Ecumenism

Ecumenism symbol from a plaque in St. Anne's Church, Augsburg, Germany. It shows Christianity as a boat at sea with the cross serving as the mast.

Ecumenism (or Oecumenism) is the idea that the different Christian denominations should work together more than they currently do and, if disagreements can be fully resolved, unify. This idea is different from religious toleration and interfaith dialogue, which refers to Christianity's relations with other religions. Over the years, Christianity has been split into many different movements. These separations are based on doctrine, on history, and what people do in everyday life.

The term ecumenical comes from the Latin oecumenicus, a phrase referring to "the whole world", meaning literally "inhabited" (lived in). In Christianity, the qualification ecumenical is originally (and still) used in terms such as Ecumenical council and Ecumenical Patriarch. The meaning pertains to the totality of the larger Church (such as the Catholic Church or the Eastern Orthodox Church). It is not restricted to one of its local churches or dioceses.

The ecumenical symbol is a boat on water with a Christian cross as the mast; this is based on the gospel story of Jesus calming the storm on the Sea of Galilee. It has become the official logo of the World Council of Churches and many other ecumenical organizations.

Related pages

• Gamaliel's principle
• Inclusivism
• Invisible church
• Irenicism
• One true church
• One true faith
• Postdenominationalism
• Religious pluralism
• Rimé movement
• Sectarianism