During and after the Reformation Protestantism separated into numerous independent sects. An early attempt to reverse this tendency was the Evangelical Alliance founded in England in ; an American branch was formed by Philip Schaff in In the Federal Council of Churches of Christ, composed of the larger Protestant denominations in the United States, was organized and strove to represent Protestant opinion on religious and social questions.
The movement known as Church Reunion in Great Britain and as Christian Unity in the United States was active in seeking a creed and polity behind which all Christians could unite. On an international scale the ecumenical movement really began with the World Missionary Conference at Edinburgh in This led to the establishment of the International Missionary Council, which fostered cooperation in mission activity and among the younger churches.
The World Council, bringing together Protestant, Orthodox Eastern including the Russian Orthodox Church , and Old Catholic bodies, is now the chief instrument of ecumenicity; in it united with the International Missionary Council. Progress has also been made in mergers between individual churches; notable examples include the Church of South India see South India, Church of , established in , the first union between episcopal and nonepiscopal churches, and in the United States, where there have been many mergers, the United Church of Christ.
Soon, however, splits and schisms surfaced and became the new reality. The primary instrument of the ecumenical movement is the World Council of Churches, now including more than Protestant and Orthodox churches from every continent. There is disagreement among American Christians about the value of Christian ecumenism. Those who support the movement, however, insist that Christian faith requires dialogue and deepening relationship among the various parts of the Christian family, even where they may disagree with one another.
Within the United States, the ecumenical witness of the churches is expressed in many ways. At the state and local levels, America has a multitude of councils of churches that embody an ecumenical vision of cooperation. At the national level, the National Council of Churches of Christ NCC brings a wide range of churches together for mission and education, for ministries of service and relief through Church World Service, for active engagement with the issues of racial, economic, and social justice, and for theological reflection on some of the doctrinal issues that still divide the churches.
While its leadership has long been predominantly white, the NAE is deliberately moving to broaden its membership and leadership to become more ethnically and racially inclusive. Data Archive. Compare Nations. Compare Regions. Regional Profiles Examine the religious composition, religious freedoms, demographics and multiple social and political measures for 22 global regions and the world.
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Search Timelines:. Stay Connected. Subscribe to the ARDA:. GIS Maps. All Rights Reserved. However, many trace the origins of the modern ecumenical movement to the early 20th century. In , the Federal Council of Churches of Christ in America FCC officially organized in Philadelphia, composed of 29 different denominations concerned with social problems.
The World Missionary Conference brought together U. By the midth century, the ecumenical movement continued with the founding of the World Council of Churches in as well as increasing ecumenical efforts among Catholics, including the Second Vatican Council and the Joint Catholic-Orthodox Declaration Today, ecumenical efforts continue among various religious traditions, reflecting a persistent desire for religious unity.
Interactive Timeline s Social Movements and Religion Browse Related Timeline Entries Social Movements and Religion in American History Narrative Ecumenism is the effort to foster understanding and cooperation among divided Christian churches, the ultimate goal being their reconciliation in some form of unity. The most concerted efforts in these directions are found in the modern ecumenical movement, which refers to the structures, institutions, and practices organized for these ends.
Mott and Scottish Free Churchman J. Though Roman Catholics and Orthodox were not invited to the WMC, the meeting galvanized Protestant forces and opened the way for other ecumenical projects even as it modeled the shape of other world councils to come across the twentieth century that would be broader in scope and participation.
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