“The reason we engage in ecumenical dialogue is so that we never get to the stage of destroying each other again.” In this rather laconic way Rev. Bruce Johnson pointed out the seriousness of historical divisions between the different streams of the churches. History is full of the physical, ecclesial and emotional debris of battles over who is right. The objects of debate have often been interpretations of biblical texts and perceptions of truth.
This year on 31 October, ten years after the historic signing of the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification by the Roman Catholic Church and the Lutheran World Federation (the World Methodist Council ratified it in 2006), a seminar was held in Brisbane to discuss the significance and impact of the document. Quite aptly the invitation was issued jointly by the leaders of the Lutheran Church (Queensland District), the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane and the Uniting Church in Australia (Queensland Synod). Here we bring you some highlights of the contributions of speakers from all three traditions.
How does the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification (“Joint Declaration”) affect Lutheran-Catholic relations? This was the opening question posed by Father Gerard Kelly of the Roman Catholic Church.
The heart of the gospel message
The Joint Declaration, Father Kelly explained, sets all other questions in a new light. The Doctrine of Justification “takes us to the heart of the gospel message.” The parties to the Declaration now approach each other differently because their context has changed. Now “we share a conviction that we are working together at the service of the gospel.”
The Joint Declaration helped the participating churches to deal with crises, Fr Kelly added. He mentioned the reaction to the release by the Vatican of Dominus Iesus in 2000, which was seen to question the validity of the ecclesial identities of other churches, noting that due to ongoing dialogue relations were not disconnected and joint projects were still possible.
The graciousness of God
Like the speakers that followed him, Fr Kelly admitted that reception of the document in his church had been disappointing. The term “justification,” he said, was “not Catholic language,” making it hard to convey the significance of the Joint Declaration. Nevertheless in the Catholic Church there was, he said, a renewed understanding of the graciousness of God, giving rise to thanksgiving and generating something like a new school of spirituality. At the same time as a result of the Joint Declaration the Catholic Church had gained a heightened sensitivity for any language that sounded like “works theology” [i.e. gaining salvation through one’s own deeds or piety].
According to Father Kelly the Doctrine on Justification “takes us to the heart of the gospel message.” As such it had a lot to say about twenty-first century self-sufficiency. The Church, said Father Kelly, “stands or falls” on this very doctrine.
Reconciled diversity
Rev. John Vitale, retired Lutheran minister and a leading figure in ecumenism in Queensland, described the ecumenical movement as one of “reconciled diversity,” which was what the Joint Declaration underlined. Echoing the words of Father Kelly he stressed that “justification stands in an essential relation to all the truths of the faith.” While admitting that the Lutheran World Federation, taking stock after five years, noted that “progress [since the signing of the Joint Declaration – ed.] had been patchy,” Rev. Vitale pointed to a new level of respect between the two churches resulting from the removal of condemnations that had been spoken by both sides at various historical junctures since the Reformation. The dialogue on the subject of oversight in the Roman Catholic Church and the Lutheran Church in Australia had been very positive, he acknowledged.
Rev. Vitale drew attention to another important factor in the renewed relationships emerging from the Joint Declaration, namely the ease with which the churches can now work together to address issues of global significance, e.g. disasters and emergency responses.
Methodists signed
The highlight of developments in the ten years since the signing of the Joint Declaration, said Rev. Vitale, was the signing of the document by the World Methodist Council in 2006.
Progress notwithstanding, Rev. Vitale noted some negative developments since the signing of the Joint Declaration, not least the lack of reception of it at the grassroots level. Generally speaking, he said, there seemed to be a downturn in knowledge of the Christian faith, and this extended to churchgoers.
Overcoming ecclesial tensions
According to Rev. Vitale the release of Dominus Iesus in 2000 and similar subsequent statements from Vatican sources had unfortunately “given ammunition to those who want to lock the doors again.” It was necessary to point to the “one holy catholic and apostolic church” as being founded on the grace of God in Christ. Thus the Doctrine of Justification was the place to start when trying to overcome ecclesial tensions.
The pressures of Pietism
On the Lutheran side, Rev. Vitale pointed to the Pietist arm of the church, which burdened people with a “depressing weight of fear” – the fear of displeasing God by failing to live up to certain standards of Christian living and expression of the faith. This was the opposite of what is intended in the doctrine of justification, he implied, since justification revealed the gift of grace, freeing people from the need to earn their salvation before God.
A common approach to scripture
Rev. Bruce Johnson of the Uniting Church in Australia, Queensland Synod, came at the topic from a different angle. The Joint Declaration was exciting, he said, because it meant that the churches which signed it had “come to new insights” and a “common way of reading scripture.” Present differences within the Uniting Church, and differences of opinion within the Presbyterian Church at the time of the founding of the Uniting Church, were based on differing ways of reading scripture, he explained.
The Uniting Church brings together churches that are part of the Reformed traditions in Australia. In the global context of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches, Rev. Johnson did not see much progress in the reception of the Joint Declaration, indicating that it might thus seem fruitless to pursue it here in Australia. Yet it was vital, he stressed, that these differences “should not keep us apart.” It would be presumptuous to assume that particular churches could come to an agreement about “the work of God” because that would be tantamount to saying that other traditions outside of such an agreement had invalid understandings of the same subject. Rev. Johnson underlined the importance of finding “a level of humility” which recognized that “none of us sees the truth completely.”
“To know God better”
In dialogue we “edge closer to an understanding of God,” said Rev. Johnson, pointing to the words of St Paul in 1 Corinthians 13. The purpose of searching was “not to resolve the question but to know God better” – it is God, he said, who breaks down barriers, not we ourselves. The more we express our unity in Christ, “the more a hungry world will hear… that God has sent his Son” into the world.
It was indeed humbling and exciting to see the three speakers sitting side by side at the front of the room, discussing the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification with a sense of deep appreciation for each other’s viewpoints over five hundred years since that very doctrine tore the Church apart.
