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Syftet med denna uppsats är att lämna ett litet bidrag till Svenska kyrkans självreflektion och därmed till ekumeniska samtal genom att undersöka sammanläggningarnas konsekvenser för församlingssyn och liv. Med denna sammanfattning besvarar jag även frågeställningarna; Vilken ecklesiologi kan efter relationsförändringarna utläsas i Svenska kyrkans utredningar och i Läronämndens yttranden över territorialförsamlingarna? Vad ger denna för implikationer för församlingen som koinonia? Genom att analysera den ecklesialitet som framträder i Svenska kyrkans utredningar och Läronämndens yttranden har jag sökt finna svar på frågan hur territorialförsamlingarnas ecklesiologi framträder och vilka implikationer detta kan ha för den ekumeniska förståelsen av kyrkan som koinonia. Jag har visat ett plausibelt samband mellan sammanläggningar av territorialförsamlingar med kommunalisering av kyrkan och ett organisatoriskt skifte från Gemeinschaft till Gesellschaft.Territorialförsamlingarna har genom sammanläggningar gått mot större ekonomiska enheter med större geografisk storlek och ökad genomsnittlig mängd tillhöriga per församling. Man har rört sig från ett övre tak av antalet medlemmar i en församling till en miniminivå. Denna nivå syftar till att utgöra ett tillräckligt stort kyrkoavgiftsunderlag i syfte att bära kostnader för personal och fastigheter. Med detta har man rört sig från att antalet medlemmar avgör mängden personal till att mängden personal avgör antalet medlemmar.Samtidigt som antalet medlemmar minskar ökar antalet anställda. Svenska kyrkan kan beskrivas som tjänsteinriktad folkkyrka där välutbildad och kunnig personal utgör den faktiska församlingen medan den tillhörige primärt konsumerar religiösa tjänster. Den demokratiska organiseringens offentligrättsliga karaktär stärker den Gesellschaft¬-struktur som utvecklats över åren. Möjligheten för den enskilda att ta ansvar för, och engagera sig i, sin församling som förtroendevald går via nomineringsgruppernas respektive vallista och inte via det direkta engagemanget i församlingen. Man skulle kunna säga att församlingsbon lämnar över sitt religiösa liv att skötas av anställa och nomineringsgrupper å sina vägnar. Ett slags helig gemenskap på entreprenad där den enskildes ansvar flyttas till nomineringsgruppen och kyrkolivet sköts av proffs medan den enskilde döpte kan komma och fylla på sitt själsliv vid behov eller vid högtidliga tillfällen. De anställda och förtroendevalda bildar en slags ställföreträdande koinonia medan de tillhöriga blir passiva konsumenter som inte ser sig själva som kyrka. Denna ställföreträdande koinonia riskerar även att leda till en organisatorisk donatism, där förståelsen av kyrkan som en samling rättfärdiggjorda syndare tonas ner då graden av professionalitet ökar.När kyrkan blir för lik världen hamnar dess skapelseteologiska annorlundaskap i bakvattnet till förmån för statsvetenskaplig och ekonomisk rationalism och då riskerar kyrkan att delas upp i en yttre organisation och en inre gemenskap där den förras mätbarhet hamnar i förgrunden. Kyrkans organisering behöver istället hålla ihop med dess syfte att människor ska komma till tro och kristen gemenskap skapas. Kyrkans annorlundaskap som koinonia grundad i Treenigheten kan utgöra en förebild för världen och ge just de förutsättningar som en öppen folkkyrka behöver för sitt grundläggande uppdrag, sin lagstadgade identitet, sin ekonomi och som en del av den ekumeniska rörelsen. Inte minst i en tid av transition mot att vara en kyrka med mer likartade förutsättningar som andra samfund. / In the ecumenical movement the Church is often understood as koinonia – communion with (in) God realized in interpersonal community. In this essay, I have tried to show that the organizational structure in Church of Sweden after the separation of Church and state, risks forming a vicarious koinonia of staff and elected officials. Mergers of territorial parishes and an organizational shift from Gemeinschaft to Gesellschaft has shifted the view of who is part of the koinonia and put emphasis on employees and on the church as a provider of religious services while the parishioners are passive bystanders and form the basis for church tenth. The vicarious koinonia risks forming an organizational Donatism in which religious professionals replace the understanding of congregation as justified sinners, and of ecclesiological Docetism where the organization of the church is separated from its purpose of community and lived faith.  The church's identity as koinonia founded in the Trinity can set a model for the world and provide the conditions that an open folk church needs for its mission, its finances and as part of the ecumenical movement.

There is a great diversity of initiatives furthering unity among christians. Probably the most important ones are those of the World Council of Churches (WCC), the Roman Catholic Church as such and the Lausanne Movement of the Evangelicals. The "Runde Tisch" (=Round Table) brings together Austrian christians from all parts of the christian scenario as a new initiative towards unity. To find out, which of these initiatives is the most efficient, from a mission-strategical standpoint, this thesis develops the New Testament findings on the question of unity. Then, the 4 models are presented to finally be compared, to find out, where each one has its strengths and weaknesses. The Round Table Austria with its great width of christians involved, its theological profoundness and its leadership structure with proportional engagement of members from all present parts of the christian body is indeed quite close to the New Testament picture of unity. / Initiativen, die die Einheit unter Christen fördern gibt es sehr viele. Mit zu den wichtigsten zählen die des Weltkirchenrates (WCC), die Römisch-katholische Kirche als solche und die Lausanner Bewegung der Evangelikalen. Der Runde Tisch bringt in Österreich Christen aus allen Richtungen der Christenheit in eine neue Einheitsinitiative zusammen. Um nun herauszufinden, welche dieser Initiativen missionsstrategisch effizient ist, entfaltet diese Arbeit zunächst den neutestamentlichen Befund zur Frage der Einheit unter Christen. Dann werden die vier Modelle dargestellt und abschließend mit dem Ziel verglichen, herauszuarbeiten, wo die Stärken und Schwächen eines jeden Ansatzes liegen. Hierbei dient als Maßstab der Befund der neutestamentlichen Analyse. Der Runde Tisch Österreich liegt mit seinem breiten Spektrum an vertretenen Christen, seiner theologischen Tiefe und richtungsparitätischen Leitungsstruktur sehr nahe bei den neutestamentlichen Vorgaben zur Einheit unter Christen. / Christian Spirituality, Church History & Missiology / M. Th. (Missiology)

This study examines archival materials, pertinent literary sources, and fifteen interviews (listed in the PREFACE) in order to understand the impact on the Africa Evangelical Church (AEC) by its founding body, the South Africa General Mission/ Africa Evangelical Fellowship (AEF). It also explores the possible contributions that both the Mission and the Church could make to their continued growth as they move together into the 21st century. CHAPTER 1 places the AEF within the historical context of the past two hundred years and clearly identifies it as an interdenominational faith mission. AEF's history is developed in CHAPTER 2 and the Mission is measured against Klaus Fiedler's "historical typology" of the Protestant missionary movement. While primarily typical when compared to other missions of the same type in the same period, the Mission falls below average in other areas. Since the years being discussed fall within the apartheid era, CHAPTER 3 portrays the political positioning of AEF missionaries. The biblical bases and pragmatic stances for such positioning are considered before the chapter ends with a general biblical evaluation of AEF' s position. Having discussed the Mission at length, CHAPTER 4 moves into the circumstances surrounding the beginnings and eventual autonomy of the Africa Evangelical Church (AEC). Its ministry relationships with the Mission, as well as its established constitution, are studied before the chapter concludes with a comparison of the AEF and AEC. Since they are more similar than dissimilar, the AEF's influence on the AEC is umnistakably clear. The political events which heavily impacted the context in which both the AEF and AEC ministered are briefly presented in CHAPTER 5. Four different documents, which record the theological reflections of evangelicals in terms of the apartheid's injustices, are mentioned along with the lack of both AEF and AEC response to them. Following the outlining of changes in political stance, CHAPTER 6 delves into possible contributions which both the Mission and the Church could make, separately and jointly, to move more proactively toward relevant change in South Africa. Neither wish to dwell on the past. Both intend to keep "God First" and always to "Go Forward." / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / D.Th. (Missiology)

Thesis (DTh (Systematic Theology and Ecclesiology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2004. / This dissertation explores how Anglican and Protestant church perspectives on the papacy are increasingly changing, as they identify the need for and value of a universal ministry of unity that may potentially be recognised in the future as a legitimate and propitious structure of ministry, though not without modification.

Annotation: The thesis Roman Catholic Church and the ecumenical movement since the end of II. World War II until the end of the pontificate of John Paul II. discusses the efforts that were made in Roman Catholic Church toward the ecumenical movement after World War II. The content of this thesis describes different pontificates, characteristics of popes and their impact on ecumenism. It also gives the definition of the ecumenical movement and its development. In the third chapter, this thesis analyzes II. Vatican Council and its ecumenical approchement with the terms of the Roman Catholic Church with other Christian churches.

L’affirmation de l’Église « Une » comme une réalité présente dans l’histoire fait partie de la tradition catholique. Après la naissance du mouvement œcuménique, Yves Congar (1904-1995) introduit dans la théologie catholique le principe ecclésiologique de l’œcuménisme. Il s’agit de penser la vie chrétienne des autres baptisés à partir de leurs Communions. Pour mettre en évidence ce principe herméneutique, cette thèse étudie sa portée théologique dans l’œuvre congarienne (1931 à 1954), se penche sur sa réception dans le décret sur l’œcuménisme Unitatis Redintegratio (1964), dans l’encyclique Ut Unum Sint (1995) et dans quelques documents récents, avant de proposer son inscription dans une théologie de l’ Église structurée à partir de l’institutionnalité de la grâce, située dans une perspective eschatologique. / The assertion of the Church as “One” present throughout history is part of the Roman Catholic tradition. After the appearance of the ecumenical movement, Yves Congar (1904-1995) introduces the ecclesiological principle of ecumenism in catholic theology. The idea is to think of the Christian life of the other baptized based on their Communion. To emphasize this hermeneutics’ principle, this thesis studies its theological impact on the congarian work (1931-1954) and ponders over its reception within the decree on ecumenism Unitatis Redintegratio (1964), within the encyclical Ut Unum Sint (1995) as well as in recent documents. It will also lead on to suggesting its recording in one theology of the Church structured by the institutionalization of grace in an eschatological perspective.

In recent decades in Newfoundland, a sustained interest in Christian symbols, stories, and values has been paired with increasing criticism of Christian religious institutions and agents. Newfoundlands burgeoning tradition of professional humour has reflected this changing set of relationships to Christianity. This robust young humour tradition richly reflects the ongoing pluralization and secularization of Newfoundland culture, and abundantly exemplifies humours distinctive potential as a means of addressing potentially contentious or vexing issues. Yet, surprisingly, literary criticism has almost entirely avoided the prominent stream of Newfoundland humour that addresses the islands religious legacy.<p>This project aims to begin to correct this substantial critical omission, examining points of continuity among a number of works produced over the past four decades. It focuses on the works embrace of political and/or epistemological pluralism, typically married to religious skepticism and to misgivings about conventional arrangements of religious power. Chapter One provides an historical and critical context for the project, introduces subsequent chapters, and speculates on ramifications of the pluralistic current that runs through the works in the study. Chapter Two examines religious jokes in Newfoundland joke books. It emphasizes the jokes overall tendency toward (an often ambiguous) religious conservatism, as well as the books latent pluralism regarding interdenominational relations. Chapter Three focuses on journalist and playwright Ray Guys often fierce satire of Christian religious agents and institutions. It argues that Guys satire utterly rejects the legitimacy of religious authority in the civic realm, largely on the grounds that transcendent truthfulness is often invoked as a means of justifying otherwise objectionable power. Chapter Four explores the ecumenical religious humour of columnist and memoirist Ed Smith. It focuses on Smiths playful efforts to harmonize Christian faith and practice with a measure of religious uncertainty presented as a necessary foundation for humane coexistence. Chapter Five examines Ed Kavanaghs novel The Confessions of Nipper Mooney. Primarily, it explicates and examines the novels liberal favouring of the individual moral conscience, and the symbolic association of its religiously dissident and/or marginalized protagonists with elements of the Catholic tradition. Chapter Six discusses Berni Stapletons comic play The Pope and Princess Di. The chapter emphasizes the plays presentation of symbols constant subjection to alteration and hybridization, and its cautious regard for valuable symbols (religious or otherwise) that nonetheless become destructive when viewed as sacrosanct.<p>Chapter Seven concludes the study by considering the works participation in political, philosophical, and literary/dramatic movements that problematize long-established religious modes and support a secular-pluralist outlook. It reflects on the role of humour in movements for change and on didacticism and popular humour as features of publicly engaged literature; it discusses other works of Newfoundland humour that approach religious matters from similarly secular, though less overtly political, angles; and it speculates on some social implications of the ascendancy of liberal, pluralistic values, considering these Newfoundland works in a more general Canadian cultural context.

In recent decades in Newfoundland, a sustained interest in Christian symbols, stories, and values has been paired with increasing criticism of Christian religious institutions and agents. Newfoundlands burgeoning tradition of professional humour has reflected this changing set of relationships to Christianity. This robust young humour tradition richly reflects the ongoing pluralization and secularization of Newfoundland culture, and abundantly exemplifies humours distinctive potential as a means of addressing potentially contentious or vexing issues. Yet, surprisingly, literary criticism has almost entirely avoided the prominent stream of Newfoundland humour that addresses the islands religious legacy.<p>This project aims to begin to correct this substantial critical omission, examining points of continuity among a number of works produced over the past four decades. It focuses on the works embrace of political and/or epistemological pluralism, typically married to religious skepticism and to misgivings about conventional arrangements of religious power. Chapter One provides an historical and critical context for the project, introduces subsequent chapters, and speculates on ramifications of the pluralistic current that runs through the works in the study. Chapter Two examines religious jokes in Newfoundland joke books. It emphasizes the jokes overall tendency toward (an often ambiguous) religious conservatism, as well as the books latent pluralism regarding interdenominational relations. Chapter Three focuses on journalist and playwright Ray Guys often fierce satire of Christian religious agents and institutions. It argues that Guys satire utterly rejects the legitimacy of religious authority in the civic realm, largely on the grounds that transcendent truthfulness is often invoked as a means of justifying otherwise objectionable power. Chapter Four explores the ecumenical religious humour of columnist and memoirist Ed Smith. It focuses on Smiths playful efforts to harmonize Christian faith and practice with a measure of religious uncertainty presented as a necessary foundation for humane coexistence. Chapter Five examines Ed Kavanaghs novel The Confessions of Nipper Mooney. Primarily, it explicates and examines the novels liberal favouring of the individual moral conscience, and the symbolic association of its religiously dissident and/or marginalized protagonists with elements of the Catholic tradition. Chapter Six discusses Berni Stapletons comic play The Pope and Princess Di. The chapter emphasizes the plays presentation of symbols constant subjection to alteration and hybridization, and its cautious regard for valuable symbols (religious or otherwise) that nonetheless become destructive when viewed as sacrosanct.<p>Chapter Seven concludes the study by considering the works participation in political, philosophical, and literary/dramatic movements that problematize long-established religious modes and support a secular-pluralist outlook. It reflects on the role of humour in movements for change and on didacticism and popular humour as features of publicly engaged literature; it discusses other works of Newfoundland humour that approach religious matters from similarly secular, though less overtly political, angles; and it speculates on some social implications of the ascendancy of liberal, pluralistic values, considering these Newfoundland works in a more general Canadian cultural context.

This thesis explores prevailing and changing attitudes among Protestant Christians as manifested in the World Missionary Conference of 1910, held in Edinburgh, Scotland. It compares the conference to missionary literature to demonstrate how well it fit the context of the missionary endeavor during the Edwardian era. It examines the issues of race and empire in the thinking of conference participants. It pays particular attention to the position of West Africa and West Africans in conference deliberations. It suggests that the conference, which took place soon after the scramble for empire and just before World War I and the subsequent upsurge of nationalism and anti-colonialism, offers a valuable historical perspective on the uneven nature of globalizing Christianity.