s authority and precedence. / Thesis (STL) — Boston College, 2010. / Submitted to: Boston College. School of Theology and Ministry. / Discipline: Sacred Theology.

The thesis explores the manner and extent of World Council of Churches activities that reflect the obligation in its original constitution to develop ecumenical consciousness among the members of the churches. The study explores the possible original meaning of ecumenical consciousness and the implications of widening understandings of ecumenism and develops a working definition of ecumenical consciousness. That definition is seen as having particular significance not only for the structures and activities of the WCC but for the ecumenical movement as a whole. Social movement analysis is used to seek to understand better the nature of the ecumenical movement and its relationship to the World Council. Whilst not completely identifying the ecumenical movement as a social movement, it is suggested that an understanding of participation, the framing of issues of contention and the purposes of social movement organisations can all contribute fruitfully to understanding the ecumenical movement. This perspective leads to questions about whose ecumenical consciousness needs to be addressed and about cognitive and emotional mobilisation. These questions provide a framework for engaging with the stated understandings of the educational and formational activity of the World Council from its foundation to the Porto Alegre Assembly in 2006. From the Library and Archives of the World Council, the research draws on the official documents of Assemblies and Central Committee meetings and perhaps, more significantly, on reports of less high profile consultations and papers of staff discussions. Because of the way in which the World Council operates, this historical analysis is divided into the periods between Assemblies. The conclusion reached is that periods of creative thinking about people’s involvement and participation which might lead to the formation of ecumenical consciousness have alternated with reversions to more formal processes of teaching about the ecumenical movement. The expectations of the member churches of the World Council have been directed more towards being supported in their separateness than being challenged ecumenically. The demands of particular issues (ecclesiological and justice/peace) have led to a greater concentration on content rather than process. The value of ecumenical experience has been recognised but not always the necessity of learning through reflection on that experience. It is suggested that these and other tensions have resulted in the World Council being unable to benefit from the potential of an ecumenically conscientised constituency. The thesis concludes with a chapter considering the implications of these conclusions for the future work of the World Council, arguing that, both for its own good and that of the ecumenical movement, it needs to work to develop an ecumenical consciousness in the people of its whole constituency as well as in the institutional churches and their leaders.

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This research critically examines the involvement of the Church of Pakistan in development of the poor people by way of a comparative case-study of two key dioceses, Multan and Hyderabad. The development priorities in the Dioceses studied have been defined and adopted mainly by the Diocesan Bishops of Multan and Hyderabad, J. V. Samuel and Bashir Jiwan who both by interaction with the local context as well as by exposure to externally produced theological discourses i. e. ecumenical and evangelical respectively, developed distinct approaches to mission and development in their dioceses, thus having `conscientization' and `evangelization' as specific aims of development respectively. Therefore, conscientization and evangelization as overruling diocesan motivating philosophies along with sample development projects have been analyzed. The diocesan aims of conscientization and evangelization were examined in the light of the `wholism' projected by the Biblical materials. The involvement of the Church of Pakistan in development has been highlighted in the contexts of a feudal and religiously biased national and the international secular development debate. With the objective of discussing the applicability of the two respective theologies for strengthening the mission understanding within the Church of Pakistan and the Church worldwide, the findings of this research have provided a base for the proposition of more realistic components of a theology of development for Pakistan.

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Thesis (Th. M.)--Grace Theological Seminary, 1966. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 108-110).

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Boston University / This study attempts a systematic survey and comparison of Roman Catholic and Ecumenical Movement (since 1925) doctrines of the state conceived as a universal institution and the political instrument of society. It deals with the theoretical doctrines of each group, and not with either the historical evolution of these concepts, or with the actual practices of these groups in their relations with particular states. Strictly speaking, it is not a comparison of Roman Catholic and Protestant views of the state because the Movement embraces some non-Protestants. [TRUNCATED]

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Christian disunity, as has been shown by Rouse and Neill, has been a major problem in the Church from the time of its inception. In Apostolic times Paul had to face serious dissension at Corinth and elsewhere. The great councils of the 4th and 5th centuries were convened to settle doctrinal disputes. The schism between Eastern and Western Christianity, which finally became permanent at about the end of the 12th century, was the result of thoroughgoing doctrinal as well as cultural differences. At the Reformation, Christianity was again drastically divided and between the 16th and 19th centuries,divisions were greatly multiplied. Chap. 1, p. 1.