Controversy, division and reconciliation

Overview

Formal ecumenical structures and individual church figures working across the divide in Northern Ireland.

What you need to know

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Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

1. 1

   What models for handling conflict can be drawn from the letters themselves?

   Model answer

   Galatians shows public confrontation where a matter of principle is at stake, 1 Corinthians shows patient argument from a shared foundation together with an appeal to love, and Ephesians shows reconciliation grounded in what Christ has already done. The three together suggest that the response to conflict depends on whether the gospel itself or only Christian preference is in question.

2. 2

   Why is Ephesians 2:14–16 so often quoted in reconciliation work?

   Model answer

   The passage says that Christ is our peace, has broken down the dividing wall of hostility, and has created one new humanity out of two. Reconciliation is therefore presented as something already accomplished in Christ which the church is called to make visible.

3. 3

   Define ecumenism.

   Model answer

   Ecumenism is the movement seeking greater unity and cooperation between Christian churches. Ecumenism ranges from shared worship and joint social action to formal theological dialogue aimed at mutual recognition.

4. 4

   Give two examples of formal ecumenical structures.

   Model answer

   The World Council of Churches, formed in 1948, brings together Orthodox, Anglican and Protestant churches worldwide. The Second Vatican Council's decree on ecumenism in 1964 committed the Roman Catholic Church to the search for unity, and the Anglican–Roman Catholic International Commission has pursued theological agreement since 1970.

5. 5

   Name two cross-community initiatives in Ireland in which churches have been involved.

   Model answer

   The Corrymeela Community, founded in 1965 by the Presbyterian minister Ray Davey, has brought people from both traditions together for dialogue and shared living. The inter-church talks that began at Ballymascanlon in 1973 developed into the Irish Inter-Church Meeting, bringing the Roman Catholic Church and the member churches of the Irish Council of Churches into regular contact.

6. 6

   Give an example of individual church figures working across the divide in Northern Ireland.

   Model answer

   The Clonard–Fitzroy Fellowship linked a Redemptorist community and a Presbyterian congregation in Belfast through the work of Fr Gerry Reynolds and the Rev Ken Newell, who were later jointly recognised for their peace work. Fr Alec Reid of Clonard acted as an intermediary in the contacts that contributed to the political talks of the 1990s.

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