Theologians from around the world are hoping talks being held this week in Columbus will justify efforts to promote Christian unity.
"Christian unity is not the monopoly of any Christian communion,'' said the Rev. William Lazareth, a retired New York bishop and leader of the Lutheran delegation to the talks.
"So we're here exploring what we can share together and what we can benefit from in light of limitations of the particularities of our own historical heritage.''
The talks, which opened yesterday and end Friday at the Pontifical College Josephinum on the Far North Side, were arranged by Lutheran and Roman Catholic leaders to follow up their historic 1999 agreement on "justification,'' a key issue that helped trigger the Reformation.
Representatives of Methodist churches and Reformed traditions – including the Reformed Church in America, the United Church of Christ and Presbyterians -- are offering their views of the 1999 agreement.
The Protestant doctrine of justification grew out of Reformation leader Martin Luther's belief that salvation is attained by faith, through God's grace, and not through good works. He believed the Catholic Church put too much emphasis on doing good deeds.
The 1999 "Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification'' attempts to explain faith and good works as they relate to salvation in language acceptable to Catholics and Lutherans. It says that salvation comes through faith, which results in "calling us to good works.''
The Rev. George Freeman, general secretary for the World Methodist Council, told about 30 people attending the opening session that ecumenical talks in recent years have been important.
Without those, he said, "Most of our member churches would be limited in their understanding of ecumenism, and would be handicapped in their awareness of how to be in dialogue and how to be in conversation with their neighbors in the same block in another Christian church.''
Freeman, whose council represents 33 million members in 108 countries, said Methodists "are always eager to come to the table with fellow believers if doing so will promote unity.''
"We are happy to be at this table,'' he said. "John Wesley (Methodist founder) said, 'The world is my parish.' Unfortunately, today too many of our pastors think, and our lay people think, that my parish is my world. But it's bigger than that.''
The Rev. Anna Case-Winters, a Presbyterian who teaches at McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago, outlined some areas of agreement and disagreement that Reformed churches have with the 1999 document.
She, too, stressed the importance of unity and called it a gift from God.
Also at the opening session were Monsignor Earl Boyea, Josephinum president and rector; the Rev. Norman E. Dewire, president of the Methodist Theological School in Ohio in Delaware; and the Rev. Mark Ramseth, president of Trinity Lutheran Seminary in Bexley.
Boyea said the three local seminaries have worked together for many years. There have been obstacles, but "your presence here reminds us not to give up,'' he said.