News
by Theodore Gill (*)
Why do some Christians support one position on a public issue while other Christians defend the opposing viewpoint? How do some churches come to adopt a particular moral stance, yet other church bodies disagree with that conclusion? Can Christianity avoid divisions within and among churches over such conflicts?
The manner in which Christians and their churches approach controversial topics occupied two full sessions of the Faith and Order Plenary Commission as it met at the Orthodox Academy of Crete in Kolympari, Greece from the 7th through the 13th of October. Reflecting on four case studies specially written for the meeting, discussion groups of participants composed of men and women from a range of church traditions identified sources of authority, patterns of thought and other significant influences that lead believers to varied conclusions in disputes over moral theology and Christian social ethics.
"Moral discernment in the churches" is a new area of study for Faith and Order, growing out of past studies on "Ethics and ecclesiology" and "Christian perspectives on theological anthropology". An experimental aspect in the inauguration of this project is the use of case studies dealing with issues that have caused actual controversies and threatened division in churches.
At the meeting in Crete, the four "case" narratives prepared by scholars dealt with the topics of proselytism in Russia, economic globalization as evaluated within the World Alliance of Reformed Churches, homosexuality in the Anglican communion and disagreements over stem cell research in Germany. Each case study began with an idealized account of a conversation among Christians who disagree on the given topic, and the story was followed by an academic analysis of what had been said. Opening the case in story form helped participants relate often abstract ethical positions to people living their lives in a particular place. No position on the issue under discussion was taken by the paper's author.
In introducing the method of study to the plenary, Faith and Order director John Gibaut clarified that the specific cases were "working tools": examples of "how particular communities of Christians engage in moral discernment in relation to particular moral issues". He added, "The case studies are not position papers. The authors, who write in their own names, do not represent official church positions. The case studies are not Faith and Order statements."
The group organizing this study process is co-chaired by Father Frans Bouwen, a Belgian priest of the Roman Catholic Church serving in Jerusalem, and the Rev. Dr Rebecca Todd Peters, a Presbyterian minister and chair of religious studies at Elon University in the United States.
In a press briefing near the end of the plenary, Father Bouwen commented, "For many, this has been a learning process." Some participants came to the meeting planning to debate the subject matter of an assigned case rather than the methodology of taking moral positions. He felt "their minds were changed once they discovered what the purpose of the process was".
Peters added that most initial resistance to this topic arose from misunderstandings about the intent. From feedback she heard following the group sessions, she said, "People have found it a rich experience that was worthwhile in itself. There was a potential for confusion, and we did experience some confusion early on. But I have every confidence that it will be a successful project."
Peters described the ongoing process as an inductive approach that has now begun with the analysis of case studies and formulation of reports from Kolympari. Bouwen and Peters will take back these results to their study group, probably at a meeting in summer 2010, and look for patterns in the reports from Crete that may suggest ways forward for Faith and Order.
The aims of the moral discernment study are to find common ground among Christians, to help churches understand how and why they come to different decisions on moral questions and, finally, to search together for ways to keep these issues from becoming church-dividing. "We are not saying that we will necessarily succeed", adds Peters, "but the goals are worth trying to achieve."
Bouwen explained that the method of the study itself is under constant review. "We are in the process now", he said, "but it is too early to say where it will go." Noting that some Faith and Order Plenary participants have expressed interest in planning similar studies in local or regional settings, he observed that careful training was provided for moderators of the small groups in Crete to keep discussions from wandering off topic. He concluded, "You would need people of some experience to lead such case studies at the local level."
(*) Theodore Gill is senior editor of WCC Publications in Geneva and a minister ordained by the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)