on his 80th birthday October 1st 2011 To the honor of Archbishop emeritus John Vikström emeritus John Vikström Archbishop the honor of To The Same in all Directions – Lutheran Identity and – Lutheran Identity in all Directions The Same Church

RESEPTIO 2/11 Archbishop emeritus Dr. John Vikström (1931) is one of the most influential Lutheran influential most the of one is (1931) Vikström John Dr. emeritus Archbishop and ecumenical church leaders. As Archbishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of (1982-98) he promoted ecumenism roots of in the Lutheran many the ways. primary ecumenical dialogue Starting partner was from the the Roman . In this direction he paved the contributions. way Archbishop for many Vikström noteworthy promoted significantly the Lutheran Anglican process and good relations with the Lutheran sister churches. In Finland he initiated the ecumenical dialogue with the Orthodox Church of Finland in 1989 and led many delegations in the bilateral dialogue with the Church Free Evangelical the with dialogue official an had Church our Russian time his During Orthodox Church. (1983-84) and the Pentecostal Awakening (1987-89), and the also Finnish the began in dialogue 1997. As with a deep Christian opportunity thinker to Vikström give had papers the in large ecumenical meetings like in Vancouver (1983). According to him, renewal belongs together with the heritage diversity legitimate the only not “Stressing of formulated: Vikström Archbishop faith Church. of the early of character churches’ Lutheran the strengthen undoubtedly will continuity the also but the same church in all directions. communio.” In this way it is possible to be Archbishops Martti Simojoki and John Vikström, two prominent Lutheran ecumenical leaders. two prominent Vikström, Archbishops Martti Simojoki and John RESEPTIO 2/2011 The Same Church in all Directions – Lutheran Identity and Ecumenism

Foreword...... 3 The Most Rev. Dr. Kari Mäkinen, Archbishop of and Finland

I Introduction John.Vikström’s.Ecumenical.Outlook...... 4 Rev. Dr. Risto Cantell

II Ecumenical Contributions by Archbishop Vikström Where.are.We.Standing,.Where.are.We.Going?.An.Attempt.at.an.Ecumenical.Position. and.Setting.a.course.for.the.Evangelical.Lutheran.Church.in.Finland...... 15 A Lecture in Nordic WCC/CEC meeting in Järvenpää, on January 13-15, 1995

Lutheran.Christian.Identity.in.an.Increasingly.International.World...... 23 Presentation at the Congress of the Christian Folk High Schools in Eurajoki, on January 19, 1996

The.Ecumenical.Policy.of.the.Evangelical.Lutheran.Church.of.Finland...... 30 A Speech to the Bishops´ Conference of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland, on February 13, 1996

The.Lutheran.Church.and.Ecumenism...... 38 A Lecture at the International Study Meeting “ Bridget and the Holy Year” in , on November 12-13, 1999

Reconciliation.as.a.Gift.of.God...... 49 A Speech given to the Church Leaders´ Conference of LWF European Member Churches in Budapest, on December 9, 1996

The.Next.Steps.on.the.Road.Towards.Unity.in.Faith.and.Love...... 57 Comments on the Introduction by Cardinal Cassidy in , on August 21, 1993

The.Church.as.a.Gift.and.a.Mission...... 60 A Lecture at the Leningrad Theological Academy, on the occasion of receiving an honorary doctorate, on June 14, 1985

The.Porvoo.Process.-.the.Main.Concerns.of.the.Evangelical.Lutheran.Church.of.Finland...... 63 A Contribution at the Church Leaders´ Consultation in Trondheim, on September 2, 1996

The.Porvoo.Common.Statement.from.the.Lutheran.Point.of.View.and.the.Statement´s. Significance.for.the.Lutheran-Roman.Catholic.Dialogue...... 66 A Lecture at the Centro Pro Unione in Rome, on November 18, 1994 Europe.in.Our.Hearts.-.The.Evangelical.Lutheran.Church.of.Finland.and. the.Integration.of.Europe...... 76 A Speech at the Ecumenical Association for Church and Society in Brussels, on February 21, 1995

Mission.and.Kingdom.of.God.–.Redemption.and.Kingdom.of.Peace.as.Object.of.Faith. and.Ethical.Task..A.Contribution.to.the.Current.Interchurch.Dialogue...... 83 Lutheran contributions to the Missio Dei, LWF 1984

Life.–.a.Gift.of.God...... 93. A Contribution at the 6th General Assembly of the World Council of Churches in Vancouver, 24 July – 10 August 1983

Contemporary.Challenges.to.the.Christian.Church.as.I.see.them...... 98 A Lecture given in Christ Church in Indianapolis, on July 31, 1996

III Sermons on Special Ecumenical Occasions Life.and.Peace...... 106 A Sermon at the ”Life and Peace” peace conference in Uppsala, Final Worship Service in the , on April 23, 1983

“I.am.the.vine...”...... 109 A Speech at an Ecumenical Service in Conjunction with the Visit of His Holiness Pope John Paul II in Turku, on June 5, 1989

Through.the.Valley.of.Grace...... 112. A Speech given as Part of an Ecumenical Worship Service in St. Peter´s Basilica in Rome, on October 5, 1991

The.Fourth.Basket...... 115 A Sermon given at the Worship Service in the Lutheran Cathedral on the Occasion of the CSCE Meeting in Helsinki, on March 29, 1992

In.the.Service.of.Reconciliation.and.Hope...... 118 A Sermon given in Westminster Abbey in London on the Occasion of the Signing the Porvoo Declaration, on November 28, 1996

ISSN 1235-8878 RESEPTIO/kirkkohallituksen ulkoasiain osasto, teologiset asiat Osoite: PL 185, 00160 Helsinki, p. 09 180 2287, www.evl.fi/kkh/kuo/ Toimituskunta: Tomi Karttunen (kirjan toimittaja), Risto Cantell, Lorenz Grönvik, Heikki Jääskeläinen, Tapani Saarinen (toimitussihteeri) Käännökset: Michael Cox, Christopher Grapes, David Huisjen, Ira Parvelahti, Tuire Valkeakari, Marlene Whiting Etukannen kuva: Studio Brahe 1998 Takakannen kuva: Kirkon tiedotuskeskus 1992 Logon suunnittelu: Juha Silvo Paino ja taitto: Kopio Niini Oy Foreword

Mt. Reverend. Dr. John. Vikström,. dialogues. both. in. Finland. and. abroad.. Archbishop. of. Turku. and. Finland,. Archbishop. Vikström. was. a. respected. has. played. a. significant. role. in. the. ecumenical.theologian.and.Church.leader. ecumenical.movement.in.Finland,.in.the. both.in.east.and.west.as.well.as.in.north. Nordic. Countries. and. in. international. and.south. ecumenical. organizations.. During. his. time.in.the.leadership.in.the.Evangelical. John.Vikström.is.celebrating.1.10.2011. Lutheran. Church. of. Finland. first. as. his. 80. years. anniversary.. In. order. to. Bishop.of.the.Swedish.speaking.. commemorate. his. close. coworkers. will. of.Borgå.(Porvoo,.1970-1982).and.later. publish. in. English. a. collection. of. his. as. Archbishop. of. Turku. and. Finland. important. ecumenical. articles,. lectures. (1982-1998). our. Church. was. an. active. and. sermons.. They. have. been. held. in. and.highly.influential.member.church.in. different.contexts.and.situations.during. the. Conference. of. European. Churches. the.past.years,.but.nevertheless.they.are. (CEC),. Finnish. Ecumenical. Council. still.actual.and.relevant.also.in.the.present. (FEC),. Lutheran. World. Federation. challenging. and. changing. ecumenical. (LWF),. Nordic. Ecumenical. Council. situation. (NEC). and.World. Council. of. Churches. (WCC). I. am. honored. to. be. asked. to. write. this. short.foreword.in.this.volume.“The.Same. At. the. same. time. the. direct. mutual. Church. in. all. Directions.–. Lutheran. relations.to.other.churches.and.ecclesial. Identity.and.Ecumenism”.and.to.express. communions. increased. greatly.. my. warm. gratitude. to. my. honored. and. Evangelical.Lutheran.Church.of.Finland. highly.esteemed.predecessor.on.the.seat. was. also. actively. involved. in. bilateral. of.St..Henry.

Kari Mäkinen Archbishop of Turku and Finland

ISSN 1235-8878 RESEPTIO/kirkkohallituksen ulkoasiain osasto, teologiset asiat Osoite: PL 185, 00160 Helsinki, p. 09 180 2287, www.evl.fi/kkh/kuo/ Toimituskunta: Tomi Karttunen (kirjan toimittaja), Risto Cantell, Lorenz Grönvik, Heikki Jääskeläinen, Tapani Saarinen (toimitussihteeri) Käännökset: Michael Cox, Christopher Grapes, David Huisjen, Ira Parvelahti, Tuire Valkeakari, Marlene Whiting Etukannen kuva: Studio Brahe 1998 Takakannen kuva: Kirkon tiedotuskeskus 1992 Logon suunnittelu: Juha Silvo Paino ja taitto: Kopio Niini Oy

3 I INTRODUCTION

John Vikström’s Ecumenical Outlook

Rev..Dr..Risto.Cantell

During. John. Vikström’s. tenure. as. the. Church.of.Finland.was.the.best.and.most. archbishop. of. Turku. and. Finland. from. active.member.church.in.the.Conference. 1982. to. 1998,. the. Evangelical. Lutheran. of. European. Churches.. Upon. hearing. Church.of.Finland.strengthened.her.ties. this,. Huotari. hailed. a. passing. Finn. and. with. other. churches. and. ecumenical. said,. “Come. hear. this.. I’m. sure. you. organizations.. Vikström. is. known. in. will. find. this. interesting. and. pleasing.”. Canterbury,. Geneva,. Constantinople,. Fischer.replied,.“He.already.knows.it,.as. Moscow. and. Rome. as. an. ecumenical. the. archbishop’s. former. secretary.. John. leader. whose. thoughtful. opinions. have. Vikström.has.often.called.himself.a.man. been.eagerly.sought..What.has.Vikström’s. of.the.CEC.” ecumenical. attitude. been?. This. article. explores.the.questions.of.what.Vikström. European Man of the Church attempted.to.achieve,.and.what.direction. the. Evangelical. Lutheran. Church. of. What.exactly.did.Jean.Fischer.mean.when. Finland. took. during. his. sixteen-year. he.called.Archbishop.Vikström.a.man.of. archiepiscopacy. the. Conference. of. European. Churches,. and.that.the.church.in.Finland.is.the.best. During.the.eighth.general.meeting.of.the. member.of.the.CEC?.How.can.Vikström. World.Council.of.Churches.(WCC).held. be.appropriated.as.an.attribute.of.a.single. in.Harare,.Zimbabwe,.in.1998,.the.former. ecumenical.organization? Secretary. General. of. the. Conference. of. European.Churches.(CEC),.Jean.Fischer,. Fischer. did. not. elaborate. on. his. claim. and. the. leader. of. the. delegation. of. the. during. the. coffee. break. in. Harare,. but. Evangelical.Lutheran.Church.of.Finland,. several.facts.supporting.his.interpretation. Bishop.of.Mikkeli,.Voitto.Huotari,.found. can. readily. be. found.. Archbishop. themselves.in.the.same.line.queuing.for. Vikström.was.one.of.the.three.chairs.of. coffee..While.waiting.for.their.coffee,.the. the.CEC.General.Assembly.held.in.Prague. gentlemen.discussed.the.ecumenical.input. in. 1992,. and. he. performed. this. difficult. of. the. Evangelical. Lutheran. Church. of. task.with.honor.. Finland.. At. the. Assembly,. held. in. the. midst. of. Fischer.said.that.the.Evangelical.Lutheran. political. and. ecclesiastical. upheaval,.

4 Vikström. had. to. use. all. his. skill. and. These.are.some.of.the.reasons.that.might. energy. to. guide. the. disordered. meeting. have. led. Jean. Fischer. to. describe. the. to.a.sensible.and.democratic.conclusion.. Evangelical.Lutheran.Church.of.Finland. Together.with.the.Orthodox.Father.George. under. John. Vikström’s. direction. as. the. Tsetsis. and. the. Dutch. Reformed. Mrs.. most.active.church.in.the.CEC..His.views. Ploni. Robbers-van. Berkel,. he. directed. were.likely.also.influenced.by.the.fact.that,. discussions.with.skill.and.determination. over. the. last. few. years,. the. Evangelical. Lutheran.Church.of.Finland.has.increased. Vikström’s. friendly. but. firm. grip. also. her. financial. backing. of. the. CEC. and. kept.the.voluble.Orthodox..in.line.. acted.in.other.ways.to.support.the.day-to- The. chairman. and. Chrysostomos,. the. day.functioning.of.the.CEC. Metropolitan.of.Peristerion,.occasionally. exchanged. terse. words. about. how. the. Following. the. break-up. of. the. Soviet. meeting. was. being. run. and. how. the. Union.and.the.end.of.the.Cold.War,.many. decisions. were. being. made.. However,. church. leaders. in. Europe. questioned. their.friendship.and.mutual.respect.were. whether. the. CEC,. which. had. worked. able. to. withstand. even. the. more. heated. on.behalf.of.the.détente.and.to.promote. moments.of.the.meeting. cooperation.between.the.churches.of.the. East. and. the. West,. had. any. relevance. When.the.CEC.and.the.Catholic.Council. in. the. new. Europe.. John. Vikström. was. of. European. Bishops’. Conferences. keen. to. point. out. that. continued. action. (CCEE). convened. the. second. European. for.the.unity.of.Europe.and.the.European. Ecumenical.Assembly. in. Graz. in. 1997,. churches.was.still.necessary.. Vikström.was.the.guest.of.honor..He.was. entrusted. with. delivering. the. blessing. Vikström’s. and. the. Finnish. Church’s. at. the. CEC. opening. service. after. the. attitude.was.proved.correct..The.CEC’s. Assembly.. time. is. not. yet. over.. Its. missions. and. challenges. have. changed. and. continue. At.the.Assembly.in.Graz,.the.CEC.passed. to.change,.but.it.is.still.needed..A.unified. a. measure. to. integrate. the. CEC. and. Europe.and.unity.between.the.churches. the. European. Ecumenical. Church. and. on.our.continent.is.by.no.means.a.given.. Society. Commission. (EECS),. a. process. Jean.Fischer.was.correct.in.saying.that. which. began. in. early. 1999..Archbishop. John.Vikström.is.an.important.European. Vikström,.along.with.the.Church.Council. cleric. for. International. Relations,. was. firmly. in. favor. of. the. integration. of. these. two. Supporter of the World Council of organizations..He.has.often.spoken.out.in. Churches favor.of.the.cooperation.between.various. ecumenical.groups.. Archbishop. Vikström’s. ecumenical.

5 activity.is.not.limited.just.to.Europe.and. liked.to.make.greater.use.of.his.ecumenical. the.management.of.European.ecumenical. abilities,.but.his.duties.as.archbishop.set. affairs..Vikström.could.equally.be.called. clear.limits.on.his.involvement.in.practice. a.man.of.the.World.Council.of.Churches.. The.WCC’s.Uruguayan.General.Secretary,. When. he. was. a. docent. at. the. Åbo. Rev.. Dr.. Emilio. Castro. (Methodist),. the. Academy,.John.Vikström.was.a.member. Bulgarian. Deputy. General. Secretary. of. the. Finnish. delegation. to. the. fourth. Prof.. Dr.. Todor. Sabev. (Orthodox). and. assembly.of.the.WCC.held.in.Uppsala.in. the. German. chairman. of. the. Central. 1968.. His. key. emphases. on. ecumenism. Committee,.Bishop.Heinz.Joachim.Held. and.his.long-lasting.friendships.date.from. (Lutheran/EKD). supported. Vikström. in. that.period.. many.key.ecumenical.issues.

At.the.WCC.assembly.held.in.Vancouver. In. the. WCC,. Vikström. emphasized. two. in.1983,.the.newly.installed.Archbishop. things. in. particular:. the. importance. of. John. Vikström. was. one. of. the. main. discussing.issues.of.doctrine.(the.task.of. presenters. and. leader. of. his. church’s. the.Faith.and.Order.Commission),.and.the. delegation.. In. Vancouver. he. was. also. necessity.of.clarifying.matters.relating.to. elected.to.the.Central.Committee.of.the. social. ethics.. He. wanted. to. develop. the. WCC.. He. held. this. position. until. the. World.Council.of.Churches.specifically.as. following,. seventh,. assembly. held. in. a.body.for.Christian.cooperation.that.paid. Canberra,. Australia,. in. 1991.. Vikström. close.attention.to.the.voices.of.its.member. was.also.the.vice-chairman.of.the.WCC’s. churches. third. program. unit,. and. was. actively. involved.in.planning.the.restructuring.of. A Lutheran Church Leader the.WCC..At.the.same.time,.back.home.he. was.serving.as.the.chairman.of.the.Finnish. Unlike. his. predecessors,. Archbishops. Ecumenical.Council,.and,.as.archbishop,. Mikko Juva. and. Martti Simojoki,. John. was. responsible. for. fostering. the. Vikström. did. not. serve. as. president. or. Evangelical.Lutheran.Church.of.Finland’s. vice-president. of. the. Lutheran. World. burgeoning.ecumenical.connections. Federation.(LWF),.nor.was.he.a.member. of. the. LWF. executive. committee.. In. the. World. Council. of. Churches,. Nevertheless,.he.has.done.a.great.deal.of. Vikström.rapidly.attained.a.key.position. work.for.the.Lutheran.World.Federation. of. influence.. He. had. good. connections. and. has. built. connections. between. with. representatives. of . most. churches.. different.Lutheran.churches.. Vikström’s. expertise. and. diplomatic. skills. were. also. employed. in. many. Vikström. led. his. church’s. delegation. at. different.assemblies.and.meetings..At.the. the.LWF.Assembly.in.Budapest.in.1984.. headquarters.in.Geneva,.they.would.have. He. was. also. present. at. the. meeting. of.

6 Lutheran. church. leaders. in. Geneva. in. ,.as.well.as.from.Suomi.College. 1994,. and. at. the. meeting. of. European. (now.Finlandia.University).in.Hancock,. Lutheran.church.leaders.in.Liebfrauenberg. Michigan,.in.the.United.States. in.1992.and.Budapest.in.1996..At.these. and.other.Lutheran.events,.John.Vikström. Archbishop.Vikström.received.an.honorary. has. clearly. raised. the. Evangelical. doctorate. of. theology. also. from. the. Lutheran. Church. of. Finland’s. Lutheran. Leningrad. Theological. Academy.. This. and.ecumenical.profile. extremely.rare.accolade.from.the.Russian. Orthodox.Church.demonstrates.how.well- At.the.conference.of.European.Lutheran. respected. the. archbishop. is. amongst. the. church. leaders. in. 1996,. Vikström. Orthodox.. delivered. a. presentation. about. the. foundations. of. Christian. social. ethics. During.his.student.days.at.the.University. that.related.to.the.themes.of.the.second. of.Helsinki,.John.Vikström.was.a.keen. European. Ecumenical. Assembly. held. student. of. Lutheran. theology.. He. was. in. Graz.. The. presentation. generated. especially. stimulated. by. the. work. of. discussion.and.feedback.even.outside.the. the.Swedish.theologians.Gustav.Aulen,. Lutheran. churches.. The. director. of. one. Ragnar. Bring,. Anders. Nygren. and. of. the. commissions. of. the. Conference. Gustav.Wingren. as. well. as. the. Danish. of.European.Churches.(and.later.Interim. theologian. Regin. Prenter.. Later,. the. General. Secretary. of. the. CEC),. the. seminars.jointly.led.by.professors.Lauri. theologian. and. Romanian. Orthodox. Haikola. and. Gotthard. Nygren. gave. Father,.Professor.Viorel.Ionita,.considered. him.a.thorough.grounding.in.Lutheran. it.the.best.presentation.on.social.ethics.he. social.ethics,.and.introduced.him.to.the. had.ever.read. theology. of. Professor. Herbert. Olsson.. This.stage.of.his.studies.was.excellent. Vikström. is. highly. respected. amongst. training.for.his.future.academic.career. the.Lutheran.churches.of.the.world..His. and. episcopacy.. Later,. as. lecturer. in. international.renown.may.be.even.greater. systematic.theology.and.then.as.assistant. than. his. fame. in. Finland.. His. approach. professor. of. ethics. and. philosophy. to.ecumenism,.which.combines.a.strong. of. religion. at. the. Swedish-speaking. Lutheran. identity. with. ecumenical. University.of.Turku.(Åbo.Academy.),.he. openness. towards. all,. has. inspired. was. able. to. make. extensive. use. of. his. admiration.and.respect.in.many.Lutheran. past.studies. sister. churches. in. Eastern. Europe,. . .and.the.U.S.A. As. Bishop. of. Porvoo,. and. even. before,. John. Vikström. had. a. reputation. as. an. He.has.received.honorary.doctorates.from. expert. in. social. ethics. and. was. often. the. Budapest. Theological. Academy. in. consulted.. He. served. for. several. years.

7 as.chairman.of.the. Church. Social.Work. churches).. The. signatories. agreed. on. a. committee. and. was. a. member. of. many. close. communion. based. on. a. common. committees.dealing.with.issues.regarding. understanding. of. justification,. known. church.order,.social.ethics.and.theology.. as. the. Leuenberg. Communion.. Other. Even. though. John. Vikström. did. not. members.of.the.working.group.included. specifically.study.Luther,.he.kept.up.with. Professor. Frederic. Cleve. and. Professor. the.Finnish.and.international.scholarship. Tuomo. Mannermaa.. The. general. . on.Luther..As.part.of.the.dialogue.between. of. the. Evangelical. Lutheran. Church. of. the. Evangelical. Lutheran. Church. of. Finland. accepted. the. working. group’s. Finland.and.the.Russian.Orthodox.Church,. recommendation. and. in. 1976. declined. he. became. acquainted. with. Tuomo. to. sign. the. Agreement,. but. ELCF. Mannermaa. and. his. project. on. Luther. participated.actively.in.the.consultations. at. the. University. of. Helsinki.. Like. his. and.theological.projects.organized.by.the. predecessor,.Archbishop.Martti.Simojoki,. Leuenberg.Communion. Vikström. supported. the. scholarship. of. Mannermaa. and. his. students,. and. was. Both. as. bishop. and. archbishop,. John. quick. to. appreciate. its. implications. for. Vikström. was. committed. to. seeing. that. Lutheran. theology. and. the. Church’s. the. council’s. decision. to. be. involved. in. ecumenical.efforts. the. theological. work. surrounding. the. Leuenberg.Communion.was.implemented.. An. important. influence. on. John. Our.church.has.regularly.sent.observers. Vikström’s.pastoral.outlook.and.preaching. to.the.Leuenberg.general.assemblies.and. was.Rev..Dr..Geert.Sentzke,.vicar.of.the. representatives.to.its.theological.working. German. Congregation. in. Helsinki,. with. groups..The.Finnish.church.has.also.acted. whom. Vikström. lodged. for. three. years. as.host.to.many.of.these.working.groups.. when.he.was.a.student.in.Helsinki. The. same. cooperation. has. continued. since. the. Communion. was. renamed. the. Building connections with the Communion. of. Protestant. Churches. in. Reformed Churches Europe.(CPCE).in.2003..

As.a.Lutheran.theologian,.John.Vikström. In. addition. to. the. Communion. of. has.always.wanted.to.foster.good.relations. Protestant.Churches.in.Europe,.the.most. with. the. Reformed. churches. and. their. important.channels.for.interaction.with.the. theologians.. He. chaired. in. the. working. Reformed.churches.have.been.the.World. group.that.prepared.the.Finnish.Church’s. Council.of.Churches.and.the.Conference. statement. regarding. the. Leuenberg of. European. Churches.. When. he. was. Concord.(1973),.which.fosters.fellowship. serving.on.the.Central.Committee.of.the. between. the. reformatory. churches. WCC,. John. Vikström. became. friends. (i.e.,. Lutheran,. Reformed. and. United. with.the.Rev..Dr..Paul.A..Crow,.president.

8 of.the.Council.on.Christian.Unity.of.the. before. making. a. final. decision.. They. Christian.Church.(Disciples.of.Christ)..A. maintained. a. close. correspondence. well. delegation. of. the. Evangelical. Lutheran. into. retirement.. Both. being. ecumenical. Church.of.Finland.led.by.the.archbishop. theologians,.they.considered.it.important. visited.the.headquarters.of.the.Disciples. to.promote.connections.in.all.directions. of. Christ. in. Indianapolis. and. became. from.the.basis.of.one’s.own.theological. acquainted.with.their.activities.and.vibrant. identity..They.both.had.very.close.ties.to. ecumenical. networks.. The. archbishop. the.largest.member.church.in.the.CEC,.the. later.sent.his.secretary.to.attend.the.synod. Russian.Orthodox.Church.and.its.leader,. of. this. very. ecumenically. oriented. and. the.Patriarch.of.Moscow.and.All.,. interesting. church.. A. delegation. of. the. Alexey.II.. Disciples. of. Christ,. led. by. the. Rev.. Dr.. Crow,. visited. Finland. in. 1998.. During. Respected by the Orthodox the.visit.the.delegation.experienced.many. aspects. of. the. life. of. our. church. and. John. Vikström’s. connections. with. the. participated. in. the. Finnish. preparatory. Orthodox.Church.are.worthy.of.a.chapter. seminar.for.the.WCC.General.Assembly. of. their. own.. Archbishop. Johannes. in.Harare. (Johannes. Wilho. Rinne,. 1923-2010,. Archbishop. of. Karelia. and. All. Finland. During. his. trips. to. Rome,. Archbishop. 1989-2001,. after. his. retirement. he. was. Vikström. has. often. visited. the. old. granted.the.title.of.Metropolitan.of.Nicaea. Waldensian.church.(Chiesa.Valdese).and. and.Exarch.of.Bithynia.by.the.Ecumenical. its. theological. faculty.. The. renowned. Patriarch. of. Constantinople). and. John. Waldensian. theologian,. Professor. Paolo. Vikström. were. colleagues. and. friends. Ricca,. greatly. appreciates. that. the. since.their.days.at.the.Åbo.Academy.in. archbishop.of.a.large,.majority,.Lutheran. the.1960’s..This.friendship.lasted.through. church. has. taken. pains. to. foster. good. the. years. despite. theological. variances.. relations.with.minority.Protestant.churches. The.archbishops’.attitudes.towards.female. in.his.own.country.and.around.the.world.. priesthood.and.some.societal.issues.may. John.Vikström.has.become.familiar.with. have.differed,.but.friendship.and.a.sense. Reformed.and.other.Protestant.churches. of.humor.bound.them.together. through. the. Conference. of. European. Churches.and.other.similar.organizations.. Both. the. Ecumenical. Patriarch. of. The. Swiss. Reformed. theologian. Jean. Constantinople,. Bartholomew. I,. and. Fischer.who.served.as.Secretary.General. the.Patriarch.of.Moscow.and.all.Russia,. of. the. CEC. was. close. friends. with. Alexey. II,. have. visited. Vikström. in. John. Vikström,. and. they. worked. well. Turku..Vikström.in.turn.has.visited.both. together.. Fischer. was. known. to. consult. Constantinople.and.Moscow..Close.ties. John. Vikström. about. important. issues. have.been.maintained.with.the.Russian.

9 Orthodox.Church.over.the.years.. Relationship with Rome The. archbishop. of. the. Lutheran. Church. has. led. the. delegation. of. the. Church. During. John. Vikström’s. time,. the. of. Finland. in. all. doctrinal. discussions. relationship.of.the.Evangelical.Lutheran. with. the. Russian. Orthodox. Church..The. Church.of.Finland.with.Rome.improved. eleventh.series.of.discussions,.the.last.of. noticeably..A.cool.distance.was.replaced. John. Vikström’s. archiepiscopacy,. took. by.a.warm.and.close.relationship.tempered. place.in.Lappeenranta.in.October.1998.. by. mutual. respect.. Contrary. to. critics’. The. Finnish. delegation. was. headed. by. fears,.Vikström.did.not.drag.the.Lutheran. Archbishop. Vikström. and. the. Russian. Church.back.to.Mother.Church.inRome.. delegation. by. Vladimir,. Metropolitan. of.St..Petersburg.and.Ladoga..Dialogue. He. consistently. rejected. “the. return. to. with. the. Orthodox. Church. in. Finland. Rome”. as. an. ecumenical. model.. He. began.in.1989,.at.Archbishop.Vikström’s. has. pointed. out. to. Roman. Catholic. initiative.. theologians,.that,.after.the.Second.Vatican. Council,. a. return. to. Rome. is. no. longer. Through.this.dialogue.and.other.contact,. even.what.is.on.offer..The.discussion.now. good. relations. have. been. built. up. with. is. about. a. restoration. of. unity.(Unitatis the. Russian. Orthodox. Church,. which. redintegratio).. It. is. a. challenge. issued. have. in. turn. benefited. the. Lutheran. to. all. churches. and. requires. penitence,. churches. in. Russia,. such. as. the. Ingrian. improvement.and.reform.from.everyone. Evangelical. Lutheran. Church,. and. the. German.Evangelical.Lutheran.Church.in. Archbishop.Vikström.met.with.Pope.John. Russia.and.other.states.(ELCROS)..At.the. Paul. II. on. several. occasions.. Of. these,. beginning.of.the.1990’s.the.only.group.the. two. in. particular. are. worth. mentioning.. Russian.Orthodox.Church.were.engaged. When. Pope. John. Paul. II. visited. the. in.doctrinal.dialogue.with.were.the.Finns.. Nordic.Countries.in.the.summer.of.1989,. the. archbishop. kindly. and. courteously. In. 1998,.Vikström. was. the. first. Finnish. received.him.in.Turku.Cathedral.and.the. Lutheran.archbishop.to.make.an.official. bishop’s.residence..Vikström.emphasized. visit. to. Constantinople.. It. is. a. good. the. importance. of. the. Bishops. of. both. illustration.of.the.ecumenical.situation.in. Turku.and.Rome.praying.together.for.the. Finland.at.the.time.that.the.archbishops.of. unity.of.the.Church.and.world.peace. both.national.churches.took.part..Patriarch. Bartholomew. received. his. guests. –. On.a.return.visit.to.Rome.in.October.1991,. Vikström. and. Archbishop. Johannes. –. Archbishops. John. Vikström. and. Bertil. graciously.and.reaffirmed.the.Ecumenical. Werkström. of. the. Church. of. . Patriarchate’s.commitment.to.ecumenical. were.the.first.leaders.of.other.churches.to. ties.and.close.links.with.Finland. officiate.at.Vespers.together.with.the.Pope.

10 at.the.main.altar.of.St..Peter’s.in.Rome.. of Justification. compiled. by. the. This.happened.in.conjunction.with.the.feast. Lutheran. World. Federation. and. the. celebrating. the. 600. years. anniversary. of. Roman. Catholic. Church. received. the. the.canonization.of.Saint.Birgitta..In.his. support. of. Archbishop. Vikström. and. sermon.at.St..Peter’s,.Archbishop.Vikström. the. Evangelical. Lutheran. Church. of. echoed.Birgitta’s.prayer,.“Lord,.show.me. Finland..I.doubt.that.any.other.Lutheran. the.way.and.make.me.ready.to.follow.it.” church. has. discussed. the. issue. of. Earlier,. in. 1985,. Pope. John. Paul. II. had. justification. as. long. and. as. thoroughly. told. Archbishop. Johannes,. Archbishop. as.the.Evangelical.Lutheran.Church.of. Vikström,. and. the. Catholic. Bishop. of. Finland.. Most. of. the. credit. for. this. is. Helsinki,.Paul.Verschuren,.that.he.hoped. due.to.the.archbishop.and.other.bishops,. that.“you.in.the.North.might.find.the.way. who.were.unanimously.agreed.in.their. to.the.reunion.of.the.Church”. support.of.the.Joint.Declaration.

In. Uppsala. in. 1993,. the. president. of. A Leading Nordic Cleric the. Pontifical. Council. for. Promoting. Christian.Unity,.Cardinal.Edward.Cassidy,. In. the. Nordic. Countries,. John.Vikström. suggested. that. the. Lutheran. churches. attained.a.position.unlike.that.of.anyone. of. Sweden. and. Finland. together. with. else..For.a.long.time.he.was.one.of.the. the. Catholic. . of. Helsinki. and. undisputed.spiritual.leaders.of.the.Nordic. Stockholm.should.work.with.the.Pontifical. churches.who.was.entrusted.with.the.most. Council.to.explore.possibilities.for.closer. difficult.responsibilities,.and.whose.word. unity.between.these.churches. was. heeded.. For. example,. the. Nordic. Ecumenical. Council. based. in. Uppsala. In. his. response,. Archbishop. Vikström. employed. Vikström. as. their. keynote. expressed. support. for. the. cardinal’s. speaker.in.their.major.seminars. suggestion,. but. said. that. the. churches. of. Sweden. and. Finland. represented. The.respect.and.authority.awarded.to.John. all. of. Lutheran. . and. this. Vikström.did.not.derive.solely.from.his. necessitated. investigating. the. true. position.as.archbishop..It.is.based.more.on. ecumenical. potential. between. the. his.personal.qualities,.his.modest.nature,. churches..Later,.in.discussions.among.the. his. relentless. honesty. and. theological. Lutheran.churches.of.the.Nordic.Countries. dependability..The.recent.archbishops.of. it.was.agreed.to.open.up.regional.dialogue. Sweden.have.often.noted.with.envy.that. with. the. Catholic. Church. in. the. North.. the.Church.of.Finland,.which.previously. The. venture. did. not. advance. beyond. a. was. like. a. little. brother. or. sister. to. the. mutual.agreement.of.general.good.faith. Church. of. Sweden,. has. outgrown. it. and. has. matured. into. an. independent. The Joint Declaration of the Doctrine ecumenical.authority..

11 The. Archbishop. of. Uppsala,. K.G.. Rarely. has. the. whole. congregation. of. Hammar,. presented. Archbishop. John. Westminster.Abbey.–.including.the.Queen. Vikström.with.the.Medal.of.St..Erik.on.the. of.England.–.laughed.out.loud.during,.and. eve.of.Epiphany.as.a.mark.of.honor.of.the. because.of,.a.sermon.held.there. Swedish.Church..In.this.way,.the.Church. of.Sweden.wished.to.express.its.gratitude. At.the.first.meeting.of.the.church.leaders. to. the.Archbishop. of. Finland,. who. has. of.the.Porvoo.Communion,.held.in.Turku. been.a.great.spokesman.for.. in.the.winter.of.1998,.Vikström.naturally. of.all.the.Nordic.Countries. acted. as. host.. He. led. the. meeting. with. skill. and. gentleness.–. as. was. his. habit. Bishop of Porvoo in. domestic. episcopal. conferences. and. church.councils. Before. becoming. archbishop,. John. Vikström.spent.twelve.years.as.bishop.of. When.Vikström.suddenly.had.to.undergo. the.Swedish-speaking.diocese.of.Porvoo.. surgery. for. cancer. during. the. Porvoo. During. his. time. in. Porvoo,. he. matured. convention,. prayers. were. said. on. his. from. being. pastor. of. his. own. see. to. a. behalf. not. only. in. Finland. but. also. skilled.spokesperson.for.the.whole.church. amongst.all.the.countries.of.the.Porvoo. on.the.international.ecumenical.arena. Communion,. and. in. the. ecumenical. world. at. large.. From. every. corner. of. As. archbishop. he. became. the. Bishop. Christendom. letters. flooded. to. Turku,. of.Porvoo.in.a.different.sense,.when.the. and. the. flowers. and. well-wishes. clearly. Lutheran. churches. of. the. Nordic. and. showed.just.how.venerated.and.respected. Baltic.States,.and.the.Anglican.Churches. an.ecumenical.leader.John.Vikström.is. of. Britain. and. . signed. the. 1996. Porvoo Declaration,. which. forged. a. Overtures towards the Free close. ecclesiastical. fellowship. between. Churches the.Anglicans.and.Lutherans.of.Northern. Europe.. John. Vikström. signed. the. In. the. portrait. of. John. Vikström’s. declaration.on.behalf.of.the.Evangelical. ecumenical. accomplishments,. his. Lutheran. Church. of. Finland. in. the. connections.with.the.Anglican,.Orthodox. .of.Nidaros.and.Tallinn,.and.in. and.Roman.Catholic.churches.have.been. Westminster.Abbey.in.London.. highlighted..While.accurate,.this.is.only. part. of. the. whole. picture,. part. of. his. Vikström. was. granted. the. priviledge. of. ecumenical.efforts..In.reality,.Archbishop. delivering.the.sermon.at.the.celebratory. Vikström’s. ecumenical. policy. is. much. mass.held.in.England’s.national.sanctuary,. broader. and. more. multi-faceted.. As. Westminster. Abbey.. The. sermon. was. chairman.for.many.years.of.the.Finnish. both. theologically. weighty. and. funny.. Ecumenical.Council,.as.well.as.through.

12 his. office. as. a. Lutheran. archbishop,. he. a. special. position. regarding. ecumenical. has.forged.strong.and.active.relationships. affairs.. He. decides,. with. the. Church’s. with. all. of. the. churches. and. Christian. Department. for. International. Relations,. communities.operating.in.Finland. how.the.Church.is.to.be.represented.on.an. ecumenical.and.inter-church.level.. During. his. archiepiscopacy,. the. Evangelical.Lutheran.Church.of.Finland. During. John. Vikström’s. tenure,. the. has.been.involved.in.doctrinal.dialogues. ecumenical. ties. of. the. Evangelical. and. formed. permanent. councils. with. Lutheran.Church.of.Finland.have.grown,. the. Evangelical. Free. Church. of. Finland. expanded,.and.diversified..I.doubt.there.is. and. the. Finnish. Pentecostals.. This. was. another.church.in.all.Christendom.that.has. followed.with.dialogues.with.the.Baptist. so. widespread. and. positive. interactions. and. Methodist. churches. in. Finland..An. with.other.churches.that.the.Evangelical. agreement.between.the.Lutheran.church. Lutheran.Church.of.Finland.enjoys..The. and.the.Methodists.was.signed.in.2010. spectrum.of.ties.extends.from.the.Roman- Catholic. and. Orthodox. Churches. to. the. The.archbishop.has.regularly.maintained. Pentecostals.and.Free.Churches.. contact.with.both.the.Free.Church.Council. of. Finland. and. its. Swedish. language. In. all. his. interactions,. Vikström. has. counterpart.. In. these. discussions. both. highlighted.the.particular.identity.of.the. parties. have. gotten. down. to. brass. tacks. Lutheran. church. and. the. importance. of. regarding. both. difficult. theological. ecumenical.openness.to.that.identity..Only. issues.as.well.as.practical.problems..The. by.being.faithful.to.its.own.heritage.can. archbishop.has.also.given.his.full.support. a. church. genuinely. interact. with. other. to.efforts.to.develop.the.laws.in.Finland. churches. and. Christian. communities.. In. concerning.freedom.of.religion.to.further. his. duties. as. archbishop,. Vikström. has. protect.the.rights.of.all.groups. always.considered.himself.Saint.Henry’s. heir.and.successor.. Maintaining connections and building bridges The.historical.continuity.of.the.church.and. executing.the.heritage.of.the.Reformation. In.the.Evangelical. Lutheran. church,. the. has,. in. practical. terms,. led. to. reforms. archbishop.is.not.the.superior.of.the.other. in. the. church. that. are. in. keeping. with. bishops,. although. many. people. think. changing.times..The.church.exists.partly. this.is.the.case..He.is,.as.the.old.saying. anchored.to.one.time,.but.also.steaming. goes,. “primus. inter. pares”,. first. among. full.speed.towards.the.future..In.honor.of. equals..Every.bishop.is.the.chief.pastor.of. John.Vikström’s.60th.birthday.in.1991,.the. the.priests.and.congregations.in.his.own. Festschrift.“Purjeena.Perinne”.(“Tradition. diocese.. The. archbishop,. however,. has. as.a.Sail”).was.published,.a.title.that.aptly.

13 reflects.his.activities.and.policies. both.in.our.own.church.and.in.churches. Already. when. serving. as. bishop. of. and.ecumenical.organizations.around.the. Porvoo,. John.Vikström. began. to. pursue. world. an.ecumenical.policy.that.as.archbishop.of. Turku.and.Finland.he.was.able.to.commit. This is an updated version of the article to.implementing..The.church’s.continued. “John Vikström’s Ecumenical Outlook” commitment.to.this.policy.was.affirmed.in. which originally appeared in Finnish in the.ecumenical.strategy.approved.by.the. the magazine Kanava in March 1999. Department. of. International. Relations,. The author, Rev. Dr. Risto Cantell served “Our.Church:.A.community.in.search.of. as director of the Evangelical Lutheran unity..The.Evangelical.Lutheran.Church. Church of Finland’s Department for of. Finland’s. ecumenical. strategy. until. International Relations from 1994 to 2015”,.and.in.the.leaflet.published.in.2010. 2010. He is a docent of ecumenical entitled.“Lutheran.and.Ecumenical:.The. theology at the University of Helsinki, and Evangelical.Lutheran.Church.of.Finland. served as Archbishop Vikström’s secretary and.its.ties.with.other.churches”..Both.of. from 1984 to 1992. these.statements.have.been.well.received. .

14 II ECUMENICAL CONTRIBUTIONS BY ARCHBISHOP VIKSTRÖM

Where are We Standing, Where are We Going?

An Attempt at an Ecumenical Position and Setting a course for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Finland

A Lecture in Nordic WCC/CEC meeting in Järvenpää, on January 13-15, 1995

For. every. Church. taking. part. in. the. position. in. regards. to.Rome. as.well.as. ecumenical. movement,. it. is. important,. Geneva,. i.e.. the. Calvinist. branch. of. the. both.for.oneself.and.for.others,.to.clarify. Reformation.. The. decision. made. at. that. one’s. position. and. one’s. stated. goals.. point. in. history. has. significance. for. us. Below,.I.will.make.an.attempt.to.explain. today,. as. we. are. to. state. the. ecumenical. where.the.Evangelical.Lutheran.Church.in. position. of. our. Churches.. This. involves. Finland.can.be.placed.on.the.ecumenical. referring.to.a.number.of.very.old.cities,.not. map.and.what.course.it.should.set.for.the. only.Jerusalem.and.Rome,.but.also.Nicea. years.to.come. (325),.Constantinople.(381),.Ephesus.(431). and.Chalcedon.(451),.i.e..cities.where.the. 1 . Where do we stand? undivided.Church.made.important.position. decisions.. We. believe. that. our. Churches. I. will. make. the. stated. position. decision. were.born.long.before.Martin.Luther.and. using. city. names,. which. will. represent. Gustav.Vasa. Churches. and. denominations. or. historically. and. theologically. important. Consequently,. there. was. both. a. decisions. fundamental.and.a.historical.motivation. for. the. clearly. defined. ecumenical. 1.1 Uppsala character. of. the. 400-year. jubilee. held. about.a.year.ago..The.jubilee.service.also. The. Lutheran. Churches. of. Sweden. and. included.the.preachings.of.the.Ecumenical. Finland.were.for.a.long.time.joined.as.a. Patriarch. Bartholomew. as. well. as. single.Church..In.1593.this.Church.made.a. Cardinal.Cassidy,.leader.of.the.Pontifical. particularly.important.ecumenical.course. Council. for. Promoting. Christian. Unity. correction,. which. we. have. celebrated,. in.the.Vatican..The.Patriarch.delivered.a. also.together,.quite.recently.in.Uppsala..At. chalice.to.Archbishop.Weman,.with.the. the.meeting.in.Uppsala.in.1593,.Sweden. clearly.stated.desire.of.someday.having. and. Finland. defined. the. joint. church’s. the. Churches. celebrate. the. Lords. Holy.

15 Communion.together. reasons,.Rome.is.a.natural.and.important. interlocutor.. However,. as. we. have. The. day. . to. this,. Cardinal. Cassidy. emphasized. at. different. times,. both. in. had.proposed.a.more.exhaustive.dialogue. Rome.and.at.the.jubilee.in.Uppsala,.we. between. the. Catholic. Church. and. the. do. not. have. any. designs. to. return. to. Churches. which. had. convened. as. one. Rome,.but.rather.to.restore.the.unity.of. in. Uppsala. 400. years. earlier.. Last. the.Church.with.Rome. November,.I.was.down.in.Rome.together. with. Archbishop. Gunnar. Weman. and. We. are. working. toward. establishing. an. accepted. the. Cardinals. proposition.. objective. and. realistic. relationship. with. Together. with. the. management. of. the.largest.denomination.in.Christendom. the. Pontifical. Council. for. Promoting. and.its.representatives..To.us,.the.Pope.is. Christian. Unity. we. decided. to. start. primarily.the.Bishop.of.Rome,.as.I.implied. preparing. a. regional. Lutheran-Catholic. to. him. during. our. joint. mass. in. Turku. dialogue.in.Sweden.and.Finland,.with.the. Cathedral..The.claims.of.the.Pope’s.primacy. support.of.Vatican.and.a.great.openness.in. and. infallibility. are. difficult. theological. the.relationship.with.our.Lutheran.sister. questions,.where.our.viewpoint.differs.from. churches. that.of.Rome.

1.2 Rome In. the. Nordic. countries,. the. experiences. from.cooperation.with.the.Roman-Catholic. On.the.ecumenical.map,.Rome.occupies.a. bishops,. with. joint. deliberations. central.place.and.is.the.symbol.of.the.largest. among. other. things,. have. been. very. Christian.Church..It.is.the.place.where.the. positive..During.more.than.a.quarter.of.a. first.Christians.gave.a.convincing.account. century.here.in.Finland,.we.have.had.the. of.their.faith.and.their.devotion..It.was. pleasure. of. witnessing. the. way. in. which. to. the. Christians. of. this. city. that. Paul. the.Catholic.Bishop.in.Helsinki.has.strived. sent.the.letter,.in.which.he.preaches.on. the. toward.achieving.ecumenical.openness.in. righteousness.that.comes.from.faith.with.a. his.Diocese,.within.the.Ecumenical.Council. particular.gravitas.and.clarity..We.Lutherans. in.Finland,.and.as.chairman.of.the.Nordic. are. both. historically. and. theologically. Catholic.Bishops’.Conference. the.heirs.of.Rome..Our..is.a. protest.for.the.Christian.legacy,.which.has. 1.3 Porvoo, Canterbury, London been.bestowed.by.Rome.and.against.what. has.been.perceived.as.a.distortion.of.this. As.the.former.Bishop.of.Porvoo,.I.have.a. legacy..It.was.never.the.intention.of.Luther. certain.amount.of.pride.mixed.with.the.joy. to.found.a.new.Church. over.the.ecumenical.strides.made.that.have. been.symbolized.by.the.name.Porvoo.over. Thus,.for.both.historical.and.theological. the.years.and.the.well-known.gables.of.its.

16 cathedral..I.refer,.of.course,.to.the.agreement. subject. to. the. ecumenical. patriarchy. in. and. declaration. to. establish. a. long- Constantinople..Through.the.centuries,.the. term. community. between. the. Nordic. Eastern.and. Western. Christian. traditions. and. Baltic. Lutheran. churches. on. the. have.lived.side.by.side.in.this.country..The. one. hand. and. the. Anglican. churches. first.meeting.of.the.two.was.not.particularly. in. Great. Britain. on. the. other.. This. peaceful,.but.we.have.learnt.to.respect.and. document.received.its.finishing.touches. appreciate.one.another..We.have,.of.course,. in.Järvenpää,.but.was.named.after.Porvoo,. also.had.an.impact.on.and.learned.from. which.is.the.cathedral.where.the.delegates. each.other. held.a.joint.mass. The.city.of.Kuopio.is.the.centre.of.the. The.Church.of.England.is.traditionally.close. Orthodox.church.of.Finland..Kuopio.serves. to. us. for. both. historical. and. theological. the.seat.of.the.Archbishop.and.is.the.site.of.the. reasons..The.first.bishop.of.our.church.and. Church.Council.and.the.Orthodox.Church. the.national.saint.of.Finland,.Saint.Henry,. Museum,.one.of.the.cultural.sites.in.our. was.born.an.Englishman..He.arrived.as.a. country.. To. us,. Kuopio. is. an. important. .bishop.from.Uppsala.in.order. ecumenical.point.of.orientation,.also.since. to.consolidate.the.position.of.the.Western. Archbishop.Johannes,.whose.title.is.the. Church. in. our. land.. However,. this. Archbishop.of.Karjala.and.All.of.Finland,. English.contact.over.800.years.ago.had. has.served.as.chairman.of.the.Ecumenical. an.unfortunate.ending..Bishop.Henry.died.a. Council.in.Finland,.and.is.also.in.other. martyr.on.Köy1iö.Lake.one.winter.day.in. things.a.considerable.ecumenical.gain. the.year.1155. The.city.of.Joensuu.also.occupies.a.place. Henry.became.our.national.saint.and.today. on. our. ecumenical. map,. as,. besides. we.appreciate.the.Anglican. church. for. serving.as.a.venue.for.Orthodox.priest. its.rich.liturgical.heritage,.its.spirituality. and.cantor.education,.it.is.also.home.to. and. its. ecumenical. openness.. During. his. one.of.the.first.attempts.at.an.establishing. most.recent.official.visit,.the.Archbishop. an.ecumenical.theological.faculty. of.Canterbury.received.a.much.friendlier. reception.than.what.Bishop.Henry.received. A.doctrinal.dialogue.was.initiated.between. in.his.day. our.Church.and.the.Orthodox.Church.of. Finland. in. 1989.. Besides. specifically. 1.4.1. Constantinople, Kuopio, theological.questions,.the.dialogue.involves. Joensuu such.practical.issues.as.the.day-to-day.co- existence. of. these. two. churches. in. our. The. Orthodox. Church. in. Finland. is. country..In.this.context.it.is.also.important.to. our. country’s. second. national. church,. mention.that.the.two.Orthodox.monasteries. and,. as. an. autonomous. local. Church,. is. New. Valamo. and. Lintula. have. become.

17 important.sites.for.prayer.and.tranquility. former.Soviet.Union..During.the.difficult. also.for.the.Lutheran.Christians. years.of.the.Cold.War.the.help.and.support. of.the.Russian.Orthodox.Church.was.of. 1.4.2 Moscow, St Petersburg, Kiev invaluable. importance. for. the. Ingrian. Lutherans. After. a. few. tentative. contacts. in. the. 1960s,. regular. theological. dialogues. During.later.years,.some.mission.projects. between. our. Church. and. the. Russian. led. and. inspired. from. the. West. have. Orthodox. Church. were. begun. in. 1970.. caused. irritation. within. the. Russian. These.dialogues.have.produced.important. Orthodox. Church.. This. has. also. results,.especially.regarding.the.relationship. occasioned. certain. talks. with. the. between.becoming.righteous.and.deification. administration. of. the. Russian. Church,. (theosis),.which,.according.to.our.shared. where.the.relationship.of.our.Church.to. views,. expresses. the. original. Christian. the.actions.in.question.have.been.clarified.. teachings.about.salvation..The.next.dialogue,. During.the.doctrinal.dialogues.three.years. which.takes.place.every.three.years,.will.be. ago,. the.two.delegations.jointly.declared. held.this.coming.autumn.in.Kiev..The.topics. that.no.church.can.have.sole.rights.to.any. of. discussion. will. be. the. mission. of. the. region..At.the.same.time,.both.delegations. church,.nationalism.and.peace.work. disassociated.themselves.from.any.form.of. proselytism. A.regular.exchange.of.scholarship.holders. and.mutual.visits.forms.part.of.our.contacts. 1.5 Wittenberg, Hannover and.interactions..In.September.of.last.year. the. Patriarch. Alexey. II. with. delegation. That.Wittenberg.should.be.mentioned.in. was.an.official.guest.at.the.two.national. conjunction.with.this.position.decision.is. churches. in. our. country.. Furthermore,. a.given..The.Reformer.of.Finland,.Mikael. it. should. be.mentioned.that.the.Moscow. Agricola,. had. studied. in. Wittenberg. patriarchy.has.a.permanent.representation. and.his.special.significance.was.that.he. and. two. small. congregations. of. their. consciously. strived. to. unify. the. central. own.(Pokrova.and.Nikolsky).in.Helsinki.. tenets.of.the.reformation.with.the.legacy. The.bishop.of.these.congregations.is.the. of.faith.of.the.old.church.and.the.historical. Metropolitan. Kirill,. the. leader. of. the. continuity.of.the.church. foreign. department. at. the. Patriarchy. in. Moscow. Thus,. like. in. Sweden,. the. Reformation. did. not. cause. a. radical. break. with. the. The.good.relations.to.the.Russian.Orthodox. past.in.Finland..It.was.really.a.question.of. church.have.also,.at.least.indirectly.been. reformation.in.the.actual.sense.of.the.word. invaluable.when.it.has.come.to.rebuilding. the.Lutheran.Church.within.the.area.of.the. Historically,. German. Lutheranism.

18 is. important. to. us,. even. though. we. traditions..Since.we.perceive.our.Church. sometimes.have.difficulty.understanding. not.only.as.Evangelical.Lutheran,.but.also. certain. aspects. of. both. the. German. as. Evangelical. Catholic,. both. Zwinglian. theology. and. German. Church. politics.. Zürich. and. Calvinist. Geneva. raise. For.example,.it.is.apparent.that.we.place. theological.problems.for.us. more.stress.on.the.continuity.with.what. existed.prior.to.the.Reformation,.while. As.with.other.Nordic.national.churches,.our. in. Germany,. as. well. as. in. the. rest. of. Church.has.declined.to.sign.the.so-called. Central.Europe,.there.is.a.higher.degree. Leuenberg Agreement.between.Lutherans. of. defining. one’s. identity. and. self- and. Reformists. and. we. are. not. likely. to. awareness.of.the.differences..However,. do.so,.since.the. reasons. for. not. signing. we. naturally. have. a. close. relationship. the. Agreement. have. been. specifically. with. the. United. Evangelical. Lutheran. theological.. The. plan. for. a. European. Church. of. Germany. (VELKD).. We. Evangelical.synod.has.not.been.able.to. have. a. cooperation. agreement. with. the. raise. any.significant. interest. within.our. Evangelical.Church.of.Germany.(EKD),. church..We.have.not,.however.wanted.to. which,. among. other. things,. concerns. pursue.any.kind.of.isolationist.doctrine.. the. pastoral. care. of. Finnish. people. in. This.is.why.we.have.taken.active.part.in. Germany.and.Germans.in.Finland..The. the. theological. work. within. the. scope. agreement. also. encompasses. regular. of.the.Luenberg.community.and.also.sent. consultations.between.our.two.Churches. observers.to.the.Evangelical.gatherings.in. Basel. and. Budapest,. which. have. been. 1.6 Zurich, Geneva, Leuenberg called. by. those. who. work. hard. for. a. European.Evangelical.synod..In.this.matter. Our. Church. has. historically. assumed. a. as.well,.we.have.followed.the.same.course. guarded. approach. to. the. Central.European. as.our.counterpart.in.Sweden. reformist.interpretation.of...The. battles. of. doctrine. and. the. arrangements. Of. course,. the. names. of. Zürich. and. made. during. the. time. of. reformation. Geneva. signify. a. close. kinship. for. us,. have.left.their.marks..However.this.hasn’t. which.is.why.it.has.been.only.natural.that. hindered.a.significant.influence.from.the. we.have.had.years.of.discourse.with.the. reformist.camp.during.certain.periods.and. independent.Church.of.Finland.and.that.we. among.certain.groups.within.our.church. have.created.frameworks.for.guaranteeing. permanent.contacts.between.our.Churches. Over. the. past. decades,. we. have. had. in. the. future.. It. is. also. apropos. to. considerable. difficulties. in. identifying. mention. corresponding. discourses. with. with. the. general. Protestant. attitude,. the. Pentecostal. movement,. even. if. it. is. which.involves.basically.critical.attitude. not.as.easy.to.find.an.appropriate.city.to. towards. old. Church. doctrines. and. symbolize.that.relationship.

19 If. this. presentation. were. to. be. well. as. theologically,. despite. all. the. about. our. churches. relation. to. other. differences.therein..Also.in.this.case,.it.is. churches. in. general,. the. list. of. city. vital.for.us.to.become.who.we.are. names.would.of.course.be.very.long,. which.would.necessitate.bringing.up. I. expand. my. thinking. to. include. the. a.large.world.map..However,.as.this.is. worldwide. fellowship. of. the. Lutheran. a.question.of.an.ecumenical.position. Church,.the.nature.of.which.has.been.the. decision,.a.few.markers.on.a.smaller. subject.of.much.attention.and.discussion.in. map.is.sufficient. recent.years..We.have.increasingly.begun. to.use.the.word.communion.in.this.regard.. 2. Where are we going? After.a.certain.amount.of.skepticism.here.in. Finland,.we.are.also.becoming.more.and. 2.1 On the road to unity more.convinced.of.the.correctness.in.this. development..It.means.that.the.family.of. In. ecumenical. terms,. we. often. speak. the.Lutheran.Church.is.moving.in.the.right. of. the. importance. of. becoming. the.one. direction.. As. we. continue. following. that. you. are.. That. doesn’t. necessarily. mean. road,.we.are.becoming.more.and.more.as. turning.inwards.and.that.the.direction.and. we.already.are,.i.e..a.part.of.the.oneness. movement.becomes.introverted..It.does,. and. community. of. the. Church,. which. however,.mean.that.one.examines.where. agrees.on.the.question.of.“the.teachings. they.belong,.that.one.looks.outwards.and. of.the.Gospel.and.the.administration.of.the. draws.the.consequences.of.the.belonging. ”.(Aug..VII). that.one.discovers. The.Lutheran.world.organization.is.partly. I.have.talked.earlier.about.our.affinity. an. expression. of,. and. partly. a. tool. for. with. the. Swedish. Church. founded. on. this.communion,.which.fundamentally.and. a.both.inner.and.outer.unity.over.several. primarily.is.a.spiritual.entity,.a.creation.of. hundred. years.. This. is. apparent. without. the.Holy.Spirit.through.the.words.of.God. further. comment.. It. is,. of. course,. also. and.the.. important.for.each.Church.to.become.what. it.is.in.this.regard..This.constitutes.one.of. But.do.we.become.who.we.are,.if.we.are. the.answers.to.the.question:. Where. are. content. with. the. oneness. and. community. we. going? within.the.family.of.the.Lutheran.Church?. Of. course. not.. We. feel. that. there. is. an. But.in.order.to.become.who.we.are,.we. important. ecumenical. dimension. to. the. probably.need.to.look.further.afield.than. Lutheran.identity.as.well.as.an.ecumenical. Sweden.. Here,. I. am. thinking. of. Nordic. resource..In.order.to.become.who.we.are,. Lutheranism,. which. is. a. remarkably. we. must. become. ecumenical. in. a. very. homogeneous. whole,. historically. as. deep.sense.

20 So. where. are. we. going?. These. days. which.means.that.not.very.much.will.be. we. are. headed. in. the. direction. of. accomplished. Canterbury,. as. I’ve. established. earlier.. This. is. something. we. do. by. realizing. That.it.is.truly.possible.to.break.free.of.old. ourselves,.not.by.denying.ourselves..To. positions. without. actually.breaking.with. break. free. and. make. a. break. with. the. one’s.past.is.something.that.I.think.I.can. past. are. two. distinctly. different. things.. see.an.example.of.in.the.joint.Lutheran.and. It.is.truly.possible.to.break.free.without. Roman.Catholic.document.about.becoming. breaking.with.what.has.been..But.can.we. righteous,. which. is. one. of. the. more. break.free.and.follow.Canterbury’s.lead. exciting. ecumenical. accomplishments. without.simultaneously.preparing.to.take. these. years.. This. is. truly. an. example. of. similar. serious. and. purposeful. steps. in. moving.without.denying.oneself. the.directions.of.Zürich.and.Geneva,.the. Reformist.Church.family?.Certainly.it.is. 2.2. How are we going? possible,.but.we.are.becoming.more.and. more. convinced. that. we. cannot. remain. In. addition. to. the. questions. “Where. do. standing.where.we.are.in.relationship.to. we. stand?”. and. “Where. are. we. going?”. the.Reformists.and.related.denominations. I. would. like. to. end. by. adding. a. third. and. churches.. This. is. where. we. are. question:.“How.are.we.going?”.On.the.road. hoping. that. the. Porvoo. Document. and. to. becoming. who. one. is,. we. need. help.. the. corresponding. Meissen. Document. That.purpose.is.why.the.confessional.and. will. be. able. to. offer. a. new. opening. ecumenical.organizations.exist,.so.also.the. and. new. possibility.. A. movement. in. confessional.ones. this. direction. would. have. important. ecumenical. consequences. at. home. as. In. a. Lutheran. context,. we. like. to. well.as.throughout.the.Nordic.countries. emphasize. that. the. Lutheran. World. Organization. is. partly. an. expression. of. The. move. towards. Canterbury. was. and.partly.a.tool.for.the.communion.of. shortened. and. accelerated. by. the. the.Lutheran.Churches..Separated.from. fact. that. we. were. met. halfway. from. this. communion,. this. organization. has. Canterbury..The.move.towards.Zürich.and. no. function. and. no. right. to. exist.. The. Geneva.can.surely.be.shortened.in.the.same. same.is.more.or.less.valid.for.all.other. way..So,.how.does.it.look.in.the.direction. organizations. for. cooperation. between. of. Rome,. Constantinople. and. Moscow?. the. Churches,. whether. they. are. global. One.thing.is.certain:.A.lot.more.patience.is. (e.g..WCC),.regional.(e.g..CEC.and.NER). required.in.this.regard..It.is.also.of.particular. or. national.. For. all. its. incompleteness,. importance.to.clarify.how.one.can.break. they.are.fundamentally.an.expression.of. free.without.breaking.with.the.past..If.this. and.tool.for.an.entity.that.has.been.given. isn’t.possible,.nobody.will.be.able.to.move,. as.a.gift.and.a.duty..Their.function.is.to.

21 aid.us.in.becoming.who.we.are. are.called.to.be.subjects.in.the.ecumenical. movement,. not. these. organizations.. How.will.the.ecumenical.organizations.be. Consequently,. it. is. these. organizations. able.to.handle.this.task.during.the.years.to. that.need.to.contribute.to.the.ecumenical. come?. It. won’t. be. easy.. In.many.places. movement. there.is.a.need.for.a.radical.innovation.in. thinking,.in.the.same.way.that.is.necessary. But. how. do. our. churches. fulfill. the. for.all.large.organizations.in.the.modern. calling. and. task. of. being. the. subject. of. world..We.know.that.people.today.feel.an. the.ecumenical.movement?.Bartholomew. increasing.estrangement.from.large,. well- answered. Jesus’. question. clearly. and. meaning.organizations..This.is.something. without.hesitation..How.are.we.doing?.Do. that.both.political.parties,.unions,.churches. we.know.what.our.needs.are.when.our.joint. and.congregations.experience. organizations.ask.us.what.we.want.them.to. do.for.us?.Or.is.it.up.to.them.to.try.and. In.such.circumstances.large.organizations. define.the.needs.of.the.member.churches. need. to. start. from. the. beginning. based. by.themselves?.If.that.is.the.case,.we.as. on. people’s. needs,. not. the. needs. of. the. member.churches.have.a.very.real.need.to. organization..They.need.to.assume.the.same. shape.up. humble.attitude.as.Jesus.when.encountering. the.blind.Bartholomew:.“What.would.you. The. question. about. the. relationship. like.me.to.do.for.you?” between. ecumenical. organizations. and. the. member. churches. is. certainly. not. a. This,. as. well,. should. be. the. number. one. new.one..However,.it.is.my.opinion.that,. question.for.the.ecumenical.organizations. in.a.situation.where.all.large.organizations. when.dealing.with.their.member.churches.. need.to.review.their.identity,.their.attitudes. Because.these.are.the.actual.subjects.of.the. and.their.work.regarding.their.members,. ecumenical. movement.. These. are. the. this. question. should. be. given. special. ones.that.need.to.realize.themselves,.that. attention. and. a. sense. of. urgency.. It. is. is,.to.become.what.they.are. important.to.know.where.we.as.churches. are.going.on.the.ecumenical.map,.but.it.is. When.our.churches.take.part.in.the.work. also.important.to.receive.support,.comfort. of.the.ecumenical.organizations.and.their. and.guidance.on.that.journey..That.is.why. meetings,.we.say.that.we.contribute.to. we.need.each.other.and.our.ecumenical. the.ecumenical.movement..But.isn’t.this. organizations. the.exact.opposite?.It.is.the.churches.that.

22 Lutheran Christian Identity in an Increasingly International World

Presentation at the Congress of the Christian Folk High Schools in Eurajoki, on January 19, 1996

No. place. expresses. a. Christian’s. going?”.“Where.do.I.belong?”.“Why.am. denominational.identity.as.clearly.as.the. I.me.and.not.somebody.else?”.We.know. communion.table..Members.of.different. how.important.it.is.for.us.to.have.a.clear. confessional. groups. may. have. a. similar. identity..It.allows.us.to.have.inner.security,. outlook.in.their.devotions.and.Christian. the.ability.to.orientate.ourselves,.to.make. activities,. and. work. together. in. many. plans.and.decisions.and.engage.in.creative. ways,.but,.on.the.way.to.the.communion. and.fruitful.interaction.with.other.people.. table.at.the.very.latest,.their.paths.diverge. When.the.Swedish.National.Agency.for. Education.concluded.that.Swedish.youth,. In. Turku. Cathedral,. Finnish. Lutheran. when. encountering. immigrants,. did. not. Christians. can. confirm. their. identity. have.a.clear.idea.of.their.own.identity.and. before.they.have.made.it.very.far.towards. what.they.stood.for,.the.situation.called.for. the. main. altar.. If. they. look. around. –. an.increase.in.the.teaching.of.Christianity. which. should. of. course. not. be. done. in.schools..Only.persons.secure.in.their. conspicuously. at. that. point.–. they. can. own. identity. are. able. to. face. another. make. several. important. observations. person. openly. and. without. fear.. This. regarding.their.own.identity..When.they. applies.equally.to.the.relationship.between. ascend.the.steps.to.the.chancel.they.will. churches.and.between.Christians. see.on.the.right.the.portrait.of.Ansgar,.the. Apostle.of.the.North,.and.on.the.left.they. Thus,. a. clear. denominational. identity. will.see.Luther..Standing.in.the.chancel. is. one. of. the. basic. prerequisites. of. the. waiting.their.turn,.they.can.look.up.to.the. ecumenical. movement.. Superficially,. right.and.see.Bishop.Henry.baptizing.the. it. might. appear. that. denominational. Maid.of.Finland.at.the.Kupittaa.Spring.. allegiance. is. one. of. the. greatest. Opposite,.on.the.left,.they.can.see.Mikael. obstacles.to.rapprochement..This.is.how. Agricola. presenting. Gustav. Vasa. with. adherents.of.what.is.known.as.Christian. the. first. Finnish. translation. of. the. New. interdenominationalism. see. it,. and. they. Testament. take.steps.towards.a.joint.spiritual.union,. brushing.aside.issues.of.denominational. Every.individual’s.identity.is.based.on.the. identity..This.shortcut.to.Christian.unity. answers.to.questions.such.as.“Who.am.I?”. might. achieve. some. quick,. but. hardly. “Where.do.I.come.from.and.where.am.I. lasting,.results..The.same.rule.applies.to.

23 this.situation.as.to.any.human.interaction:. people.are.saved.by.grace.alone..This.was. without.a.clear.sense.of.self.no.clear.or. also.the.teaching.of.the.Church.he.hoped. lasting.connection.can.be.built.. to.reform..Nor.is.he.regarded.as.a.reformer. for.teaching.that.the..is.the.Word.of. Identity. creates. a. profile,. it. makes. a. God.. This. was. also. the. teaching. of. the. distinction.. But. identity. can. also. bring. Church.at.that.time..The.deciding.factor. people.together..After.all,.Christians.have.a. was.not.that.he.taught.that.the.Bible.is.the. shared.identity.regardless.of.denomination. only.guide.for.faith.and.doctrine..This.was. that.separates.them.from.other.religions,. also.what.John.Hus.and.other.dissidents. secularism,. and. the. world. at. large.. The. taught.. Finding. the. Bible. was. not. what. Lutheran.identity.contains.elements.that. made.Luther.a.reformer,.it.was.what.he. link. us. to. other. churches..After. all,. we. found.in the.Bible:.a.dynamic,.liberating,. have.shared.origins,.shared.Scripture.and. and. vivifying. gospel.. The. initial. force. so.forth..Luther.himself.was.not.seeking. was.simultaneously.old.and.new..It.had. to.distill.a.separate.Lutheran.identity,.but. always. been. present. in. the. Church,. but. was.looking.for.things.that.were.shared. often. concealed. and. bound. up.. Now. it. from. the. beginning.. He. did. not. write. burst.forth.like.a.churning,.irrepressible,. his.catechisms.for.a.segregated.group.of. springtime.river.. Lutherans,.but.for.the.whole.Church;.he. in.fact.forbade.his.followers.from.calling. Lutheran.identity.always.has.something.to. themselves.Lutherans..And.the.principal. do.in.one.way.or.another.with.this.river.. aim. of. the.Ausburg. Confessions. was. to. The. justification. of. the. sinner. through. demonstrate.how.the.congregations.of.the. faith. is. the. focal. point. that. everything. reformed.movement.were.believing.and. concentrates. on,. and. is,. for. this. reason,. teaching. what. the. church. had. believed. the.special.stress.test.of.the.Church..From. and.taught.since.the.beginning..This.self- this.it.is.apparent,.whether.the.church.will. awareness. and. endeavor. form. the. basis. stand.or.if.it.is.collapsing.. of.what.can.be.called.Lutheran.identity.. Ansgar’s.and.Henry’s.portraits.are.not.on. But. if. one. must. find. the. one. thing. that. display.in.the.chancel.by.accident. gives. the. so-called. Lutheran. identity. its. structure,.one.must.go.beyond.the.doctrine. Did.Luther.become.a.reformer.simply.by. of.justification..The.acclaimed.Lutheran. repeating.what.had.been.said.before?.Yes. theologian. Wilhelm. Maurer. has. stated. and. no.. The. Reformation. was. intended. that. the. doctrine. of. justification. is. the. to.reform.the.Church.from.within..It.was. fruit.of.the.doctrine.of.the..and.the. intended.to.reform.the.Church,.but.also.to. .of.the.old.Church..Behind.it. reform. society,. family. life. and. working. is.the.concept.of.God,.the.concept.of.what. life..Luther,.however,.is.not.regarded.as. God.is.like.and.how.He.operates..When. a.reformer.simply.because.he.taught.that. comparing. the. doctrinal. principles. of.

24 Luther.and.Calvin,.their.social.ethics.and. Biblical.starting.point.and.paradigm.is.the. their.way.of.bringing.about.reformation,. story.of.Moses,.who.in.the.mountains.of. it. is. possible. to. demonstrate. how. the. Sinai.beholds.God,.but.only.from.behind.. differences. between. the. two. are. based. God,.whom.we.can.only.see.from.behind,. ultimately. on. different. ideas. about. God. is.different.from.what.we.expect.Him.to. Himself. be..He.is.the.God.of.the.cross,.which.is. madness.to.the.world..He.appears.different. When.trying.to.define.Lutheran.identity. from.what.He.actually.is..He.is.hidden.in. based.on.the.concept.of.God,.it.is.possible. His.opposite..He.has.hidden.His.power.in. to.see.how.Luther’s.vision.differs.not.only. weakness,. His. wisdom. in. madness,. His. with.regard.to.Calvin’s.theology,.but.also. love.in.hate,.His.honor.in.the.shame.and. to.the.deistic.heritage.of.the.Enlightenment. curse.of.the.cross.. still.in.effect.today..Luther’s.vision.also. differs. from. the. Lutheranism. that. tried. God’s. reality. is. therefore. para doxa,. to.preserve.his.heritage.without.entirely. contrary.to.that.which.appears.reasonable. succeeding.. or. sensible.. God. is. thus. a. hidden. God,. concealed. from. human. reason. and. The. concept. of. God. that. Luther. experience.. encountered.in.the.Bible.has.two.features. that.seem.to.influence.almost.every.point. How.does.one.find.this.hidden.God?.The. of. his. theology.. These. are. dynamism. person.who.tries.to.find.Him.with.reason. on. the. one. hand,. and. closeness. and. and.good.deeds.–.and.therefore.tries,.in.a. presence. on. the. other.. The. God. Luther. way,.to.control.Him.–.will.not.be.able.to. encountered. is. not. an. exalted. being. see.to.the.other.side.of.the.cross..To.him. reclining.in.lofty.seclusion,.but.an.active,. the.cross.will.always.be.an.impermeable. speaking,. fighting,. suffering. God. in. lunacy,.an.impermeable.obstacle.. our. midst.. God’s. dynamism. can. appear. paradoxical. or. conflicting..The. fact. that. The.God.hidden.behind.suffering.and.the. He.is.hidden.is.not.because.He.is.far.away,. cross.can.only.be.found.by.someone.who. but.because.despite.being.in.our.midst.He. is. suffering.. The. God. concealed. in. the. acts.in.ways.that.are.often.surprising.and. darkness.can.only.be.found.by.someone.in. incomprehensible.to.us. the.same.darkness..According.to.Luther,. faith,.as.well.as.doubt,.is.the.darkness.in. This. so-called. theology. of. the. cross. which.Christ.dwells. is. one. of. the. central. elements. of. Lutheran. identity,. and. it. is. a. perpetual. Intrinsic. to. this. is. Luther’s. concept. of. challenge. to. the. deism. inherited. from. the. relationship. between. seeing. and. the. Enlightenment. that. is. constantly. hearing.–.a.relationship.which,.as.far.as. influencing.our.culture.and.each.of.us..The. I.understand,.has.critically.impacted.the.

25 central.position.occupied.by.the.word.in. observing.and.interpreting.reality.that.the. the.culture.of.this.country..Luther.states. theology.of.the.cross.with.all.its.paradoxes. that.whatever.man.sees.and.experiences. has. provided. for. our. people. and. our. causes. him. anxiety,. be. it. a. question. of. culture.. Now. we. can. ask. how. effective. the.state.of.the.world,.the.church,.or.his. and.appropriate.this.frame.of.reference.–. own.soul..Relying.on.what.one.can.hear. this.paradigm.–.has.been..To.what.degree. and.experience.leads.a.person.into.the.sort. has.it.helped.people.come.to.terms.with. of.darkness.from.where.there.is.no.visible. the.harsh.and.brutal.reality.that.they.have. exit.. One. is. left. in. this. darkness. and. had.to.experience.in.the.different.phases. hopelessness.unless.one.hears.the.word.of. and.crises.of.their.lives? God,.which.not.only.encourages.but.also. creates.something.new..If.one.is.distressed. Firstly,.the.observation.can.be.made.that. by. what. one. sees. and. experiences,. then. the.paradigm.has.forced.people.to.accept. what.one.hears.will.provide.release.from. a.received.reality..Reality.is.every.bit.as. anxiety. and. encouragement.. Seeing. insane,.merciless.and.godless.as.it.appears. amortizes,.hearing.gives.new.life..God’s. when.examined.by.reason..But.the.frame. word.is.the.creative.word. of.reference.provided.by.the.theology.of. the.cross.also.contains.a.significant.protest. In. this. way,. hearing. relativizes. what. against.what.man.sees.and.experiences..It. people. hear. and. experience.–. not,. is.a.protest.against.the.absolute.demands. however,.meaning.that.what.one.sees.and. of.reason,.a.protest.in.the.name.of.faith. experiences.turns.out.to.be.just.a.delusion,. and. hope,. a. protest. on. behalf. of. the. but.that.from.behind.it.or.under.it.another. invisible. reality,. on. behalf. of. an. open. reality,. concealed. from. the. eyes. and. future..We.humans.have.a.future.and.hope. experience,.is.revealed..The.paradoxality. because.the.deeper.reality.and.truth.is.para of.the.theology.of.the.cross.does.not.mean. doxa, contrary.to.all.it.appears.to.be..The. denying. perceptible. or. experiencable. cross,.the.cross.of.God.and.humanity,.is. reality.. The. bleeding,. suffering. God. not.illusory.but.real,.and.from.underneath. crying. out. on. the. cross. is. reality,. but. it. and.behind.it.a.wider.reality.is.revealed.. reveals.God’s.brilliance.and.power..God’s. For.this.reason.the.godless.have.God,.and. wrath. is. the. most. serious. reality,. but. it. the. hopeless. have. hope.. Juhani. Rekola. reveals.God’s.love.and.mercy..Humanity’s. wrote:. “a. frivolous. faith. assures. us. that. sinfulness.and.godlessness.is.also.a.harsh. God.exists..An.anxious.faith.must.concede. reality,.but.based.on.the.word.and.promise. that,.despite.everything,.God.exists.” of. the. gospel,. people. can. believe. that. beneath.this.brutality.lies.another.reality. The. theology. of. the. cross. is. one. of. the. of.grace.and.righteousness. key. ingredients. of. Lutheran. identity.. The. hidden. God. in. the. middle. of. our. This. is. the. frame. of. reference. for. reality.. Belief. in. the. real. presence. of.

26 God. is. more. broadly. one. of. the. most. now.are.crucial.to.Lutheran.spirituality,. important. elements. in. Lutheran. identity. but. also. to. Lutheran. ethics.. Luther. and.spirituality..Unfortunately,.Lutheran. makes.very.startling.statements.about.the. identity.often.gets.lost.on.this.point..This. commandments. in. the. Bible..According. has. been. especially. influenced. by. the. to.him,.they.merely.confirm.what.God.is. legacy. of. the. Enlightenment,. which. has. at. every. moment. commanding. through. removed.God.from.our.reality.and.limited. the.needs.of.those.closest.to.us..Lutheran. God’s.activity.to.what.He.has.done.in.the. ethics. are. not. derived. from. timeless. distant. past.. This. deism. has. penetrated. ideals,. principles. or. values. that. should. deep.into.our.culture.and,.unfortunately,. be.executed,.but.from.the.circumstances. also.into.our.sense.of.our.Christianity..The. of. our. neighbors,. to. which. we. should. consequences.have.been.disastrous.both. respond.according.to.the.Golden.Rule..In. for.Christianity.and.for.Lutheran.identity.. this.sense,.Lutheran.ethics.are.essentially. social.ethics. In. places. where. belief. in. the. God. who. is. present. and. operates. in. the. here. and. In.a.unifying.Europe,.Lutheran.ethics.has. now. is. lacking,. all. that. remains. is. a. its.own.clear.profile..It.is.clearly.distinct. legalistic,.intellectualistic.and.moralistic. from,.for.example,.liberal.individualism,. Christianity,. an. anemic. and. dry. system,. according.to.which.the.purpose.of.morals. in.which.God’s.law.is.static,.the.gospel. is. to. promote. the. happiness. and. well- is. a. story. of. events. that. took. place. two. being. of. the. individual.. Lutheran. ethics. thousand. years. ago,. the. justification. of. is. also. distinct. from. Catholic. moral. man. is. a. juridical. procedure,. the. Bible. philosophy,.characterized.by.the.concept. only. contains. supernatural. information. of. humans. striving. to. achieve. some. about. God,. man. and. the. world,. the. prescribed. model. of. the. good. life.. The. Church.is.an.organization.of.people.who. starting.point.for.both.of.these.solutions.is. dabble.in.Christianity,.the.divine.service. the.individual..They.are.about.“refining”. is. an. event. with. Christian. music. and. the.individual.according.to.the.ideal.of.the. public.speaking,.the.sermon.is.talk.about. good.life..Self-actualization.is.conceived. God. and. Christianity,. the. . is. an. of. differently,. but. that. is. what. is. at. the. induction. to. membership. and. a. naming. heart. of. these. two. cases..They. are. both. event,. and. the. . is. a. memorial. predicated. on. the. idea. that. society. as. a. service.. Awareness. of. the. ever-present. whole.will.benefit.if.individuals.strive.to. God,.who.acts.and.addresses,.judges.and. achieve.the.ideal.of.the.good.life..This.is. binds,.liberates.and.encourages,.is.lacking.. also.the.theoretical.basis.of.the.so-called. One.of.the.central.elements.of.Lutheran. subsidiarity.principle. identity.is.lacking.. In. Lutheran. ethics,. by. contrast,. the. God’s.presence.and.actions.in.the.here.and. main. focus. is. on. the. other. person,. on.

27 the. individual’s. neighbor.. The. primary. is.easier.for.us.to.find.points.of.commonality. concern. is. the. neighbor’s. benefit,. not. with.the.social.ethics.of.the.Catholic.Church. the. shaping. of. an. ethical. subject.. The. than.with.the.Reformed.Church. starting.point.is.therefore.communal..The. community.assumes.responsibility.for.its. To. conclude,.I. shall. return. to. Turku. members.and.does.not.leave.them.to.the. Cathedral..I. mentioned. above. that. a. mercy.of.the.charity.of.individuals..This. person’s. identity. includes. awareness. of. is. the. theoretical. basis. for. the. Nordic. where. he. or. she. belongs..Where. do. we. welfare. state.. The. phenomenon. of. the. belong.as.Lutheran.Christians?.What.is.our. Nordic.welfare.state.is.in.accordance.with. relationship.to.other.Christians?.We.have. Lutheran.ethics..It.is.no.coincidence.that. already.discussed.this,.but.the.reference. in. Europe. people. speak. of. “the. Nordic. in.my.title.to.the.internationalizing.world. model”..One.might.equally.well.speak.of. necessitates. a. few. more. words. on. our. the.“Lutheran.model”.. ecumenical.relationships..

Lutheran. ethics. also. differs. in. its. basic. In. Turku. Cathedral,. under. the. watchful. principles. from. Reformation. ethics.. I. gaze. of. Ansgar. and. Luther,. Henry. and. mentioned. above,. in. the. last. instance. it. Agricola,.I. have. over. the. years. greeted. is. a. matter. of. the. differences. between. the. pope. of. Rome,. the. patriarchs. of. Luther.and.Calvin.regarding.the.concept. Constantinople,.Alexandria.and.Moscow,. of.God.and.His.actions..In.this.context.I. the. Archbishop. of. Canterbury,. the. will. merely. observe. that. the. Reformed. representatives. of. our. diverse. Lutheran. churches. have. a. tendency. towards. sister.churches.as.well.as.representatives. puritanism. and. theocracy. for. both. the. of.churches.in.our.own.country.. individual.and.society..One.variation.on. this. is. the. idea,. inspired. by. Karl. Barth,. On.such.occasions.I.have.rejoiced.in.the. of. “die. Königsherrschaft. Christi”. as. a. great.ecumenical.capital.that.Lutheranism. social-ethical. concept.. These. days. we. possesses..This.capital.of.course.includes. have.considerable.difficulty.coming.to.a. the.copy.of.the.New.Testament.presented. consensus. with. the. Reformed. churches. by.Agricola.to.Gustav.Vasa,.and.the.baptism. regarding.the.principles.of.social.ethics,. performed.by.Saint.Henry.at.Kupittaa..But. because. they,. for. the. reasons. outlined. it.also.includes.the.connection.mentioned. above,. strive. to. derive. the. fundaments. above.to.the.legacy.of.faith.from.the.old. of. social. ethics. from. the. gospel. and. Church,. which. was. self-evident. to. the. justification.. As. Lutherans. we. wish. to. leaders.of.the.Reformation..This.conscious. emphasize. God’s. work. as. creator. and. preservation. of. the. continuity. of. the. caretaker. as. the. foundation. for. social. Church. is. an. important. resource. in. our. ethics..It.is.a.matter.of.God’s.presence.in.the. dealings. with. members. of. the. Catholic,. reality.He.has.created..Keeping.this.in.mind,.it. Orthodox,.and.Anglican.Churches,.and.it.

28 reminds.us.of.our.shared.roots..As.heirs.of. The. distance. members. of. different. the.Reformation.we.have.another.resource. churches. must. traverse. to. a. shared. regarding.the.renewal.of.the.Church..We. communion. table. is. currently. longer. notice.it.when.we.strive.to.strengthen.our. than.the.central.aisle.at.Turku.Cathedral.. ties.with.the.so-called.Protestant.Churches.. However,.we.can.now.rejoice.that,.in.the. Nordic. Countries. and. the. British. Isles,. The. relationship. between. continuity. Lutherans. and.Anglicans. can. cover. the. and.renewal.has.therefore.always.been.a. distance.together. significant.and.challenging.problem..It.is. also.part.of.our.Lutheran.identity..

29 The Ecumenical Policy of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland

A Speech to the Bishops´ Conference of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland, on February 13, 1996

I.am.often.asked,.both.as.archbishop.and.as. with.the.Finnish.Evangelical.Free.Church. chairman.of.the.Council.for.International. and. the. Pentecostal. movement,. or. in. Relations. of. our. church,. what. is. the. participating.in.the.work.of.the.Lutheran. ecumenical. program. of. the. Evangelical. World. Federation,. the. Conference. of. Lutheran.Church.of.Finland..The.question. European.Churches.and.the.World.Council. has. sometimes. included. the. suspicion. of.Churches? or.the.hope.that.our.program.involves.a. return.to.Rome,.or.to.Constantinople,.or.to. Our relations with the Roman Geneva.or.to.some.other.such.place. Catholic Church

I.have.answered.the.question.by.saying.that. Of. the. ecumenical. relations. our. church. our.ecumenical.program.is.not.a.return.to. is. involved. in,. the. primary. one. is. the. anywhere,.but.a.restoration.of.unity..Then. relationship. with. the. Roman. Catholic. I.think.that.the.task.of.ecumenical.work. Church,. to. which. we. belonged. for. is.not.only.to.lead.separated.churches.into. centuries,.on.whose.legacy.we.have.been. unity,. but. also. to. express. the. unity. that. able.to.build,.and.against.whom.our.church. already.exists.between.them. has. historically. engaged. in. polemics.. There. is,. however,. very. little. polemical. From. the. point. of. view. of. our. church’s. material.to.be.found.in.the.writings.of.our. ecumenical.relations,.it.is.significant.that. reformer,.Mikael.Agricola..In.the.recently. although.the.expression.”the.restoration. published. textbook. of. Finnish. church. of.unity”.comes.from.the.Second.Vatican. history.by.Professors.Simo.Heininen.and. Council,. it. is. suitable. to. describe. our. Markku. Heikkilä. the. authors. have. the. program. following.to.say.about.him:

What.kind.of.unity.then.do.the.ecumenical. Agricola. noted. how. Luther. opposed. relations. and. contacts. of. our. church. the.papacy,.the.veneration.of.,.the. represent?.What.has.been.our.ecumenical. doctrine.of.purgatory,.requiem.masses,. policy. in. the. current. Lutheran–Roman. monasteries,.celibacy,.fasts.and.final- Catholic. debate. on. justification,. in. ly.the.catholic.mass..He.paid.attention. the. Porvoo Declaration,. in. Lutheran– not.only.to.Dr..Martin.Luther’s.criti- Orthodox. discussions,. in. our. contacts. cism.but.also.to.his.positive.message,.

30 above.all.the.teaching.of.the.absolute. the.Nordic.Lutheran.churches.and.Roman. authority.of.the.Bible.and.man’s.sal- Catholic.dioceses. vation.through.faith.alone..In.any.case. Agricola.preferred.to.listen.to.Luther’s. I.am.pleased.that.our.church’s.Council.for. constructive.preaching.rather.than.to. International.Relations.can.give.a.positive. his.furious.criticism.of.the.old.church.. and. constructive. critique. of. the. draft. of. This.was.natural:.in.Finland.the.church. a. Common. Statement. on. the. subject. of. was.not.corrupt,.and.the.new.was.built. the. doctrine. of. justification,. negotiated. upon.the.basis.of.the.old.”1 by. the. Lutheran. World. Federation. and. the. Roman. Catholic. Church’s. Council. Our.church.has.desired.to.continue.Mikael. for. the. Promotion. of. Christian. Unity.. Agricola’s. line. with. its. emphasis. on. From.our.church.Eero.Huovinen,.Bishop. continuity,.as.after.a.break.of.centuries.we. of. Helsinki,. took. part. in. the. Lutheran– have.made.contact.with.a.different.kind.of. Roman.Catholic.working.group.which.met. Roman.Catholic.Church.than.the.one.we. in. June. 1995. to. work. on. this. document. meet. in,. for. instance,. Paavali. Juusten’s. further. Chronicle of the Bishops of Finland. or. Zachris. Topelius’. Tales of a Barber– In.spite.of.the.tight.schedule.I.hope.that. Surgeon,. which. used. to. be. compulsory. in. 1997. at. the. general. assembly. of. the. reading.in.Finnish.schools. Lutheran.World.Federation.the.Lutheran. churches. will. declare. that. we. have. The.Roman.Catholic.Church.has.shown.a. achieved.a.sufficient.degree.of.agreement. different.face.to.the.Finnish.people.with,. with. the. Roman. Catholic. church. on. the. for.example,.Pope.John.Paul.II’s.visit.to. doctrine. of. justification. for. the. mutual. Finland.in.1989..After.his.visit.the.Pope. public.recognition.of.the.immoderateness. has. in. several. connections. related. how. of. the. theological. anathemas. of. the. in. Finland. and. Sweden. he. encountered. sixteenth. century.. There. are,. still. Lutheran.churches.which.cherish.contact. differences. in. the. understanding. of. the. with. their. catholic. legacy. in. a. special. doctrine. of. justification,. to. be. sure,. but. way.. In. 1993. Cardinal. Edward. Cassidy. after.agreement.is.reached.on.basic.truths. proposed. that. the. Lutheran. churches. it.is.easier.to.deal.with.these.differences. of. Sweden. and. Finland. and. the. Roman. together. Catholic.dioceses.begin.regional.dialogue. on.the.subject.of.the.episcopate..Now.in. I.hope.that.for.the.Evangelical.Lutheran. the.Nordic.countries.we.are.discussing.the. Church. of. Finland. the. debate. on. the. broadening.of.dialogue.to.include.all.of. subject.of.justification.will.mean.as.it.has.

1.Suomen.kirkkohistoria.(‘The.Church.History.of.Finland’)..Helsinki.1996..p..66.

31 already. meant. not. only. the. broadening. justification.and.come.to.grips.with.other. of.ecumenical.perspectives.but.also.that. doctrinal. points. that. separate. us,. such. we. might. use. the. excellent. opportunity. as.the.Papacy,.the.status.of.Mary.in.the. afforded.to.us.here.to.make.a.variegated. Church.and.the.ordained.ministry.. study.of.the.Reformation.principle,.which. was,.and.is,.considered. to. be. so.central. Lutheran–Anglican relations that. with. it. the. whole. Church. either. stands.or.falls..In.Germany,.for.example,. It.is.a.question.of.much.fartherreaching. theologians. have. been. amazed. that. for. interchurch.agreement.when.to.date.(1996). the.past.year.the.central.theme.of.Finnish. ten.Lutheran.and.Anglican.churches.have. clergy. meetings,. and. parishes’. councils. accepted.the.Porvoo Declaration,.which. too,.has.been.the.justification.of.sinners. means. not. only. rapprochement. between. the. churches. but. laying. the. foundation. The. fact. that. the. Lutheran. churches. of. ecclesiastical. communion. between. around.the.world.are.seriously.considering. the. churches. of. the. Nordic. countries,. their. relations. with. the. Roman. Catholic. the. Baltic. States. and. the. British. Isles.. Church. and. the. doctrine. of. justification. According.to.the.document,.the.churches. is.the.consequence.of.the.development.of. recognise. each. other. as. true. churches,. a.closer.communion.among.the.Lutheran. recognise. each. other’s. members. as. true. churches. themselves.. It. was. the. ELCA. Christians,.accept.each.other’s.preaching. (the. Evangelical. Lutheran. Church. of. and.sacraments.and.also.promise.to.treat. America).which.felt.that.it.had.achieved. each.other’s.church.members.as.their.own. such. a. degree. of. agreement. in. its. own. I.shall.repeat.what.I.have.said.previously. Lutheran–Roman. Catholic. discussions. about. what. the. Porvoo Declaration,. that.it.deemed.it.necessary.to.invite.the. perhaps.at.its.simplest,.means.in.practice.. other. Lutheran. churches. to. evaluate. the. An.Anglican.who.lives.in.Finland.said.to. results.of.the.discussions..This.one.church. me.that.when.he.next.has.to.go.to.hospital. did.not.think.that.it.could.continue.alone. and.a.Lutheran.hospital.chaplain.comes. any.longer,.so.it.invited.its.sister.churches. into.his.room.he.can.say,.“Here.comes.my. along. priest.too.”

If. sufficient. unanimity. is. achieved. on. The.Anglican.and.Lutheran.churches.have. the.doctrine.of.justification.between.the. never.condemned.each.other,.so.there.is.no. Roman.Catholic.Church.and.the.Lutheran. need.to.rescind.anathemas..Instead.many. churches,. and. if. the. anathemas. are. ecclesiojuridical. and. practical. problems. declared.to.be.immoderate,.a.significant. remain.to.be.solved,.so.that.the.Porvoo step.will.have.been.taken.in.interchurch. Common Statement. can. really. serve. the. relations..Afterwards.we.can.aim.at.more. members.of.the.signatory.churches. complete. unanimity. on. the. doctrine. of.

32 The. signatory. churches. to. the. Porvoo Lutheran,.Unified.and.Anglican.churches. Declaration,. “share. a. common. of. Europe. will. continue. to. develop. the. understanding.of.God’s.justifying.grace,. direction. of. their. church. relations. by. i.e..that.we.are.accounted.righteous.and. producing. a. document,. the. origin. and. are. made. righteous. before. God. only. by. content.of.which.will.be.more.influenced. grace.through.faith.because.of.the.merits. by. the. Porvoo Declaration. and. the. of.our.Lord.and.Saviour.Jesus.Christ,.and. Meissen Agreement. than. by. Leuenberg.. not.on.account.of.our.works.or.merits.... Last.March.we.presented.a.proposal.to.this. Both.our.traditions.affirm.that.justification. effect.to.the.German.Evangelical.Church. leads. and. must. lead. to. ‘good. works’;. 2 authentic.faith.issues.in.love.” . Lutheran– Orthodox discussions

On. the. first. and. second. Sundays. in. In. Finland. Lutheranism. and. Orthodoxy. September. 1996. we. shall. be. festively. live. side. by. side.. The. influence. of. celebrating. the. signing. of. the. Porvoo Orthodox. Christianity. has. been. Declaration. with. attendant. church. greater. than. one. might. deduce. from. its. services. in. Trondheim. and. Tallinn.. The. membership.of.50,000..Since.the.end.of. climax.to.these.celebrations.is.to.be.a.joint. the.1980s.our.interchurch.relations.have. church.service.in.Westminster.Abbey.in. gone.beyond.practical.co-operation.to.the. London.on.November.28th. level.of.joint.discussions.of.doctrine..At. the.meeting.of.the.folk.churches.the.main. The.acceptance.of.the.Porvoo Declaration. questions.addressed.were.the.ministry.of. has. subsequently. raised. the. question. of. these. churches. within. the. same. nation. our.relations.with.the.socalled.Leuenberg. and.among.the.same.people..In.March.the. Church. Community,. comprising. several. subjects.of.the.fifth.round.of.discussions. Reformed,.Lutheran.and.Unified.churches. were.“Work,.Unemployment.and.Human. of. Europe,. which. is. based. on. altar. and. Dignity”. and. “The. Priesthood. of. All. pulpit.fellowship.agreed.upon.in.1973..For. Believers”. theological.reasons.the.Nordic.Lutheran. churches. have. not. signed. the. charter. of. Significant. encouragement. for. the. the.community..Since.1973.the.German. improvement. of. Lutheran–Orthodox. Evangelical. Church,. to. which. belong. relations. was. given. to. our. church. Reformed,.Lutheran.and.Unified.churches,. on. May. 1995. when. His. Holiness. has. negotiated. the. socalled. Meissen Bartholomeus,.the.Ecumenical.Patriarch. Agreement.with.the.Church.of.England.. of. Constantinople,. visited. Kuopio. It. is. conceivable. that. the. Reformed,. Lutheran. Cathedral. and. made. the.

2.The.Porvoo.Common.Statement.32.c.

33 strongly.symbolic.gesture.of.presenting. or.the.Russian.Orthodox.Church. the.Eucharistic.chalice.to.Bishop.Matti. Lutheran–Free Church contacts Sihvonen,. expressing. the. hope. that. the. day. would. come. when. our. churches. The. doctrinal. discussions. of. our. church. could.celebrate.the.Eucharist.together..It. have.also.included.doctrinal.discussions. was.a.beautiful.reminder.of.the.true.goal. with.the.Finnish.Evangelical.Free.Church. of.the.movement.for.unity. and.the.Finnish.Pentecostal.Movement.in. the.1980s,.as.a.result.of.which.relations. Since. 1970. our. church. has. regularly. have.improved.and.mutual.understanding. engaged. in. doctrinal. discussions. with. has. increased.. In. 1992. at. Vesala. in. the. Russian. Orthodox. Church.. In. these. Jyväskylä. the. socalled. “tripartite. talks”. discussions,. apart. from. increasing. our. took.place.between.our.church,.the.Free. knowledge.of.the.Orthodox.faith,.there. Church. and. the. Pentecostal. Movement.. has. been. a. growing. realisation. of. the. The. experiences. that. a. minority. church. ecumenical. significance. of. Luther’s. and.the.Pentecostal.assemblies.have.had. theology.. In. these. discussions. the. of. the. outworking. of. religious. freedom. doctrine. of. justification. has. shown. in. Finland. were. examined. from. many. itself. to. have. an. ecumenically. fruitful. angles.. These. churches. will. receive. all. perspective,.when.in.Järvenpää.in.1974,. our. support,. so. that. religious. liberty. as. in.Kiev.in.1977.and.in.Turku.in.1980.it. a.positive.basic.right.will.be.realised.as. was. possible.to. affirm. that. justification. fully.as.possible.in.our.country. in.Lutheran.theology.and.deification.in. Orthodox. theology. express. the. same. With. the. Finnish. Free. Church. we. have. thing.in.different.ways. long.had.a.joint.consultation.committee.. Last.January.the.Council.for.International. The. Evangelical. Lutheran. Church. has. Relations. of. our. church. also. nominated. especially. appreciated. the. fact. that. in. our.representative.to.the.joint.consultation. spite. of. its. many. internal. difficulties. committee.of.the.Pentecostal.Movement. the. Russian. Orthodox. Church. was. and.the.Lutheran.Church..It.is.illustrative. prepared.to.continue.this.tenth.round.of. of.the.ecumenical.program.of.our.church. discussions.last.Fall.in.Kiev..Our.church. that.this.decision.was.taken.at.the.same. is.to.host.the.next.round.of.discussions. meeting.where.we.issued.a.statement.on. in.1998. the.Lutheran– Roman.Catholic.document. on.justification. The. dispute. between. the. Patriarchates. of.Moscow.and.Constantinople.over.the. Bilateral and multilateral Estonian.Orthodox.Church.has.not.been. ecumenism provides mutual a.hindrance.to.the.relations.of.our.church. support with.either.the.Finnish.Orthodox.Church.

34 In. expounding. the. ecumenical. program. is. a. major. forum. and. instrument. of. of.our.church.I.have.so.far.concentrated. interchurch.co-operation,.but.at.the.same. on. interchurch. or. interdenominational. time. also. a. communion. of. churches. in. bilateral.contacts..Experience.shows.that. which.the.churches.have.mutual.altar.and. bilateral. and. multilateral. ecumenism. pulpit.fellowship..When.speaking.of.the. provides.mutual.support..As.an.example. visions.for.the.future.of.the.World.Council. of.this.I.might.mention.only.the.doctrinal. of.Churches.we.wish.to.stress.the.primary. discussions.between.the.Lutheran.World. need.that.the.World.Council.of.Churches. Federation. and. the. Roman. Catholic. remain.a.movement.for.church.unity.and. Church’s. Council. for. the. Promotion. of. that.visible.church.unity.remain.the.goal. Christian. Unity,. which. have. lasted. for. of.the.whole.ecumenical.movement. over.a.quarter.of.a.century,.or.the.work. of. the. LutheranOrthodox. theological. commission. Many. of. the. lines. of. development. described. here. are. taken. up. in. Finland. Our.church.is.an.active.foundingmember. by. the. Finnish. Ecumenical. Council,. the. of. several. ecumenical. and. international. Finnish. churches’. co-operative. body,. associations. of. churches.. We. have. which.will.be.80.years.old.in.1997..This. just. chosen. our. representative. to. the. council.is.unique.in.all.of.the.Christian. general. assemblies. of. the. Lutheran. world.in.that.the.Roman.Catholic.Church. World.Federation.and.the.Conference.of. in.Finland.has.been.a.full.member.since. European. Churches. in. 1997. and. to. the. 1967,. and. that. in. a. country. with. over. general.assembly.of.the.World.Council.of. an. 85%. Lutheran. majority. the. present. Churches.in.1998. chairperson.of.the.ecumenical.council.is. the.Orthodox.archbishop.and.the.general. Bilateral. and. multilateral. contacts. have. secretary.a.Baptist.pastor. also. provided. mutual. support. in. the. many. co-operation,. development. and. The unity and continuity of the assistance. programs. of. the. Lutheran. Church World.Federation.and.the.World.Council. of. Churches.. They. have. offered. those. It.is.not.possible.to.define.the.ecumenical. from. different. churches. the. opportunity. policy. of. our. church. without. reference. not.only.of.working.together.but.also.of. to. the. Augsburg. Confession,. according. learning.from.one.another..We.constantly. to. which,. “our. churches. .... teach. that. need. a. healthy. reminder. of. how. the. one. holy. church. is. to. continue. forever.. majority. of. people. in. the. world. see. the. The. church. is. the. assembly. of. saints. in. global.situation. which.the.Gospel.is.taught.purely.and.the. sacraments.are.administered.rightly..For. For. us. the. Lutheran. World. Federation. the.true.unity.of.the.church.it.is.enough.

35 to. agree. concerning. the. teaching. of. the. of.our.church.is.that.it.should.be.one.and. Gospel. and. the. administration. of. the. the.same.church.in.all.directions..It.is.a. sacraments.”.(Augsburg.Confession.VII). matter.of.Lutheran.identity..In.the.same. way.as.the.individual.must.be.honest.and. The.Lutheran.Church.confesses.the.unity. consistent.with.who.he.is.and.where.he. and. continuity. of. the. Church.. Our. duty. comes. from,. the. Church. and. Christian. is. to. seek. and. promote. the. unity. of. the. denomination.must.also.aim.to.preserve. Church. in. the. teaching. of. the. Gospel. its.own.identity.and.integrity..In.practice. and.the.administration.of.the.sacraments.. this. has. proved. to. be. possible.. It. is. What. is. sufficient. for. the. unity. of. the. possible.to.be.the.same.Lutheran.Christian. Church. is,. according. to. our. confession,. and.representative.of.the.Lutheran.Church. also.essential.for.unity.among.believers.. in.discussion.with.the.Anglican,.Roman. Unity.is.not.uniformity.but.a.rich.diversity. Catholic,.Orthodox.or.Free.Churches.and. in.the.same.faith,.doctrine.and.life..The. the.Pentecostal.movement. Lutheran.model.of.ecumenism.has.been. described. as. “reconciled. diversity”,. Lutheran. identity. involves,. first. of. all,. in. which. differences. have. lost. their. deep. humility,. and. secondly,. a. strong. separating.nature..“...It.is.not.essential.that. awareness.of.who.we.are.and.where.we. human.traditions.or.rites.and.ceremonies,. come. from.. Since. as. of. this. year. 450. instituted. by. men,. should. be. alike. years. have. passed. since. Doctor. Martin. everywhere.”.(Augsburg.Confession.VII). Luther.died.in.his.birthplace.of.Eisleben,. I.wish.to.point.out.these.two.aspects.as. As. a. Lutheran. church. we. are. heirs. of. they. appear. at. the. very. end. of. his. life:. Luther.and.the.Reformation..We.cherish. humility. and. strong. identity,. awareness. contacts. with. sister. churches,. other. of. who. he. was. and. where. he. belonged.. churches.and.Christian.denominations.and. The.last.words.he.was.heard.to.utter.were. ecumenical.organisations..We.wish.to.hold. taken.from.a.Latin.prayer.he.knew.from. fast.to.the.authority.of.the.Bible,.and.its. his.time.in.the.monastery:.“In.manus.tuas. central.content.the.justification.of.sinners.. commendo.spiritum.meum,.redimisti.me,. All. the. doctrinal. articles. of. Christianity. Deus.veritatis!”.Into.your.hands,.Father,.I. are.related.to.justification..In.other.words,. commend.my.spirit,.you.have.redeemed. what. is. taught. about. justification. also. me,.O. God. of. truth!.As. one’s. moment. affects.the.interpretation.of.other.articles. of. departure. approaches. things. become. of.faith. simplified..Then.it.becomes.apparent.who. we.are.and.where.we.belong. The same church in all directions After.Luther’s.death.his.final.written.note. The.basic.aim.of.the.ecumenical.activity. was. found,. the. last. sentence. of. which.

36 “We.are.beggars.indeed”.has.often.been. the.Church.for.a.hundred.years.with. quoted..This. sentence. is. part. of. a. more. all.the.prophets..Vergil’s.epic.Aeneid. extensive.writing,.which.runs.as.follows: is.admirable..But.for.us.a.greater.mi- racle.and.mystery.is.the.heroic.death. Vergil’s. poetic. works. cannot. be. un- of.God,.the.Great.Tale,.which.has.the. derstood.unless.one.has.oneself.been. following.points:.1..John.the.Baptist,. a.shepherd.or.farmer.for.at.least.five. 2..Christ.and.his.work,.3..The.Apostles. years..Nor.can.Cicero’s.letters.be.un- into.all.the.world,.and.4..Christ.and.his. derstood. except. by. one. who. has. for. Church..Do.not.therefore.interfere.in. decades.worked.in.public.administrati- this.heroic.Aeneid.tale.of.God.but.bow. on..Let.no.one.then.imagine.that.he.has. in.humble.admiration.and.contemplate. sufficiently.tasted.and.appropriated.the. the.traces.it.has.left.in.world.history!. Word.of.God,.even.if.he.has.guided. Compared.to.this.we.are.beggars.in- deed..

37 The Lutheran Church and Ecumenism

A Lecture at the International Study Meeting “Saint Bridget and the Holy Year” in Rome, on November 12-13, 1999

When. St.. Bridget. came. to. Rome. 650. my. paper. is. “The. Lutheran. Church. and. years. ago. in. order. to. celebrate. the. Ecumenism”. and.I. shall. approach. it. holy. year,. she. came. from. the. northern. from. a. Nordic,. in. particular. a. Finnish. periphery.of.the.Church.at.that.time..In. and. Swedish,. perspective.. When. St.. recent. years. increasing. emphasis. has. Bridget.lived.Finland.formed.part.of.the. been.laid.in.our.part.of.the.world.on.the. Swedish.kingdom.and.continued.to.do.so. northern.dimension.of.political,.economic. until.1809..Until.that.year.we.also.had.a. and. cultural. cooperation.. Seen. from. a. common.church,.which.means.that.even. historical.perspective.this.is.nothing.new.. today.we.still.view.things.from.a.common. When. Bridget. appeared. as. a. messenger. perspective. of.Christ.before.the.Pope.and.the.princes. of.the.day.in.Europe,.it.was.a.reminder. When. we. were. received. in. audience. by. even.then.that.both.the.political.and.the. Pope.John.Paul.II.in.connection.with.the. ecclesiastical.life.in.this.part.of.the.world. St..Bridget.anniversary.in.1991,.he.said.to. also.had.a.northern.dimension. us.“Perhaps.you.in.the.Nordic.countries. will. find. an. ecumenical. way. forward.”. Bridget’s. person. and. her. life’s. work. This. instruction. and. encouragement. we. were. the. clearest. and. the. most. obvious. have. not. forgotten.. Some. weeks. ago. manifestation.of.the.northern.dimension.at. we. met. at. a. joint. Lutheran. and. Roman. the.time..Even.today.St..Bridget.is.still.a. Catholic.conference.to.discuss.our.mutual. symbol.that.the.Nordic.countries.constitute. relations.in.the.Nordic.countries,.and.then. an.integral.part.of.the.rest.of.Europe..It.is. we.reminded.each.other.once.more.of.this. therefore.with.joy.and.satisfaction.that.we. papal.exhortation. in.the.north.have.received.the.news.that. Bridget.has.been. proclaimed. one. of.the. The. ecumenical. scene. has. changed. in. patron.saints.of.Europe. many.ways.during.the.past.few.decades. even.in.the.Nordic.countries..Far.into.this. Both.the.agenda.and.the.list.of.participants. century.the.ecumenical.position.has.been. for. this. international. study. meeting. strongly. marked. by. the. overwhelming. are,. in. their. way,. an. expression. of. the. dominance. of. the. Lutheran. national. northern. dimension.I. just. mentioned.. churches..With.the.exception.of.Sweden. I.hope,.too,.that.what.I.have.to.say.will. the. Protestant. free. churches. have. also. stress. this. dimension.. The. title. of. constituted. relatively. small. minorities.

38 and. the. Roman. Catholic. and. Orthodox. When.we.speak.of.the.northern.dimension,. contributions. have. been. marginal.. Only. we.are.of.course.talking.geographically.. in.Finland.has.the.Orthodox.church.been. In. our. Nordic. geography. the. Baltic. more.strongly.represented. Sea. occupies. a. key. position.. In. recent. years. we. have. begun. to. ask. ourselves. The.immigration.that.has.taken.place.in. increasingly. what. responsibilities. and. recent.decades.has.contributed.markedly. what. opportunities. are. afforded. by. the. to.creating.a.new.situation.also.from.an. fact. that. all. the. main. denominations. of. ecumenical. viewpoint..The. membership. Christianity.in.our.part.of.the.world.are. of. the. Roman. Catholic. dioceses. has. represented.along.the.shores.of.this.sea.. increased. considerably. and. especially. We. have. already. experienced. certain. Sweden. has. seen. a. large. inflow. of. concrete. examples. of. how. this. sea. can. Christians.belonging.to.different.Orthodox. also. function. as. a. uniting. factor. on. the. churches. ecclesiastical. level.. Similar. cooperation. has. come. about. between. the. churches,. The. need. for. ecumenical. cooperation. especially. the. Lutheran. and. Orthodox,. has. consequently. grown. in. the. Nordic. that.are.linked.by.the.Barents.Sea.far.away. countries.. But. ecumenical. activity. in. in.the.north. northern. Europe. has. also. increased. in. the. last. few. years. quite. independently. One. of. the. most. important. ecumenical. of. the. wave. of. the. immigration.. Our. events.in.the.Nordic.countries.in.recent. involvement. in. the. World. Council. of. history.was.the.Pope’s.visit.in.1989..This. Churches,. the. Conference. of. European. historic. event. was. of. great. significance. Churches.and.the.denominational.world. for.relations.between.the.Lutheran.Nordic. unions.together.with.our.participation.in. countries.and.the.Roman.Catholic.Church.. bilateral. and. multilateral. discussions. at. There.were.many.who.were.impressed.by. the. world. level. have. naturally. meant. a. the.spiritual.nature.of.the.visit..We.met.a. particularly.valuable.ecumenical.exchange. praying.pope. for.us..The.national.Christian.councils.in. our.countries.have.increased.their.contacts. Among. other. major. ecumenical. events. and.cooperation.between.churches.in.the. there.was.also.the.signing.of.The Porvoo north..A.number.of.bilateral.discussions. Declaration,.which.created.a.very.close. at.the.national.level.have.worked.in.the. fellowship.between.the.dNordic.an .Baltic. same.direction..In.Finland.we.like.to.point. Lutheran. churches. on. the. one. hand. and. especially. to. the. fruitful. dialogues. that. the. Anglican. churches. in. Britain. and. we.have.had.with.the.Russian.Orthodox. Ireland. on. the. other.. These. churches. Church.since.1970.and.which.have.also. note,. for. example,. that. they. share. the. left.their.stamp.on.the.Orthodox-Lutheran. same. apostolic. belief,. that. they. regard. dialogue.at.the.global.level. each.other.as.churches.belonging.to.the.

39 one,.holy,.catholic.and.apostolic.Church. with.oneself.and.therefore.constitutes.an. of.Jesus.Christ,.that.they.recognise.each. incitement. to. greater. self-knowledge. at. other’s.ordinations.and.that.they.are.ready. the.same.time..As.in.all.human.intercourse. to.regard.each.other’s.baptised.members. so.also.in.the.ecclesiastical.field.we.have. as.their.own.members. the.rule.that.only.the.party.with.a.clear. identity. can. meet. the. other. party. with. The.creation.of.the.Porvoo.Communion openness.and.confidence. has. been. looked. upon. as. one. of. the. most. important. concrete. ecumenical. The. increased. ecumenical. activity. that. achievements. of. this. century.. It. has. we. have. seen. in. recent. decades. has. already.been.see.that.it.can.inspire.similar. consequently. led. to. a. situation. where. steps.in.other.countries.and.parts.of.the. the. question. of. Lutheran. identity. has. world..Corresponding.agreements.include. acquired. a. new. urgency. within. the. The Meissen Agreement between. the. Lutheran. community. worldwide,. now. evangelical.churches.in.Germany.and.the. frequently. referred. to. as. The Lutheran Church.of.England.and.The Concordat of Communion..Our.Nordic.churches.are.no. Agreement between.the.Episcopal.Church. exception.to.this..The.question.of.identity. and.the.Evangelical.Lutheran.Church.in. has.taken.on.extra.weight.from.the.fact. America. that. during. these. years. we. have. at. the. same. time. been. confronted. by. Roman. The. most. recent. great. ecumenical. Catholicism,. Orthodoxy,. . event. that. has. made. its. impact. on. and. Reformed. Christianity.. The. contact. our. national. churches. in. the. Nordic. with. the. Reformed. churches. has. taken. countries. is,. of. course,. the. signing. of. place.in.connection.with.The Leuenberg The Joint Declaration on the Doctrine Concord,. the. agreement. between. the. of Justification on. 31. October. this. year. Lutheran,. Reformed,. United. churches. in.Augsburg.. We. believe. and. hope. that. and. some. pre-Reformation. Protestant. this. historical. event. will. prove. to. be. of. churches.in.Europe..Our.national.churches. decisive.importance.on.the.road.to.greater. in.the.Nordic.countries.have.admittedly. fellowship.between.the.Roman.Catholic. not.signed.this.concord.but.we.have.taken. church. and. the. Lutheran. churches. an.active.part.in.the.theological.work.that. throughout.the.world. such.as.agreement.requires.

Lutheran identity and ecumenism The.identity.of.an.individual.or.a.group. always. contains. elements. that. indicate. Wider. and. deeper. ecumenical. contacts. relations.to.others..This.is.true.of.every. mean. not. only. closer. familiarity. with. church.and.denomination..The.question,. other. churches. and. denominations.. The. then,.is:.What.is.the.fundamental.attitude. meeting.with.others.also.means.a.meeting. to. other. churches. that. is. contained. in.

40 the.Lutheran.identity?.In.what.direction. Reformation.and.pre-Reformation.times.in. are. we. going. when. we. in. the. Lutheran. a.similar.fashion..On.the.right.is.a.picture. church.try.to.be.true.to.ourselves?.Does. of. Bishop. Henry,. Finland’s. missionary. a.strengthening.of.our.own.identity.mean. bishop.and.patron.saint,.baptising.people. only.a.way.inwards,.away.from.others?. at.the.fountain.of.Kupittaa.in.Turku..On. Or. does. the. way. inwards. lead. in. the. the.left.is.Mikael.Agricola,.the.reformer. final. analysis. outwards,. towards. other. of. Finland,. handing. the. first. Finnish. Christians.and.other.churches?.Is.it.so.–. translation.of.the.New.Testament.to.King. as. some. critics. claim.–. that. ecumenical. Gustav.Vasa. involvement. leads. to. a. weakening. and. dilution. of. what. is. genuinely. Lutheran?. These. mural. paintings. illustrate. the. Or. is. it. the. other. way. round,. that. the. ecumenical. attitude. of. the. Lutheran. preservation. and. strengthening. of. our. reformation.. Luther,. as. we. know,. had. Lutheran. identity. imply. an. ecumenical. no.plans.to.found.a.new.church;.he.even. basis?. A. corresponding. attitude. with. forbade.his.followers.to.call.themselves. corresponding. alternatives. prevails. in. Lutherans..His.only.intention.was.to.bring. other.churches,.too. about. a. renewal. of. the. church. to. which. he. belonged. and. to. which. he. wanted. Is.there.an.ecumenical.dimension.to.our. to. belong,. with. a. conscious. link. to. the. Lutheran. identity?. If. so,. what. are. the. apostolic.heritage.of.the.early.Church.that. elements. of. Lutheran. identity. that. have. this.church.administered.and.lived.by. special.ecumenical.relevance? This. fundamental. view. and. desire. “A confessional movement within dominates. the. whole. of. the. Augsburg. Christ’s universal Church” Confession,.Confessio.Augustana,.which. became.the.main.expression.of.the.self- The. entrance. to. the. nave. of. Turku. understanding. both. of. the. Lutheran. Cathedral.–.Finland’s.national.shrine,.the. Reformation. and. of. the. Lutheran. 700th.anniversary.of.which.we.celebrate. churches.. One. of. the. principal. motives. in.year.2000.–.is.bordered.by.two.murals.. for.this.confession,.which.was.presented. To.the.right.is.a.painting.of.Ansgar,.the. to. the. Emperor. in. 1530,. was. to. show. archbishop. of. Hamburg-Bremen,. who. that. what. was. taught. and. preached. was. has.been.called.the.“apostle.of.the.North”. in. agreement. with. the. original. common. because.of.his.missionary.work.in.the.9th. belief.of.the.Christian.Church. century..To. the. left,. opposite.Ansgar,. is. Martin.Luther. In.Confessio.Augustana.it.says.that.“one. holy.Church.is.to.continue.for.ever”.(Art.. In. the. nave. there. are. another. couple. of. VII)..The.idea.that.there.could.at.the.same. paintings.that.also.reveal.the.heritage.from. time. exist. any. other. church. was. quite.

41 alien..The.same.article.refers.to.St..Paul’s. The Lutheran view of the Church words.in.his.letter.to.the.Ephesians:.“one. and the unity of the Church faith,.one.baptism;.one.God.and.Father.of. all…”.(Eph..4:.5-6). The. self-evident. effort. to. relate. to. the. apostolic. heritage. of. the. early. Church,. In. conformity. with. this. fundamental. is. then. one. element. in. Lutheran. self- view. Confessio.Augustana. takes. as. its. understanding. that. holds. special. point de départ the. Nicene. ,. in. ecumenical.relevance..A.further.element. particular.its.teaching.about.the.Trinity,. in.Lutheran.identity.that.is.of.ecumenical. where.it.is.a.question.of.what.God.has. significance.is.the.view.of.the.Church.and. done. and. still. does. for. us. as. Father,. the.unity.of.the.Church.and.consequently. Son. and. Holy. Spirit.. The. endeavour. of. the. prerequisites. and. constraints. for. to. relate. to. the. heritage. of. the. early. ecumenical. endeavours..This. element. is. Church.is.demonstrated.not.least.by.the. closely.associated.with.the.first.one. fact.that.the.reformers.consciously.hold. fast.to.the.principal..of.the.early. In.Lutheranism.the.Church.is.understood. Church,. the.Apostolic,. the. Nicene. and. primarily. in. terms. of. the. Gospel. and. the.Athanasian. the. sacraments.. These. are. the. truly. constituent.elements.of.the.Church..The. The. American. theologian. and. bishop. ministry.in.itself.is.constituent.as.servant. William. Lazareth has,. in. my. opinion,. and.administrator.of.the.Gospel.and.the. given. a. telling. description. of. the. self- sacraments. understanding.and.identity.that.revealed. here;.he. has. characterized. Lutheranism. According. to. Confessio. Augustana. the. as. “a. confession. movement. within. Church. is. “the. assembly. of. saints. in. Christ’s.universal.Church”..Emphasizing. which. the. Gospel. is. taught. purely. and. the. confessional. aspect. is. not. seen. as. the. sacraments. administrated. rightly”. a. hindrance. to. ecumenical. contacts. (Art..VII)..This.brief.definition.gives.the. and. endeavours.. On. the. contrary,. we. concept.of.the.Church.both.stability.and. Lutherans. believe. that. ecumenical. openness.. The. Church. is. limited. to. the. endeavours. must. always. take. the. community. within. which. the. Gospel. is. confession.of.the.church.seriously..This. preached.in.accordance.with.the.biblical. leads. to. an. emphasis. on. the. role. and. message. and. where. the. sacraments. are. importance.of.the.doctrinal.dialogues.in. administrated. in. agreement. with. their. the.ecumenical.movement..In.line.with. biblical.institution. this.the.Lutheran.churches.have.always. given.special.support.to.the.work.done. On. the. other. hand,. the. Church. is. not. within.the.framework.of.Faith.and.Order. restricted.to.any.one.particular.institution.. in.the.World.Council.of.Churches. In.his.theological.last.will.and.testament.

42 in. the. book. Vom Abendmahl Christi,. This.concept.of.the.Church.and.its.unity. Luther.says.that.Christianity.is.not.found. provide.the.aims.and.guiding.principles. just.under.the.Pope.but.also.among.Turks,. for.ecumenical.dialogue.and.for.ecumenic. Persians,. Tartars. and. throughout. the. endeavours.in.general..Above.all,.it.is.a. world.. This. gathering. of. all. Christians. question.of.first.trying.to.find.this,.the.one. everywhere. in. the. world. constitutes. the. Church.of.Christ,.that.extends.all.over.the. only. bride. of. Christ,. Christ’s. spiritual. whole.world..It.is.matter.of.ascertaining. body,.of.which.he.is.the.head. where. the. outward. prerequisites. for. the. existence.and.life.of.this.Church.are.to.be. This.is.not.just.a.question.of.an.invisible. found..Here.interest.is.directed.naturally. fellowship..Christ’s.Church.worldwide.is. towards.the.teaching.of.the.Gospel.and.the. visible.since.its.members.could.not.believe. administration.of.the.sacraments. it. they. were. not. objects. of. the. visible. Church’s. activity,. namely. the. preaching. Then. we. must. go. on. to. draw. the. of. the. Gospel. and. the. sacraments.. This. consequences.of.what.we.have.found,.i.e.. visibility. takes. on. an. especially. strong. to.put.into.practice.through.our.actions.the. emphasis. in. the. Greek. version. of. the. unity.of.what.we.have.discovered..This. creeds.–. both. the. Apostolic. and. the. occurs.through.a.common.form.of.worship. Nicene.–.where.the.church.is.referred.to. and. prayer,. through. common. service. in. as.koinoonia toon hagioon..Here.we.can. the.world.and.by.seeking.structures.that. detect.an.allusion.to.God’s.word.and.the. express,. make. visible. and. support. the. sacraments. communion.

According.to.this.view.of.the.Church.there. Of.course,.these.ecumenical.efforts.also. is. only. one. holy,. catholic. and. apostolic. consist. of. going. further. together. and. Church..Its.unity.is.given,.not.created.by. seeking.a.deeper.and.richer.understanding. human.effort..It.is.one.in.Christ. of.the.Gospel..From.a.Lutheran.viewpoint. this. means,. for. example,. critically. The.conditions.for.the.visible.unity.of.the. examining. the. other. conditions. for. full. Church.are.an.inevitable.consequence.of. communion.that.may.be.set.in.connection. this.solid.and.open.view.of.the.Church.. with.or.in.addition.to.the.Gospel.and.the. In. the. words. of. Confessio. Augustana. sacraments. “for. the. true. unity. of. the. Church. it. is. enough.to.agree.concerning.the.doctrine. Those. churches. that. take. part. in. the. of. the. Gospel. and. the. administration. ecumenical.dialogue.lay.claim.each.and. of. the. Sacraments.. Nor. is. it. necessary. individually.to.representing.the.one,.holy,. that. human. traditions,. that. is,. rites. or. catholic.and.apostolic.Church.of.Christ.. seremonies,.instituted.by.men,.should.be. When.we.Lutherans.observe.this.in.itself. everywhere.alike”.(Art..VII). obvious.fact,.we.attach.special.attention.to.

43 whether.a.church.makes.this.claim.in.an. an. important. preliminary. for. the. Joint exclusive.way.or.not..A.church.that.claims. Declaration on Justification. to.represent.Christ’s.Church.can.see.itself. either.as.the.one.true.Church.or.as.a.part. This.view.of.the.Church,.its.unity.and.the. of.it. conditions. for. concrete. efforts. towards. unity. make. it. possible. to. pursue. an. In.the.first.case.considerable.difficulties. ecumenical. dialogue. on. different. levels. ensue. for. the. ecumenical. efforts.. In. with.different.aims..We.can,.for.example,. the. second. case,. on. the. other. hand,. the. be.satisfied.just.to.hold.discussions.aimed. churches.can.meet.as.equal.partners.and. at. getting. to. know. and. understanding. together. study. whether. they. can. regard. each. other. and. so. strengthening. our. each. other. as. parts. of. Christ’s. Church.. fellowship.without.trying.to.bring.about. The Leuenberg, Meissen. and. Porvoo any. binding. agreements.. Our. dialogue. Agreements. all. clearly. state. that. this. with.the.Russian.Orthodox.church.is.just. is. the. case.. In. the. Meissen. and. Porvoo. such. an. example. of. this.. However,. we. declarations. the. wording. is. identical:. can. go. further,. deepening. the. dialogue. “We.acknowledge.one.another’s.churches. and.aiming.at.unity.in.a.certain.question. as.being.churches.belonging.to.the.One,. of.belief.or.teaching,.as.was.the.case.with. Holy,.Catholic.and.Apostolic.Church.of. the.Joint Declaration on Justification,.in. Jesus.Christ.and.truly.participating.in.the. the.hope.of.establishing.a.greater.outward. apostolic.mission.of.the.whole.people.of. and. visible. unity. between. the. churches. God.” in. question.. We. can. also,. as. with. the. Porvoo Declaration,.go.even.farther.and. A. particular. problem. in. the. context. is. set.our.immediate.sights.on.a.very.close. the. doctrinal. condemnations. that. the. communion.between.churches.overall. churches. have. made. of. each. other’s. teachings. in. the. course. of. history.. As. Continuity and renewal long. as. these. condemnations. continue. to.stand,.a.church.cannot.regard.another. I. have. pointed. out. that. the. Lutheran. as. fully. participant. in. Christ’s. Church.. identity. encompasses. two. elements. that. Consequently,. it. has. been. necessary. are. particularly. relevant. to. ecumenism.. to. focus. special. attention. on. these. One.is.the.link.with.the.early.Church.and. Condemnations.. The. discussions. held. its.heritage.of.faith..The.other.is.the.view. on. Germany. between. Roman. Catholic,. of.the.Church’s.very.essence.and.what.is. Lutheran. and. Reformed. theologians. necessary.for.the.unity.of.the.Church. in. the. years. 1981-1985. are. a. supreme. example. of. this.. These. discussions. Using. the. distinction. between. what. is. resulted.in.the.report.“Lehrverurteilungen necessary. and. what. is. not. necessary. – kirchentrennend?”, which. came. to. be. for. the. unity. of. the. Church. as. a. basis,.

44 the. Lutheran. church. has. developed. an. and. consequently. conserve. existing. ecumenical. model. that. is. described. as. differences.in.a.way.that.puts.a.brake.on. “unity. in. reconciled. diversity”.. At. the. the.necessary.renewal.and.realisation.of. general.assemblies.of.the.Lutheran.World. the.visible.unity.of.the.Church. Federation.in.Dar-es-Salaam.in.1978.and. in.Budapest.1984.this.model.of.unity.was. Stressing.not.only.the.legitimate.diversity. given.special.approval. but.also.the.continuity.will.undoubtedly. strengthen. the. Lutheran. churches’. In.her.thesis.Ad veram unitatem.(1994),. character. of. communio.. In. this. way. the. which. contains. an. analysis. of. the. first. mutual.fellowship.between.the.Lutheran. two. stages. in. the. dialogue. between. the. churches. is. reinforced,. and. at. the. same. Lutheran.World.Federation.and.the.Roman. time.their.possibilities.of.increased.joint. Catholic. church. in. the. period. 1967-84,. and. unified. action. in. the. ecumenical. Dr.Pirjo.Työrinoja has.demonstrated.that. field. strengthened.. The. significance. of. the. Lutheran. ecumenical. strategy. has. this. became. abundantly. apparent. in. the. in. fact. been. based. on. the. two. elements. work. leading. up. to. the. Declaration on of. Lutheran. identity. that.I. have. already. Justification. mentioned.. Pirjo. Työrinoja. notes. that. both.in.these.discussions.and.in.Lutheran. The concept of salvation identity. the. key. question. is. that. of. the. relationship. between. continuity and. The. question. of. the. continuity. of. the. renewal..We.are.here.confronted.with.the. Church.is.concentrated,.above.all,.to.the. question.that.is.of.importance.for.every. question. of. being. saved.. The. church’s. organization. and. body,. and. one. which. principal.vocation.is.to.proclaim,.mediate. has.pursued.the.Christian.Church.from.its. and. put. into. practice. the. salvation. that. earliest.beginning. God.has.bestowed.upon.mankind.and.our. world.through.Jesus.Christ..On.this.there. According. to.Työrinoja. the. reformatory. exists. no. disagreement.. The. questions. principle.ecclesia semper reformanda is. of. what. this. salvation. consists. of,. how. incorporated.in.Art..VII.of.the.Confessio. it.is.to.be.mediated.and.received,.on.the. Augustana,. containting. as. it. does. the. other. hand,. has. created. disunity. among. distinction. between. what. is. necessary. Christians. and. in. the. worst. cases. led. to. and. what. is. not. necessary. for. the. unity. mutual. condemnations. of. the. other’s. of. the. Church.. However,. the. element. teaching. of. continuity. in. Lutheran. identity. is,. in. her. assessment,. an. important. factor. Since. salvation. is. of. the. essence. both. for. change.. Without. this. dynamic. for.the.individual.and.for.the.Church,.it. factor. the. ecumenical. model. unity in is.understandable.that.both.disunity.and. reconciled diversity can. only. legitimise. unity. on. this. matter. have. far-reaching.

45 consequences..We.have.bitter.recollections. of. the. teaching. about. the. Trinity. and. of.this.from.the.time.of.the.Reformation. Christology. since. the. conflict. actually. concerned. salvation.in.the.sense.of.human.person’s. In. the. light. of. this. it. is. understandable. justification. before. God.. The. question. that.we.Lutherans.are.pleased.about.the. of. salvation. also. created. great. tension. way.in.which.the.question.of.justification. between. the. different. branches. of. the. has.been.on.the.agenda.in.the.theological. 16th.century.Reformation.movement..The. discussions.between.the.different.churches. Lutherans,.for.example,.took.the.view.that. in. recent. decades.. When.I. look. at. this. .regarded.Christ,.the.Eucharist. question.from.the.perspective.of.my.own. and. predestination. in. a. way. that. made. church,.I.note.that.it.has.attracted.attention. human.person’s.justification.uncertain.and. in.all.the.major.dialogues.that.our.church. limited. has.been.involved.in.recent.time.

The. question. of. human. person’s. In.the.dialogue.with.the.Russian.Orthodox. justification.as.an.expression.of.salvation. church.this.question.took.pride.of.place.in. has.consequently.become.one.of.the.key. the.discussions.held.in.Kiev.in.1977..Here. questions. in. the. ecumenical. dialogue.. the.two.ways.in.which.salvation.is.open.to. Most.of.the.other.matters.in.this.dialogue. interpretation.were.set.face.to.face..Behind. have.proved.to.be.more.or.less.directly. the.theme.“Salvation as justification and related. to. this. main. question.. As. long. deification”lay.the.fact.that.we.Lutherans. as.this.question.remained.unresolved,.it. interpret. salvation. in. the. first. place. as. was. difficult. to. go. on. but. now. that. we. justification.while.the.Orthodox.interpret. can.discern.a.solution.in.this.respect,.it. it.as.deification. opens. up. very. exiting. perspectives. for. the.future. On. this. point. we. Lutherans. have. experienced. an. ecumenical. problem.. For.the.Lutheran.churches.the.question.of. The. strong. emphasis. on. justification. as. justification.is.particularly.important.for. righteousness.imputed.–.what.is.termed. ecumenism. since. justification. occupies. forensic. justification.–. has. created. such. an. exceptionally. key. position. problems. in. most. directions,. both. to. in. Lutheran. identity.. The. teaching. on. Orthodoxy. and. Roman. Catholicism. and. justification. is,. in. Lutheran. eyes,. the. for. Protestant. Christians. who. strongly. clause,.the.article.of.faith,.on.which.the. emphasise.the.link.between.justification. church.stands.or.falls,.articulus stantis et and. sanctification.. When. we. Lutherans. cadentis ecclesiae. This.view.is.clearly. have.wanted.to.stress.that.human.person. expressed.in.Confessio.Augustana.in.that. is.saved.by.faith.alone,.sola fide, and.not. what. is. stated. there. about. justification. by.reason.of.his.own.achievements,.other. is. seen. as. an. immediate. consequence. churches.have.got.the.impression.that.we.

46 have.lost.the.organic.connection.between. justification. is. pardon. an. remission. of. justification.and.the.new.life. sins. received. by. the. Christian. through. Baptism.(1..Cor..6:11).in.a.living.active. This. problem. has. admittedly. been. one. faith.‘which.worketh.by.love’.(Gal..5:6),. of. our. own. doing,. through. a. one-sided. i.e..saving.faith.united.with.repentance,.he. forensic. interpretation. of. the. original. takes.a.new.road.leading.to.deification…”. Lutheran. concept;. the. reason. for. this. one-sidedness.lies.primarily.in.the.post- The. same. problems. surrounding. the. Reformation.development.of.the.teaching. relationship. between. forensic. and. on. justification.. But. often. it. has. been. a. effective. justification. have. been. given. question.of.innate.prejudice.on.the.part.of. prominence. in. the. Joint Declaration on those.with.whom.we.have.been.engaged. Justification. In.the.declaration.it.is.said. in.discussion. that.a.consensus.between.Lutherans.and. Catholics.has.been.reached.on.the.basic. In.the.course.of.the.discussions.in.Kiev. truths.of.the.teaching.of.justification.and. mentioned. earlier. we. took. an. important. that.the.remaining.differences.on.the.form. step.forwards.along.the.ecumenical.path.. of.language,.theological.formulations.and. Professor. Tuomo. Mannermaa proved. emphases. can. be. permitted.. Here,. too,. in. his. lecture. how. a. sharp. distinction. then,.we.have.a.reconciled.diversity. between.declaring.someone.righteous.and. actually. making. him. righteous. does. not. From.the.Lutheran.viewpoint.it.is.naturally. accord. with. Luther’s. intentions.. Luther. of.key.importance.that.it.is.clearly.stated. often.spoke.of.a.real.union.between.Christ. that.human.person.is.entirely.dependent. and.the.believer..Christ.is.present.in.the. on.God’s.saving.grace.for.his.salvation.. faithful.with.all.his.gifts.and.consequently. Alone.he.is.quite.unable.to.turn.to.God. mediates.to.the.believer.divine.life.where. and.earn.his.justification..Human.person. there.is.no.sin,.no.death.and.no.damnation.. cannot.win.eternal.salvation.by.his.own. Christ’s.work.and.Christ’s.person.must.not. efforts.(Joint Declaration on Justification,. therefore.be.separated..Christ.himself.is. 19). present,.not.only.in.his.gifts.–.in ipsa fide Christus adest,.as.Luther.himself.put.it. The. other. important. point. in. this. declaration. is. the. bridging. of. the. old. In. Kiev. justification. and. deification. controversy. between. the. concept. of. thus.appeared.as.two.legitimate.ways.of. justification.as.the.forgiveness.of.sins.and. expressing. the. fact. of. salvation.–. as. a. as.effective.justification..These.are.now. “reconciled. diversity”,. in. other. words.. seen. as. two. aspects. of. God’s. gracious. Consequently,.the.representatives.of.our. actions. that. are. inseparable:. “When. two.churches.were.able.to.say:.“According. persons.come.by.faith.to.share.in.Christ,. to. the. understanding. of. the. Church. God.no.longer.imputes.to.them.their.sin.

47 and.through.the.Holy.Spirit.effects.in.them. would.seem,.will.prove.to.be.of.decisive. active.love..These.two.aspects.of.God’s. significance.for.the.realisation.of.the.unity. gracious. action. are. not. to. be. separated,. of.the.Church..Now.we.must.go.forward. for.persons.are.by.faith.united.with.Christ,. by. undertaking. a. serious. and. thorough. who. in. his. person. is. our. righteousness. reception.of.what.we.have.agreed.on.and. (1.Cor..1:30):.both.the.forgiveness.of.sin. by. confronting. the. questions. that. still. and.the.saving.presence.of.God.himself”. remain. unresolved.. What. is. said. in. the. (Joint Declaration,.22). conclusion. to. the. Joint Declaration on Justification. has. enormous. ecumenical. The.third.important.part.of.the.declaration,. import.and.relevance: which. from. the. Lutheran. standpoint. has. particular. ecumenical. relevance,. is. “Our.consensus.in.basic.truths.of.the. the. role. accorded. to. the. teaching. about. doctrine.of.justification.must.come.to. justification. in. other. parts. of. Christian. influence.the.life.and.teachings.of.our. belief.. It. says. here. that. this. teaching. is. churches..Here.it.must.prove.itself..In. “more. than. just. one. part. of. Christian. this.respect,.there.are.still.questions.of. doctrine..It.stands.in.an.essential.relation. varying.importance,.which.need.furt- to.all.truths.of.faith,.which.are.to.be.seen. her.clarification..These.include,.among. as.internally.related.to.each.other..It.is.an. other.topics,.the.relationship.between. indispensable.criterion.which.constantly. the.Word.of.God.and.church.doctrine,. serves. to. orient. all. the. teaching. and. as.well.as.,.authority.in.the. practices.of.our.churches.to.Christ”.(Joint church,.ministry,.the.sacraments,.and. Declaration,.18). the.relation.between.justification.and. social. ethics.. We. are. convinced. that. In. relation. both. to. the. Reformed. the.consensus.we.have.reached.offers. (Leuenberg Concord).and.to.the.Anglicans. a.solid.basis.for.this.clarification….We. (the.Porvoo and.Meissen Declarations.and. give.thanks.to.the.Lord.for.this.deci- the.Concordat of Agreement.in.the.USA). sive.step.forward.on.the.way.to.over- the.question.of.justification.has.been.given. coming.the.division.of.the.Church..We. a. solution. with. similar. emphasis. on. the. ask.the.Holy.Spirit.to.lead.us.further. forensic.and.the.effective.aspect. toward. that. visible. unity. which. is. Christ’s.will.” The way forward On.this.common.journey.forward.we.may. Against. the. background. of. the. join.together.in.St.Bridget’s.prayer:.“Lord,. controversies. and. condemnations. of. the. show. me. the. way. and. make. me. ready. Reformation.we.can.thus.note.that.at.the. to.follow.it..It.is.dangerous.to.delay.yet. end.of.20th.century.and.second.millennium. perilous.to.go.forward.” we. have. been. able. to. take. steps. that,. it.

48 Reconciliation as a Gift of God

A Speech given to the Church Leaders´ Conference of LWF European Member Churches in Budapest, on December 9, 1996

The importance and current Certainly,. the. inclusion. of. the. theme. relevance of the theme of. reconciliation. in. the. agenda. of. this. Budapest. conference. is. no. coincidence. Seldom. have. our. churches. worked. with. either,. since. the. Graz. Assembly. such.theologically.pivotal.themes.as.those. is. intended. to. be. a. very. important. which.have.engaged.us.in.recent.years.and. ecumenical. step. on. our. continent.. It. continue.to.do.so..We.are.in.the.middle.of. is. to. be. called. the. “Second. European. a.process.which.aims.at.a.joint.declaration. Ecumenical. Assembly.”. We. have,. concerning.justification.with.the.Roman. therefore,.the.obligation.to.take.the.central. Catholic.Church..At.the.same.time,.we.are. theological.questions.of.Graz.into.account. preparing.ourselves.for.the.joint.assembly. in.our.present.conference,.this.duty.being. of.the.Conference.of.European.Churches. at.the.same.time.an.excellent.opportunity. and. the. Council. of. European. Bishops’. for. us. to. participate. in. this. important. Conferences,.which.will.be.held.in.Graz,. ecumenical. process. of. our. continent.. ,. and. which. will. focus. on. the. We.do.hope.that.Lutheran.churches.can. theme.“Reconciliation.-.Gift.of.God.and. make. an. important. contribution. to. the. Source.of.New.Life.” preparations.of.the.Graz.Assembly.and.to. the.work.done.in.the.conference.itself,.and. We. Lutherans. have. often. complained. we.also.hope.that.all.this.will.be.a.useful. that. in. ecumenical. conferences,. and. in. learning. process. for. us.. Participation. in. the.ecumenical.movement.in.general,.the. the.ecumenical.movement.is.a.continuous. pivotal.dogmatic.questions.have.too.often. process.of.giving.and.receiving. been. displaced. by. socio-ethical. themes.. Now.we.almost.feel.as.if.we.have.been. The theme of reconciliation in the given,. at. one. time,. more. than. we. ever. preparation of the Graz Assembly dared.to.ask.or.expect..This.is.an.occasion. on.which.we,.as.European.church.leaders,. How. is. the. Graz. Assembly. going. to. have. the. opportunity. to. reflect. on. the. deal. with. the. great. and. pivotal. issue. question. of. reconciliation. as. a. gift. of. of. reconciliation?. The. first. draft. of. God.. Theologically,. this. simultaneous. the. working. document. has. been. sent. occurrence.of.the.themes.of.reconciliation. to. the. churches. and. various. Christian. and.justification.turns.out.to.be.more.than. organisations. and. groups. for. their. just.a.mere.coincidence. evaluations.and.comments..The.deadline.

49 for. responses,. with. possible. proposed. As.a.basis.for.discussion.concerning.these. changes,. is. the. end. of. January. 1997.. In. subthemes,.a.chapter.has.been.drafted.on. this. regard,. the. timing. of. our. present. questions.of.principle.and.theology,.which. conference. is. ideal!.The. question. asked. is.intended.to.be.discussed.and.accepted. by. the. Planning. Committee,. “Have. we. by. the. Graz.Assembly. as. the. “Message. correctly. perceived. the. most. important. of.Graz”..In.our.present.conference,.this. issues.and.perspectives.under.the.concept. particular.chapter.is.obviously.of.special. of.reconciliation,”.can.serve.as.a.relevant. interest.to.us.as.we.discuss.reconciliation. and.useful.starting.point.also.for.us,.here. as.a.gift.given.to.us.by.God. and.now..Thus,.we.accept.the.invitation. given.by.the.Graz.Planning.Committee. Reconciliation as a biblical concept

The.context.of.the.Graz.Assembly.is.the. The.evaluating.of.the.preparatory.material. surprising. and. confusing. situation. of. for. the. Graz. Assembly. is,. in. a. way,. a. Europe. seven. years. after. the. fall. of. the. process. of. determining. its. position. or. Berlin.Wall.and.just. a.few. years. before. location..In.order.to.do.this.we.need.two. the.end.of.second.millennium..No.matter. perspectives:.an.ethical.one.on.the.level. what.direction.one.looks.at,.the.conclusion. of.praxis,.and.a.dogmatic.one.on.the.level. is.the.same:.Europe.needs.reconciliation.. of. principle.. We. must. ask,. on. the. one. The.plan.is.that.the.Graz.Assembly.will. hand,. whether. the. churches. are. where. respond. to. this. challenge. through. six. they. should. be. concerning. the. anxiety. subthemes: and.needs.of.our.continent.and.its.people.. On. the. other. hand,. we. must. also. ask. 1..The.Search.for.Visible.Unity.Between. whether.the.theological.starting.point.of. the.Churches the.document.is.correct.with.regard.to.the. 2.. Dialogue. with. Other. Religions. and. content.of.the.churches’.responses.to.these. Cultures needs..In.this.presentation,.I.shall.focus.on. 3.. Reconciliation. as.Working. for. Social. the.second.of.these.two.questions,.because. Justice,.Especially.Overcoming.Poverty,. the.topic.given.to.me.corresponds.with.the. Social. Exclusion. and. Other. Forms. of. first.part.of.the.theme.for.Graz. Discrimination 4.. Reconciliation. Between. Nations. and. For.determining.a.position,.one.needs.a. Promoting.Non-violent.Forms.of. map..What.does.the.theological.map.for. Conflict.Resolution the.Graz.Assembly.look.like.with.respect. 5.. Reconciliation. as. a. new. Praxis. of. to.the.Assembly’s.view.of.reconciliation?. Ecological. Responsibility,. Particularly. My. aim. is. to. remind. us. of. some. of. the. with.Regard.to.Coming.Generations basic.lines.and.patterns.of.this.map,.which. 6.. Reconciliation. as. just. Sharing. with. are.already.familiar.to.us.all. Other.Regions.of.the.World

50 The.logical.background.and.precondition. 3). Deutero-Isaiah’s. description. of. the. for.the.word.“reconciliation”.is.a.situation. servant. of. God. presents. the. idea. of. the. marked.by.a.break-up,.i.e..a.disagreement. vicarious. suffering,. the. taking. on. of. a. and. hostility. between. the. partners.. In. punishment.and.the.sacrifice.which.bring. the.Bible,.this.background.and.need.for. about.reconciliation:.“...he.has.borne.our. reconciliation. is. depicted. already. in. the. griefs.and.carried.our.sorrows....upon.him. very. first. pages. of. Scripture,. where. the. was.the.chastisement.that.made.us.whole”. cosmos.created.by.God.breaks.up.in.one. (Isaiah.53). sense.and.harmony.is.displaced.by.loud. dissonance.. This. happens. between. the. In.the.New.Testament,.Christ.is.depicted. human.being.and.God,.man.and.woman,. above. all. as. the. reconciler:. “He. is. the. and.the.human.being.and.nature..Brother. expiation.for.our.sins,.and.not.for.ours.only. kills. brother. and. peoples. no. longer. but.also.for.the.sins.of.the.whole.world”.(1. understand. each. other.. Outside. of. the. John.2:2)..The.one.who.both.initiates.and. Garden. of. Eden,. “the. cherubim,. and. a. brings.about.reconciliation.is.God.himself:. flaming.sword.which.turned.every.way,”. “All.this.is.from.God,.who.through.Christ. guard. the. way. that. leads. to. the.Tree. of. reconciled. us. to. himself”. (2. Cor.. 5:18).. Life.(Gen..3:24)..The.wrath.of.God.stands. The.source.of.reconciliation.and.the.only. between.humanity.and.the.Tree.of.Life.. foundation.for.it.is.the.love.of.God:.“God. The.human.being.has.become,.in.a.very. shows. his. love. for. us. in. that. while. we. profound.sense,.an.outsider,.and.the.whole. were.yet.sinners.Christ.died.for.us”.(Rom.. of.creation.has.fallen.under.the.rule.of.the. 5:8).. In. the. following. sentence,. Paul. forces.of.destruction. articulates.the.integral.interrelatedness.of. reconciliation,.justification.and.salvation:. The.pivotal.position.and.role.of.the.idea.of. “Since,.therefore,.we.are.now.justified.by. reconciliation.in.both.the.Old.and.the.New. his.blood,.much.more.shall.we.be.saved. Testament.should.be.understood.against. by. him. from. the. wrath. of. God”. (Rom.. this. background.. The. Old. Testament. 5:9).. In. the. same. connection,. Paul. very. paves. the. way. for. the. New.Testament’s. explicitly.emphasises.that.reconciliation.is. declaration. of. reconciliation. in. three. a.gift.given.to.us. senses.in.particular:. The. reconciliation. brought. about. by. 1).Annually,.on.the.Day.of.Atonement,.the. God. in. Christ. was. a. “once-and-for-all”. high.priest.made.atonement.for.the.sins.of. event,. and. in. this. sense. it. is. something. the.entire.people.(Lev..16). that. has. already. happened.. For. human. 2).In.the.vision.which.Isaiah.saw.when.he. beings,. however,. this. reconciliation. was.called.to.be.a.prophet,.his.sins.were. is. continuously. realised. through. the. atoned.for.by.means.of.a.stone.which.the. “ministry.of.reconciliation”:.“We.beseech. seraph.took.from.the.altar.(Isaiah.6).. you. on. behalf. of. Christ,. be. reconciled.

51 to. God”. (2. Cor.. 5:20).. Thus,. we. are. a.manner.which.continues.to.be.helpful.to. encouraged. to. receive. “the. message. of. all.theological.map-makers. reconciliation”.in.faith.(2.Cor..5:19). Aulén.distinguished.between.three.major. However,.Christ’s.work.of.reconciliation. types.of.interpretations.of.reconciliation.. does. not. only. apply. to. the. relationship. In.view.of.our.theme,.it.must.be.pointed. between.God.and.the.human.being;.Christ. out.that.the.nature.of.reconciliation.as.a.gift. also.creates.a.new.fellowship.between.we. of.God.is.also.interpreted.differently.by. human.beings.by.uniting.us.with.himself. these.three.groups..According.to.Aulén’s. (Col.. 3:3-25,. Eph.. 2:11-22).. It. does. not. analysis. and. classification,. the. first. of. matter. whether. you. are. Jew. or. Greek,. these.groups.is.called.the.classic.doctrine. slave.or.free,.or.male.or.female,.“for.you. of. atonement;. Aulén. himself,. however,. are.all.one.in.Christ.Jesus”.(Gal..3:28). speaks. rather. of. the. classic. atonement. motif..In.the.theology.of.the.early.Church,. Reconciliation. with. God. and. people’s. this. was. the. dominant. interpretation. of. reconciliation. with. one. another. belong. Christ’s.work.of.reconciliation;.its.typical. together. in. such. an. integral. manner. representatives. were,. among. others,. that. one. form. of. reconciliation. cannot. Irenaeus. and. Athanasius.. In. agreement. exist. without. the. other.. In. the. gospels,. with. Paul’s. words. on. how. Christ. has. this. interrelatedness. is. emphasised. in. a. overcome.our.enemies,.Wrath,.Sin,.Law. particularly. clear. fashion. (Matt.. 5:23- and. Death,. and. liberated. us. from. their. 24,. 6:14-15,. 18:21-35;. Mark. 11:25).. tyranny. (Rom.. 5-8),. Christ’s. work. of. Reconciliation.is.at.the.same.time.a.gift. reconciliation.was.interpreted.to.be,.above. and.a.calling. all,.a.victorious.battle.against.the.forces. of. destruction.. In. a. way. that. is. hidden. Theological interpretations of from.us,.the.love.of.God.has,.in.Christ,. reconciliation overcome.even.the.wrath.of.God.himself,. and.has.thus.brought.about.reconciliation. It.is.a.well-known.fact.that.Christ’s.work. and. new. communion.. Reconciliation. is. of.reconciliation.has.been.given.different. totally.is.gift.of.God. interpretations. in. the. different. phases. of. church. history,. during. which. several. Aulén. referred. to. the. second. group. of. doctrines. of. atonement. have. emerged.. atonement. doctrines. as. the. Latin. or. In. his. book. Christus. Victor1. which. has. scholastic. theory. of. atonement.. This. become.a.classic.of.systematic.theology,. group. mainly. came. into. existence. and. the.Swedish.professor.(and.later.Bishop). developed. within. the. western. branch. of. Gustaf.Aulén.classified.these.doctrines.in. the. Church,. and. was,. to. a. large. extent,.

1.Original.Swedish.title:.Den kristna försoningstanken,.1930..

52 based. on. Tertullian. and. Cyprian’s. the.juridical.approach.to.atonement.and. theology,. in. which. the. work. of. Christ. emphasised. the. exemplary. effect. of. was. understood. and. interpreted. through. the. death. of. Christ. on. the. faithful:. the. juridical. categories.. As. a. result. of. the. suffering.of.Christ.reveals.to.us.the.love.of. influence.of.such.things.as.the.institution. God,.and,.in.response,.kindles.in.us.love. of. (private). confession,. for. example,. for.God..Thus,.the.hostility.towards.God. Christ’s.work.of.reconciliation.began.to.be. that. exists. in. the. human. being. changes. increasingly.viewed.from.the.perspective. into.trusting.love,.and.reconciliation.thus. of.merit.and.satisfaction.(satisfactio)..This. takes.place. kind.of.doctrine.of.atonement.reached.its. culmination. in. the. theology. of. Anselm. A. sequel. to. this. subjective. doctrine. of. of. Canterbury.. He. regarded. atonement. atonement. by. Abelard. emerged. in. the. or.reconciliation.as.a.satisfaction.which. modern.era,.its.extent.corresponding.with. Christ.gives,.on.behalf.of.human.beings,. the.extent.to.which.the.main.emphasis.in. to.God,.who.is.also.the.agent;.thus,.God. theological. thinking. was. shifted. to. the. is. at. the. same. time. both. reconciler. and. human.being..Both.in.the.theology.of.the. reconciled. Enlightenment.era.and.in.later.theology. (e.g.. Schleiermacher. and. Ritschl),. This.Latin.theory.of.atonement.separates. atonement. or. reconciliation. was. mainly. that. which. Christ. does. as. God. and. that. regarded. as. the. human. being’s. change. which. he. does. as. a. human. being. from. of.mind..On.the.side.of.God.himself,.no. each. other.. This. means. that. the. early. change. is. needed.. He. is. the. permanent. Church’s. view. of. reconciliation. as. a. love,. and. love. demands. no. satisfaction.. sole.act.of.God.is.obscured..At.the.same. Thus,.the.“message.of.reconciliation”.is. time,. the. love. of. God. is. also. obscured.. a. revelation,. which. corrects. the. human. In.other.words,.this.view.is.very.close.to. being’s. fallacious. concept. of. God.. The. the.idea.that.atonement.appeases.a.hostile. negative. attitude. of. the. human. being. God.who.only.begins.to.love.the.human. towards. God. had. thus. been. based. on. a. being. actively. after. this. appeasement.. misunderstanding. According.to.the.biblical.view,.however,.it. is.precisely.the.God.of.love.who.reacts.to. Before.I.try.to.locate.the.position.of.the. sin.with.wrath. Graz. working. document’s. concept. of. reconciliation. on. this. map. of. the. three. The.juridical.nature.of.the.Latin.doctrine. doctrines. of. atonement,. it. is. certainly. of. atonement,. as. well. as. this. doctrine’s. appropriate.to.ask.where.Luther.is.located. image. of. God,. was. severely. criticised. on. it.. His. location. co-ordinates. can. already.in.the.Middle.Ages,.and.it.has.been. perhaps.best.be.found.in.his.explication. criticised.increasingly.especially.since.the. of.the.Second.Article.of.the.Creed.in.the. era. of. Enlightenment.. Abelard. rejected. Small.Catechism:

53 I.believe.that.Jesus.Christ,.true.God,. destructive.demonic.forces.outweighs.the. begotten.of.the.Father.from.eternity,. aspect.of.guilt. and.also.true.man,.born.of.the.virgin. Mary,.is.my.Lord,.who.has.redeemed. Luther’s. explanation. also. contains. a. me,. a. lost. and. condemned. creature,. subjective. element,. but. in. a. manner. delivered.me.and.freed.me.of.all.sins,. differing. from. the. subjective. doctrine. from. death,. and. from. the. power. of. of. atonement. mentioned. above.. For. the.devil,.not.with.silver.and.gold.but. Luther,. the. primary. aspect. is. not. that. with.his.holy.and.precious.blood.and. of. a. psychological. change. based. on. with.his.innocent.sufferings.and.death,. knowledge-centred. revelation,. but. a. in.order.that.I.may.be.his,.live.under. change. of. the. human. being’s. entire. him.in.his.kingdom,.and.serve.him.in. existence.and.of.its.preconditions,.owing. everlasting.righteousness,.innocence,. to.the.fact.that.reconciliation,.redemption. and. blessedness,. even. as. he. is. risen. and.justification.are.integrally.connected. from.the.dead.and.lives.and.reigns.to. all.eternity..This.is.most.certainly.true. Luther’s. view. of. reconciliation. is. theocentric,.not.anthropocentric..The.point. Certain. pivotal. elements. of. the. classic. at.issue.is.what.the.God.of.reconciliation. doctrine.of.atonement.can.easily.be.found. continuously. does. as. the. Redeemer. in.this.interpretation.of.Christ’s.work.of. and. Justifier,. and. as. the. one. who. keeps. redemption. and. reconciliation.. Christ. renewing.his.creation.and.making.it.whole. has. defeated. sin,. death. and. the. devil,. and. has. thus. redeemed. us. from. their. What will the theological position dominion.. Luther. often. classifies. God’s. of the Graz Assembly be? law.and.wrath,.too,.as.destructive.forces.. Indeed,. Gustaf.Aulén. is. of. the. opinion. Where. then. will. the. Graz. Assembly. that.Luther’s.view.of.reconciliation.meant. be. located. on. the. map. of. theological. a. renewal. and. deepening. of. the. classic. doctrines.of.atonement.and.reconciliation?. atonement.motif. If.one.looks.for.an.answer.to.this.question. in.the.first.draft.of.the.working.document,. Certain. characteristics. of. the. Latin. one. becomes. quite. confused..When. one. doctrine. of. atonement. also. make. their. tries.to.find.the.co-ordinates.of.the.view. presence.felt.here,.especially.in.the.fact. of. reconciliation. that. manifests. itself. in. that. Luther. looks. at. the. human. being. this.paper,.one.feels.at.first.as.though.they. from.the.viewpoint.of.sin.and.guilt..This. must.be.entirely.off.the.map..This.is.not. perspective. is. not. alien. to. the. classic. necessarily. the. fault. of. the. co-ordinates. doctrine. of. atonement. either,. but. in. the. though;.the.map.may.also.be.to.blame,.in. classic.view.the.captivity.and.slavery.of. which.case.a.wrong.map.has.been.used.for. the. human. being. under. the. rule. of. the. determining.the.location.

54 Without.taking.a.stance.on.the.question. Graz. is. that. the. reconciliation. brought. of. whether. the. traditional. map. of. about. by. God. is. practically. confined. atonement. doctrines. used. above. is. to. the. horizontal. dimension. of. life. correct.or.fallacious,.it.can.nevertheless. alone..The. mission. and. ministry. of. the. be.said.without.doubt.that.the.first.draft. reconciler.is.limited.to.equipping.humans. of. the. working. document. of. the. Graz. to. achieve. reconciliation. amongst. Assembly.often.speaks.of.reconciliation. themselves. in.a.manner.that.differs.from.the.way.in. which. we. have. learned. to. speak. on. the. One. paragraph. that. is. of. central. basis.of.the.long.tradition.of.the.theology. theological. importance. in. this. working. of. atonement. and. reconciliation.. In. the. document. says. that. reconciliation. as. a. draft,.the.word.“reconciliation”.is.used.as. gift. of. God. means. that. in. Jesus. Christ. a.solution.to.a.problem.which.is.different. God.became.a.human.being.and.is.now. from. that. addressed. by. the. traditional. present.in.the.creation..“We.have.faith,”. doctrines. of. atonement.. The. traditional. it.is.said,.“that.the.power.of.this.love,.of. doctrines. mainly. address. the. problem. Christ’s.‘pneuma’.(spirit).lives.and.works. of. enmity. between. God. and. the. human. among.us..We.speak.of.this.good.and.holy. being,. whereas. from. the. viewpoint. of. Spirit.as.the.energy.of.reconciliation,.as. the. Graz. material. the. main. problem. is. the.power.to.effect.change....And.we.can. the.hostility.between.human.beings.and. be.certain.that.in.and.with.the.presence.of. human. communities,. between. churches,. this.Spirit.of.God,.reconciliation.becomes. among. religions. and. cultures,. between. an. historical. possibility.. God. introduces. the.rich.and.the.poor,.among.the.nations,. reconciliation. as. a. concrete. possibility. between.the.human.being.and.nature,.etc. into.human.history.”.(paragraph.12)

These. are,. of. course,. immensely. The. document. also. says. that. what. important. questions,. and. reconciliation. underlies.everything.is.the.mercy.of.God. is.undoubtedly.a.concept.and.word.that. (paragraphs. 14-19),. which. is. revealed. can.be.used.in.the.search.for.solutions.to. to.us.in.the.kenosis.of.the.Son,.and.the. ecumenical. and. socio-ethical. conflicts.. energy.of.which.is.active.among.us.in.the. The. problem. is. how. the. reconciliation. Holy.Spirit..This.mercy.and.compassion. between. God. and. the. human. being. is. of. God. is. the. source. of. new. life. from. related. to. the. reconciliation. among. which. reconciliation. flows.. Traces. of. human.beings..Does.the.former.have.an. this. source. can. be. recognised. in. the. intrinsic. value. in. itself,. or. does. it. just. relationships. among. people. and. among. have. an. instrumental. value. in. relation. peoples.in.various.parts.of.the.world,.and. to. the. ecumenical. and. socio-ethical. also.in.the.sacraments,.which.renew.life. reconciliation?.The.greatest.theological. The. basic. theological. conception. problem.in.the.preparatory.material.for. described.above.(if.it.can.be.called.such).

55 may. possibly. remotely. echo. the. classic. can,.inspired.by.the.Spirit.of.God,.set.out.to. doctrine. of. atonement;. of. the. Latin. establish.reconciliation.on.earth.. doctrine.of.atonement,.not.even.an.echo.is. left..What.the.document’s.conception.has. Those.who.put.together.this.first.draft.of. in.common.with.the.subjective.doctrine.of. the. working. document. for. Graz. would. atonement.is.the.emphasis.on.immanence. have. had. a. wonderful. opportunity. to. and.on.the.activity.of.the.human.being,.as. draw. up. an. entirely. different. kind. of. well.as.a.certain.tendency.to.psychologise;. draft..Namely,.one.year.earlier.(in.1995). the.most.significant.and.important.of.such. a.small.preparatory.book.appeared.which. common.characteristics,.however,.is.that. took.both.the.vertical.and.the.horizontal. no.enmity.is.perceived.between.God.and. dimensions.into.consideration.in.quite.a. humanity. different.fashion.2.In.the.second.section.of. that.document,.“Biblical,.Theological.and. It.seems.that.in.the.preparatory.material. Liturgical.Impulses”,.the.text.is.related.to. for. the. Graz. Assembly. we. encounter. biblical.material.and.to.material.provided. an. old. theological. question. which. may. by. the. history. of. theology. in. a. manner. help.us.understand.what.is.actually.the. which.results.in.a.view.of.reconciliation. point.at.issue.here..In.the.history.of.the. that.represents.the.churches.well..At.the. Church. and. theology,. there. is. a. certain. same.time,.the.text.also.manages.to.show. long-running. tension. between. the. what. it. means. in. practice. to. carry. out. theology.of.incarnation.and.the.theology. the. ministry. of. reconciliation. in. church. of. atonement. or. reconciliation.. Where. and.society..It.would.be.desirable.for.the. one. of. these. two. has. occurred. with. draft.of.the.working.document.sent.to.the. one-sided. emphases,. it. has. happened. churches.to.be.checked.and.revised.along. at. the. expense. of. the. other.. It. seems. these.sort.of.lines..If.this.is.done,.it.will. that. the. Graz. document. is. an. example. be.possible.to.find.a.theological.position. of. a. narrowing. and. distortion. of. the. in. the. Graz.Assembly. which. enables. us. concept.of.reconciliation,.resulting.from. to.choose.a.direction.when.we.set.out.to. the. dominant. role. of. a. certain. view. of. carry.out.the.ministry.of.reconciliation.in. incarnation:.when.God.himself.is.present,. the.world.today. one.no.longer.needs.to.look.backwards.but.

2.Reconciliation, Gift of God and Source of New Life. A Study Guide for the Prepara- tion of the Second European Ecumenical Assembly, Graz, 23-29 June 1997: CEC/ CCEE, 1995

56 The Next Steps on the Road Towards Unity in Faith and Love

Comments on the Introduction by Cardinal Cassidy in Uppsala, on August 21, 1993

Your.Eminences.Archbishop.Weman.and. the. legacy. of. the. Uppsala. conference. Cardinal.Cassidy is. of. contemporary. and. ecumenical. significance..The.tradition.of.the.Uppsala. 1..The.legacy.and.memory.of.the.Uppsala. conference.is.not.to.lead.churches.apart. conference.(year.1593).are.common.to.the. from. one. another,. but. to. study. together. Lutheran.churches.of.Sweden.and.Finland.. their.common.heritage.–.the.tradition.of. At.the.time.of.the.Uppsala.conference.the. the.early,.undivided.Church. Lutheran.churches.of.Sweden.and.Finland. were.still.one.and.the.same.church..Even. 3.. The. development. of. closer. relations. today.the.churches.of.Sweden.and.Finland. between. our. churches. in. recent. years. are. exceptionally. close. to. one. another. has. been. significant. and. gratifying.. due. to. their. common. heritage.. Political. Realistically,. honestly. and. humbly. we. separation.more.than.two.hundred.years. may. say. that. the. Lutheran. churches. of. after. the. Uppsala. conference. has. not. Sweden. and. Finland. and. the. Roman. erased. the. centuries. of. common. history. Catholic. Church. have. together. taken. and. life.. A. common. faith. and. history. important.steps.on.the.road.to.unity. make.the.churches.of.Sweden.and.Finland. sister.churches.today..This.fact.we.may. 4.. It. is. important. to. state. this,. because. sometimes.take.for.granted..It.is,.however,. today.there.is.talk.of.the.“cold.spell”.in. good.for.us.to.remind.ourselves.of.this.as. ecumenism,.a.halt.in.progress.or.cooling. we.commemorate.the.Uppsala.conference. of. relations.. However,. Pope. John. Paul. . II. is. right. when. he. states. that. relations. 2..The.purpose.of.the.Uppsala.conference. between.our.churches.are.experiencing.an. was.to.define.the.position.of.Lutheranism. ecumenical.spring,.and.when.he.issues.us. in. the. European. ecclesiastical. situation. with.the.serious.challenge:.“Perhaps.you. at. the. end. of. the. 16th. century.. Today. it. in. the. Nordic. countries. will. find. a. new. is. important. for. us. to. note. that. in. the. ecumenical.way.ahead.” Nordic. countries. the. Reformation. was. not. understood. as. a. thoroughgoing. 5.. In. his. hopeful. and. promising. renewal. and. change. of. Christian. faith. introduction. Your. Eminence. (Cardinal. but.as.a.return.to.the.ancient.and.original. Cassidy). has. pointed. to. two. significant. faith..As. such,. four. hundred. years. later. ecumenical.events:.the.pastoral.visit.to.

57 all.the.Nordic.countries.by.the.Pope.in. 7.. Firstly,.I. wish. to. say. as. clearly. as. spring. 1989. and. the. historic. service. of. possible.that.we.Lutherans.in.Finland.and. vespers. which. we.–. the. distinguished. Sweden.(the.Evangelical.Lutheran.Church. predecessor. of. archbishop. Weman,. of. Finland. and. the. Church. of. Sweden). Archbishop.Bertil.Werkström,.Pope.John. are. part. of. the. Lutheran. communion. Paul.II,.and.I,.Archbishop.of.Turku.and. formed.by.the.world.Lutheran.churches. Finland.–.conducted.in.the.Basilica.of.St.. on. the. basis. of. common. faith,. doctrine. Peter’s.in.Rome.on.5th.October,.1991..I. and. confession.. In. our. ecumenical. might. add. two. other. visible. symbolic. contacts.we.represent.the.entire.Lutheran. signs..One.is.the.mass.held.in.the.Piazza. communion,. also. those. brothers. and. Farnese. on. 6th. October,. 1991. with. the. sisters.whose.ecumenical,.historical.and. Pope. officiating,. during. which. we. social.situation.is.very.different.from.that. exchanged.the.sign.of.peace.and.the.Pope. of.our.Nordic.folk.churches..Our.churches. blessed.us.with.the.consecrated.elements. are. founder. members. of. the. Lutheran. in.his.hands..We.were.only.a.short.step. World. Federation. and. active. member. away.from.a.common.celebration.of.the. churches. within. it.. We. consider. the. Eucharist,.the.Holy.Communion.of.our. international.Lutheran-Catholic.dialogue. Lord..The.other.is.the.annual.mass.of.St.. to. be. important. and. we. emphasize. the. Henry.held.in.January.in.the.church.of. ecumenical. significance. of. confessional. Santa.Maria.sopra.Minerva..There,.too,. world.federations..In.our.view.the.way.to. only.a.short.but.decisive.step.separates. church.unity.does.not.bypass.tradition.and. us. from. together. administering. and. confessions.but.passes.through.them.. receiving.the.sacrament.of.the.altar.. 8.. Secondly,.I. wish. to. refer. to. the. 6..When.the.bishop.of.Rome.said.in.such. ecumenical.and.historical.fact.that.in.their. a. context,. as. your. Eminence. quoted. in. tradition,.for.instance.in.the.functioning. his. introduction,. “The. search. for. unity. and. venerated. historical. episcopate,. the. does. need. concrete. steps. forward…”,. Lutheran.churches.of.Sweden.and.Finland. he. challenges. us. to. step. forward. boldly. have. such. ecumenical. potential. as. not. towards.full.visible.unity,.which.is.dimly. all. Lutheran. churches. have. to. the. same. visible. before. us,. already. quite. close.. degree..We.are.able.and.wish.to.use.the. In. your. speech,. Cardinal. Cassidy,. there. ecumenical. opportunities. we. have. as. a. is. a. concrete. suggestion. about. which. I. kind.of.vanguard.in.the.great.community. gladly. give. my. opinion.. But. allow. me. of. Lutheran. churches..The. idea. that. the. first.to.state.a.couple.of.important.facts. Roman.Catholic.Church.is.exploring.the. which. need. to. be. taken. into. account. in. possibility. of. recognizing. us. as. sister. evaluating.relations.between.us.and.as.we. churches.is.a.gratifying.one.for.us. step.forward.together.

58 9.. Our. view. of. the. doctrinal,. liturgical. problem.in.his.sermon.in.Turku.Cathedral. and. pastoral. status. of. our. churches. on.4th.June,.1989..The.Bishop.of.Rome. is. not,. however,. determined. by. what. prayed.together.with.us.and.dealt.with.the. other.churches.think.of.us..We.consider. subject.of.being.a.church.and.the.ordained. ourselves. to. be. representatives. of. the. ministry.which.serves.the.church,.on.the. legacy. of. the. one. holy,. catholic. and. basis.of.a.common.faith.and.baptism..This. apostolic.Church.of.the.Lord.Jesus.Christ,. is.an.excellent.starting.point.for.the.study. continuing.its.work.in.our.country.and.in. of. the. whole. question. of. the. ordained. the.world..We.wish.to.honour.the.legacy. ministry. of. the. Reformation. and. the. demand. for. renewal.of.the.Church,.and.it.is.for.this. 11..The.two.fields.of.closer.co-operation. reason.that.we.wish.to.build.up.fellowship. suggested.by.the.cardinal.at.the.end.of.his. with.other.churches.possessing.the.same. talk.have.my.full.support..A.deepening.of. apostolic. faith. and. witness.. We. cannot. ecumenical.spirituality,.and.co-operation. “return. to. Rome”,. nor. do. we. wish. to,. in. the. area. of. study,. are. good. moves. in. but. “restoring. the. unity”. of. the. Church. the. right. direction.. When. we. think. of. of. Christ.(unitatis redintegratio). is. a. the.ecumenical.road.it.is.good.for.us.to. challenge.which.obligates.and.inspires.us,. remember. the. words. of. St.. Bridget:. “It. too. is.dangerous.to.delay,.yet.perilous.to.go. forward.” 10..I.shall.now.return.to.the.suggestion. made. by. your. Eminence. concerning. 12..May.Almighty.and.merciful.God.grant. the. study. of. the. most. urgent. and. most. us. his. grace. and. help. that. together. we. difficult.ecumenical.problem,.that.of.the. might.grow.in.the.knowledge.of.grace.and. ordained. ministry,. and. the. leading. role. truth,.and.achieve.that.unanimity.in.faith. of. our. churches. in. this. work.. In. fact,. and.love.for.which.Christ.himself.prayed. Pope. John. Paul. II. also. referred. to. this. and.gave.his.life.

59 The Church as a Gift and a Mission

A Lecture at the Leningrad Theological Academy, on the occasion of receiving an honorary doctorate, on June 14, 1985

Every.person.wishes.to.know.who.he.is,. those.churches.that.are.of.the.view.that,. where.he.is.from,.and.what.his.mission.is. in.ecumenical.work,.great.attention.must. in.the.world.and.in.the.society.in.which.he. be.paid.to.issues.of.faith.itself..For.this. lives..These.questions.are.also.questions. reason.we.particularly.wish.to.support.the. for. the. Church.. The. Church. must. also. work.of.the.Faith.&.Order.Commission.of. always. be. aware. of. its. identity,. and. the. the.World.Council. reasons.for.its.existence. From.all.indications,.the.coming.decade. It. is. the. special. mission. of. theology. to. will.be.a.very.important.phase.in.the.work. answer. these. kinds. of. questions.. With. of.the.Faith.&.Order.Commission..Among. the. aid. of. theology. the. Church. and. the. the. great. and. inspiring. projects. of. this. Christian. faith. analyse. and. contemplate. decade.I.would.especially.like.to.mention. their.own.identity.and.their.relationship. the.programme.dealing.with.the.Nicene. with.the.world. Creed. designed. to. bring. our. churches. closer.together,.The.Apostolic.Faith.Study. The. Russian. Orthodox. Church. and. the. Evangelical.Lutheran.Church.of.Finland. As.we.participate.in.the.theological.work. have,. since. 1970,. been. practising. this. involved. in. this. project. we. can. make. critical. introspection. together.. Through. use.of.what.we.have.already.discovered. theological.presentations.and.discussions. and. experienced. in. our. own. bilateral. we.have.sought.to.find.the.shared.roots. negotiations.. We. will. also. have. the. of.our.faith.and.have.tried.to.define.our. opportunity.to.delve.into.issues.we.have. mission. in. today’s. world.. In. this. way. not.yet.had.the.chance.to.discuss.together. we.have.learned.to.understand.both.one. another. and. ourselves.. We. have. also. Through. the. Nicene. Creed. it. is. also. learned.to.see.and.appreciate.the.meaning. possible.to.find.answers.to.the.questions. of.theology.to.the.life.and.actions.of.the. I. posed. in. the. beginning. regarding. the. Church. nature.and.mission.of.the.Church..After.all,. according.to.this.creed,.the.Church.is.one,. During. these. years. we. have. also. holy,.catholic.and.apostolic..What.do.these. participated. in. the. theological. work. terms.mean.for.the.Church’s.self-awareness. taking.place.as.part.of.the.World.Council. in.these.times.and.global.circumstances?.I. of. Churches.. Our. churches. belong. to. shall.briefly.mention.a.few.things.

60 We. believe. that. Christ’s. Church. is. one.. boldly. believe. that. Christ’s. Church. is. Despite. all. the. divisions,. factions. and. holy..It.is.holy.because.Christ.dwells.in.it,. disagreements. we. nonetheless. firmly. and.because.the.Holy.Spirit.performs.its. believe. that. the. Church,. as. the. body. sanctifying.work.there..In.the.same.way. of. Christ,. is. one.. Christ. Himself. is. the. that.the.unity.of.the.Church.is.a.gift,.so. guarantee.and.foundation.of.this.unity..In. is.its.holiness..This.gift.is.likewise.also.a. Him,.and.only.in.Him,.are.we.one..When. mission..We.must.dedicate.our.lives.to.the. He.gave.Himself.to.us,.He.also.gave.us. Lord.who.has.saved.us.and.claimed.us.as. the.unity.of.the.Church..This.we.believe,. His.own. and.in.this.belief.we.live.and.work. In. the. doctrinal. discussions. to. be. held. This.means.that.the.unity.of.the.Church. in. Finland. in. 1986. we. plan. to. focus. on. is.both.a.gift.and.a.mission..It.is.both.a. the. issue. of. the. holiness. of. the. Church.. starting. point. and. a. destination.. The. Then.we.shall.consider,.for.example,.the. unity.that.has.been.granted.must.also.be. question.of.what.it.means.for.the.Church. achieved.. and. its. members. to. practice. holiness. in. daily. life.. The. holiness. of. the. Church. In. conjunction. with. the. doctrinal. and. its. members. is. a. very. relevant. and. discussions. between. our. churches. we. concrete.issue. have. very. concretely. experienced. and. realized. the. ways. in. which. the. unity. of. In.accordance.with.the.Nicene.Creed.we. the.Church.is.both.a.gift.and.a.mission.. believe.that.the.third.important.dimension. This. has. become. especially. clear. in. the. of.the.Church.is.its.catholicity..We.read.in. fundamental. compatibility. of. divine. the.Gospel.of.John.that.God.so.loved.the. service. and. theological. undertakings.. world.that.he.gave.us.his.only.Son..God. How.to.hear.the.living.word.of.God.and. loves.the.world,.all.of.it..His.love.knows. attain. communion. and. unity. through. no. bounds.. Through. Christ. he. brought. common.prayer.has.challenged.us.in.our. salvation. to. the. whole. world.. Through. discussions.. On. an. abstract. level,. we. his.Church.he.offers.this.salvation.to.the. have.attempted.to.approach.the.mystery. whole.world..For.this.reason.the.Church. revealed.to.us.in.the.temple.of.the.Lord. is.not.limited.to.one.people.or.place..The. gift.affects.the.whole.world..The.mission. We. believe. that. the. Church. is. holy.. If. affects. the. whole. world..All. boundaries. we.were.to.adhere.solely.to.what.we.can. –. national,. racial,. linguistic,. cultural,. see,.it.would.be.every.bit.as.difficult.for. political.–.must.be.transcended..Salvation. us.to.speak.of.the.holiness.of.the.Church. belongs.to.all..No.one.may.be.forgotten.. as.it.is.about.its.unity..But.despite.all.the. No.one.may.be.discriminated.against.. unholiness,.all.the.impurity,.all.the.sinful. selfishness. and. all. the. imperfection,. we. We. have. come. to. realize. that. in.

61 the. Orthodox. Church. and. doctrinal. Church.maintains.continuity.through.the. interpretation.the.catholicity.of.the.Church. centuries.. is. heavily. emphasized.. The. Orthodox. liturgy. opens. up. an. almost. cosmic. This.continuity.is.apparent.in.the.Church’s. perspective. mission,.which.is.ultimately.based.on.the. mission.of.the.apostles..By.proclaiming. The. catholicity. of. the. Church. has. the.word.of.God.and.performing.the.holy. another. dimension:. the. entire. richness. sacraments,.the.Church’s.mission.builds. of. the. Gospel,. redemption,. and. God’s. and. enhances. the. Church,. because. the. love. is. present. in. the. Church:. in. every. resurrected. Christ,. whom. the. apostles. congregation,. in. every. divine. service.. witnessed,. is. Himself. present. where. This.gift.is.at.the.same.time.an.obligation:. the. Gospel. is. preached. purely. and. the. the. message. must. be. delivered. in. its. sacraments. are. performed. correctly.. In. fullness..Any.one-sidedness.of.doctrine,. this.way,.the.Church’s.mission.is.to.be.a. proclamation,. or. teaching. is. in. conflict. servant.to.its.apostolicity,.continuity.and. with.the.catholicity.of.the.Church..In.our. unity.. ecumenical.interactions.and.work.we.must. help.one.another.to.more.fully.express.the. The. one,. holy,. catholic. and. apostolic. great.richness.of.redemption,.namely.the. Church.is.thus.both.a.gift.and.a.mission.. catholicity.of.Christ’s.Church. We. praise. God. for. the. gift. that. he. has. given.to.all.creation..Every.day.we.can. The. fourth. property. of. the. Church. receive.this.gift.of.salvation.anew..We.can. according. to. the. Nicene. Creed. is. its. receive.the.new.life.that.our.resurrected. apostolicity.. The. Church. is,. according. Lord.who.lives.within.our.Church.grants. to. the. New. Testament,. built. on. the. to. us.. Every. day. we. also. receive. the. “foundation. of. the. apostles. and. the. Church.as.a.challenge.that.has.been.given. prophets”.. The. apostles. guarantee. the. to. us.. Inspired,. led. and. encouraged. by. origin. and. authenticity. of. the. message,. the.Holy.Spirit.we.can.work.together.to. especially.the.message.of.the.resurrection.. ensure.that.the.unity,.holiness,.catholicity. We. must. adhere. to. the. words. of. the. and.apostolicity.of.the.Church.are.realized. apostles.and.prophets,.the.Holy.Bible..If. even.better.in.the.world.we.now.live.in..At. we.do.not.do.this,.the.church.will.lose.its. the.same.time,.we.look.in.hope.towards. connection. to. its. roots,. its. foundations,. the.day.when.all.languages.proclaim.in.the. and.will.no.longer.be.what.it.once.was.. name.of.God.our.Father,.that.Jesus.Christ. By. maintaining. its. apostolicity,. the. is.the.Lord.

62 The Porvoo Process - the Main Concerns of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland

A Contribution at the Church Leaders´ Consultation in Trondheim, on September 2, 1996

Such.things.as.the.signing.of.the.Porvoo Church. of. Finland. (ELCF).. These. Declaration.and.the.worship.celebration,. guidelines. can. be. regarded. as. the. PD’s. which.followed,.were.part.of.the.reception. first.application.to.the.life.of.the.ELCF. and. adoption. of. the. Porvoo. process. in. our. churches.. However,. festivities. are. However,.many.of.the.questions.related. always. followed. by. a. return. to. normal,. to. the. consequences. of. the. PD. in. the. and.we,.too,.have.returned.to.our.everyday. domain.of.ecclesiastical.law.still.remain. lives.. But. something. has. changed:. our. unanswered.. The. Bishops’. Conference. daily.lives.are.now.inspired.by.what.we. of. the. ELCF. has. interpreted. the. PD. as. experienced.together.in.our.common.feast. a. statement. of. goals. which. is. based. on. and. celebration.. Today. we. are. gathered. discussions.of.principle;.this.interpretation. together.again,.aware.of.the.fact.that.we. suggests. that. conclusions. from. have. acknowledged. our. ecclesiastical. commitment. to. the. PD. must. be. drawn. communion. and. signed. an. agreement,. separately..The.churches.of.the.PD.have. thus. committing. ourselves. to. a. process. committed.themselves.to.further.action.in. of.removing.obstacles.and.of.paving.the. terms.of.incorporating.the.items.mentioned. way.for.a.fuller.ecclesiastical.communion.. in.the.PD.into.the.body.of.each.church’s. What.occupies.our.minds.and.hearts.today. ecclesiastical. regulations.. Among. such. is. this. question:. what. is. required. of. us. items. are,. for. example,. the. recognition. now? of.one.another’s.ministries,.and.questions. related. to. church. membership.. Further,. 1. We should get started without points. of. contact. between. ecclesiastical. delay and.national.law.must.be.clarified.in.each. state.and.each.church.individually.. Last. February,. the. Bishops’. Conference. of. the. Evangelical. Lutheran. Church. of. 2. Towards a common Finland. issued. guidelines. according. understanding of diaconal ministry to. which. the. priests. of. those. Anglican. churches.which.have.signed.the.Porvoo. From. the. viewpoint. of. the. ELCF,. the. Declaration.(PD).are.allowed.to.officiate. commitment.of.the.PD.churches.to.seek. at. services. of. worship. and. liturgical. a. common. understanding. of. diaconal. ceremonies. in. the. Evangelical. Lutheran. ministry.is.very.much.an.issue.of.current.

63 relevance.. This. common. commitment. and. United. churches. in. Europe.. For. places. the. multi-year. committee. work. theological. reasons,. the. Lutheran. of. the. ELCF. on. this. subject. in. a. larger. churches.of.Finland,.Sweden.and.. Lutheran-.Anglican. context..As. regards. have.not.signed.the.Leuenberg.Concordat.. the. functions. of. diaconal. ministry. in. Since. this. Concordat,. the. negotiations. the. service. of. worship,.I. believe. that. of. the. Evangelical. Church. in. Germany. the. ELCF. has. much. to. learn. from. the. (EKD).and.the.Church.of.England.have. Anglican. churches.. On. the. other. hand,. resulted.in.the.Meissen.Agreement..It.is. the.way.in.which.diaconal.work.is.carried. not.unthinkable.that.in.the.future.the.inter- out.in.the.ELCF.parishes.(which.is.unique. church.relationships.among.the.Reformed,. also.in.view.of.the.Lutheran.world.as.a. Lutheran,.United.and.Anglican.churches. whole).has.aroused.interest.in.the.rest.of. of.Europe.might.be.organised.through.a. the.PD.churches..In.this.respect,.too,.the. declaration. which. would. be. affected,. in. PD.is.a.process.of.mutual.learning.. terms.of.both.content.and.method,.by.the. Meissen.and.Porvoo.agreements,.as.well. 3. The churches of the Porvoo as. by. the. experiences. gained. from. the. Declaration in the service of a Leuenberg. process.. In. the. EKD-ELCF. wider communion consultation. last. March,. we. reminded. ourselves.and.our.consultation.partner.of. For. me,. one. of. the. special. reasons. for. this.option.. joy. is. the. fact. that. the. PD. churches. do. not.want.to.form.a.bloc.of.their.own.in. Northern. Europe.. Rather,. it. is. our. duty. 4. Together in Mission and Ministry on.the.basis.of.the.PD.to.be.even.more. The. Church. of. England. is. close. to. the. open.to.the.rest.of.Christendom.and.seek. Finns.for.both.historical.and.theological. communion. there. even. more. actively. reasons..The. first. bishop. of. our. church,. than.earlier..The.PD.is.a.natural.joining. St.Henry.(Henrik),.was.English.by.birth.. together. of. churches. which. have. never. This. missionary. bishop,. who.is.still. the. pronounced. doctrinal. condemnations. patron. saint. of. our. country,. came. from. upon.one.another..Thus,.the.PD.is,.also. Uppsala.to.Finland.in.order.to.establish. for. ourselves,. an. ecumenical. gift. which. the. Western. branch. of. the. Church. in. we. believe. will. also. serve. the. wider. our. country.. He. suffered. martyrdom. in. ecumenical.communion. Finland. in. the. January. of. 1155.. In. my. present.office,.I.am.the.53rd.incumbent.of. In. Finland,. the. adoption. of. the. PD. has. St.Henry’s.see. raised. questions. about. the. relationship. of.the.ELCF.to.what.is.often.called.the. When.I.think.about.my.predecessors.in.the. Leuenberg. fellowship,. which. exists. office.of.the.Bishop.of.Turku,.I.believe.that. among. several. Reformed,. Lutheran. they.would.also.have.been.very.pleased.to.

64 sign.especially.Chapter.IV.of.the.Porvoo. communal.ways,.is.necessary.as.witness. Common.Statement,.“Episcopacy.in.the. to. and. safeguard. of. the. unity. and. Service. of.Apostolicity. of. the. Church”,. apostolicity.of.the.Church...”.(PCS.32,.k).. which. integrates. the. episcopal. office. Thus,.the.Porvoo.Common.Statement.and. into. the. entire. apostolic. mission. given. the.Porvoo.Declaration.are.also.important. to.the.Church..Indeed,.the.full.edition.of. missionary.documents.for.our.churches,. the.Porvoo.Common.Statement.is.called. and.inspire.us.in.our.effort.to.fulfill.the. “Together.in.Mission.and.Ministry”. Church’s.apostolic.task,.i.e.,.“in.mission. and.ministry”. In. the. Porvoo. Common. Statement. we. say:. “We. believe. that. all. members. of. In. the. ELCF,. we. regard. the. PD. as. a. the. Church. are. called. to. participate. in. reception. of. the. earlier. ecumenical. its.apostolic.mission...”.(PCS.32,.i).“We. dialogues. and. processes.. On. the. other. believe.that.within.the.community.of.the. hand,.however,.we.think.that.the.signing. Church. the. ordained. ministry. exists. to. of. the. PD. and. the. subsequent. worship. serve. the. ministry. of. the. whole. people. celebration. were. the. starting. gun. rather. of.God...”.(PCS.32,.j).“We.believe.that.a. than.the.finish.line.on.our.way.towards.the. ministry.of.pastoral.oversight.(episcope),. visible.unity.of.the.Church.. exercised. in. personal,. collegial. and.

65 The Porvoo Common Statement from the Lutheran Point of View and the Statement´s Significance for the Lutheran-Roman Catholic Dialogue

A Lecture at the Centro Pro Unione in Rome, on November 18, 1994

Introduction The Background of the Statement The Porvoo Common Statement. is. an. ecumenical.document.between.the.British. The Porvoo Common Statement. was. and. Irish. Anglican. churches. and. the. drafted. at. a. relatively. brisk. pace.. This. Nordic. and. Baltic. Lutheran. churches,. was. possible. because. of. the. several. which. aims. at. a. very. close. fellowship. earlier. Anglican-Lutheran. agreements. between.these.churches.1.For.our.church,. and.other.Anglican-Lutheran.ecumenical. the.Porvoo Common Statement.marks.an. documents,.which.provided.the.basis.for. ecumenical. turning. point.. Never. before. the.construction.of.the.Porvoo Common has.our.church.approved.an.ecumenical. Statement..Among. these. documents. are. document. the. significance. of. which. the Pullach Report. of. Conversations. (both. in. principle. and. in. practice). is. as. between. the. Lutheran.World. Federation. profound.as.is.that.of.the.Porvoo Common and.the.Lambeth.Conference,.the Helsinki Statement..Therefore,.the.Statement.will. Report.of.the.European.Commission.on. also. be. of. significance. as. regards. the. the.Anglican-Lutheran.Dialogue,.the Cold relations.of.our.church.to.other.churches,. Ash Report.of.the.Anglican-Lutheran.Joint. including.the.Roman.Catholic.Church. Working. Group,. the. Meissen Common

1The.Evangelical.Lutheran.Church.of.Finland.signed.the.Porvoo.Declaration.in.1996.. The.churches.that.have.signed.the.agreement.until.2011.are.The.Evangelical-Lutheran. Churches. of. ,. ,. Sweden,. ,. Iceland,. Finland. and. . and.the.Anglican.churches:.Church.of.England.and.of.Ireland,.Church.in.Wales.and. the.Scottish.Episcopal.Church..Two.churches.from.South.Europe.also.belong.to.the. Porvoo.Communion..They.are.the.Lusitanian.Church.in.Portugal.and.the.Reformed. Episcopal.Church.of...The.Evangelical.Lutheran.Church.of..has.not.signed. the.Common.Statement,.but.participated.in.the.talks.leading.to.the.Porvoo.Common. Statement.and.has.an.observatory.status.in.Porvoo.meetings.together.with.the.The. Evangelical.Lutheran.Church.of.Latvia.abroad.and.the.Lutheran.Church.in.Great.Britain. (www.porvoochurches.org).

66 Statement.between.the.Church.of.England. Cathedral,.which.dates.back.to.the.Middle. and.the.Evangelical.Church.of.Germany,. Ages.. The. Porvoo Common Statement. the Niagara Report. of. the. Anglican- had. been. drafted. and. completed. within. Lutheran. Consultation. on. Episcope,. an. amazingly. short. period. of. time;. and. the. document. called. Toward Full namely,.the.negotiations.only.took.about. Communion and Concordat of Agreement. three. years.. From. the. point. of. view. of. (American.Lutheran-Episcopal.Dialogue). theological. substance. and. ecumenical. significance,. however,. the. outcome. of. In. addition. to. these. Anglican-Lutheran. these. negotiations. is. a. document. which. agreements,. the. Faith. and. Order. certainly.can.compare.with.the.results.of. documents. Baptism, Eucharist and many.negotiations.of.longer.duration. Ministry.(BEM).and.Confessing the One Faith.have.had.an.impact.on.the.Porvoo The ecumenical method of the Common Statement..To.some.extent,.the. Porvoo Common Statement same.can.be.said.of.conversations.between. the. Anglican. and. the. Roman. Catholic. In. recent. decades,. ecumenical. Church,.as.well.as.of.discussions.between. methodology.has.been.a.subject.of.lively. Lutherans.and.Roman.Catholics. debate.and.study..At.the.heart.of.the.matter. have.not.been.the.more.or.less.technical. In.addition,.the.Nordic.and.Baltic.Lutheran. questions.of.procedure,.which,.admittedly,. churches. have. had. previous. agreements. are. also. important. in. ecumenical. with.the.Church.of.England..As.early.as. dialogue..Rather,.what.are.referred.to.as. in.the.last.century,.the.Church.of.Sweden. ‘ecumenical. methods’. are. the. various. had.advanced.furthest.in.these.relations.. theological.approaches.which.are.applied. In. 1936,. however,. also. the. Evangelical. in. ecumenical. dialogue.. The. questions. Lutheran. Church. of. Finland. signed. an. related.to.ecumenical.methodology.can.be. agreement. with. the. Church. of. England,. made.more.concrete.through.the.following. and.on.the.basis.of.this.agreement.these. questions:. What. are. the. historical. two. churches. have. practised. mutual. and. theological. fundamentals. of. our. admission.to.communion.and.participated. ecumenical.work?.What.kind.of.model.of. reciprocally.in.episcopal.consecrations. unity.is.our.work.based.on?.What.are.the. doctrinal.issues.we.must.agree.upon?.In. The. outcome. of. the. negotiations.-. that. our.communion,.what.kind.of.diversity.is. is,. the. document. which. was. accepted. acceptable?.What.is.the.ultimate.goal.of. on. 13th. October. 1992.-. was. named. the. our.efforts,.and.what.is.the.concrete.aim. Porvoo Common Statement,.because.the. of.this.particular.document?.What.are.the. common. celebration. of. the. eucharist. in. consequences.of.our.agreement? connection.with.the.process.of.acceptance. of. the. Statement. took. place. in. Porvoo. Nowhere. in. the. Porvoo Common

67 Statement. is. it. said. explicitly. what. the. which. finds. expression. in. chapters. ecumenical. method. (methods). used. in. II. and. IV,. the. partners’. agreement. the. document. is. (are).. However,. on. the. concerning. the. content. of. the. Christian. basis.of.the.structure.and.content.of.the. faith. is. expressed. in. chapter. III.. This. actual.text.of.the.Statement,.it.is.possible. chapter. gives. expression. to. the. actual. to.draw.some.conclusions.concerning.the. doctrinal. consensus. of. the. partners;. ecumenical.method.used.in.it. this. consensus. is,. in. fact,. a. confession. containing.the.partners’.common.doctrinal. Firstly,. the. Porvoo Common Statement. understanding..The. central. paragraph. in. gives. expression. to. the. common. chapter. III,. namely,. para.. 32,. contains. understanding.concerning.the.nature.and. sub-paragraphs. which. express. this. unity.of.the.Church.(II.A.14)..This.unity. confessional. character. through. phrases. has.already.begun.to.make.itself.visible. such. as. “we. accept.... we. believe.... we. in. the. Church.. However,. it. demands. confess”..What.is.presented.in.these.sub- fuller. visible. embodiment. in. structured. paragraphs.is.the.fundamental,.substantial. form..The.unity.given.to.us.in.Christ.is. agreement. in. faith.. It. is. based. on. the. a. sign,. instrument. and. foretaste. of. the. confessional. traditions. of. both. partners,. Kingdom. of. God.. On. this. basis,. it. is. on.one.hand,.and.on.the.results.of.bi-.and. said. in. the. document. that. all. existing. multilateral.ecumenical.work,.on.the.other. denominational.traditions.are.provisional. hand.(III.29-30). (II.B.22)..These.kinds.of.expressions.in. the. Porvoo Common Statement show. Thirdly,. the. Porvoo Common Statement. that.on.the.question.of.the.understanding. repeatedly. states. that. the. consensus. or. of.the.unity.of.the.Church,.the.churches. agreement.which.has.been.reached.must. involved. attempt. to. reach. a. consensus. not.be.identified.with.uniformity..“Visible. which.is.to.gain.visible.form.as.well..This. unity,. however,. should. not. be. confused. consensus.is.about.the.understanding.of. with.uniformity..‘Unity.in.Christ.does.not. the. Church. and. its. ministry,. which. are. exist.despite.and.in.opposition.to.diversity,. discussed. in. chapters. II. and. IV. of. the. but. is. given. with. and. in. diversity’”. (II. Statement.. The. document. represents. B. 23)..According. to. the. Statement,. not. koinonia. ecclesiology,. the. essential. only.the.unity.of.the.Church.but.also.its. content. of. which. is,. firstly,. the. life. of. diversity.has.its.roots.in.the.Holy.Trinity:. the.Church.in.communion.with.the.Holy. “Both.the.unity.and.the.diversity.of.the. Trinity,. and,. secondly,. the. communion. Church. are. ultimately. grounded. in. the. between. churches. and. Christians. based. communion. of. God. the. Holy. Trinity”. on.the.above-mentioned.communion.(II.A. (II.B.23)..The.maintenance.of.unity.and. and.B). the.sustaining.of.diversity.both.belong.to. the.life.of.the.Church.(II.B.24)..“Unity. Secondly,. in. addition. to. the. consensus. needs. a. visible. outward. form. which. is.

68 able. to. encompass. the. element. of. inner. expressed.in.quite.a.full.form.-.instead.of. differentiation. and. spiritual. diversity. as. first,.briefly,.introducing.a.kind.of.“basis”. well.as.the.element.of.historical.change. or.“event”,.and.then.trying.to.give.it.later. and.development”.(II.B.26). a. more. encompassing. “embodiment”. or. It. is. apparent. in. the. light. of. these. and. “expression”.. In. this. sense,. the. Porvoo several.other.phrases.referring.to.diversity. Common Statement. differs. from. the. that.also.the.model.of.‘reconciled.diversity’. method.used.in.the.Leuenberg Concordat. has.been.applied.in.the.Porvoo Common Statement..This.diversity.between.the.two. The model of unity in the Porvoo denominations. will. remain. in. the. sense. Common Statement that.the.partners.are.not.required.to.“accept. every.doctrinal.formulation.characteristic. The. model. of. unity. in. the. Porvoo of.our.distinctive.traditions”;.on.the.other. Common Statement. finds. expression,. hand,.however,.the.reconciliation.of.this. firstly,. in. the. concept. of. visible unity,. diversity. “does. require. us. to. face. and. which.occurs.repeatedly.in.the.document. overcome.the.remaining.obstacles.to.still. (e.g.,.Foreword,.para..6/p..2;.para..11/p..5;. closer.communion”.(III.33). II,.para..23/p..13;.para..27/p..15;.III,.para.. 29/p..16;.IV,.para..54/p..28;.V,.para..60/p.. Thus,. what. is. involved. here. is. not. 32). merely. an. agreement. upon. differences;. diversity. is. to. be. reconciled,. too.. The. Visible unity.is.defined.and.confined.in.the. model. of. reconciled. diversity. comes. to. document.in.the.following.manner: the. fore. especially. in. connection. with. the.question.of.episcopacy,.in.relation.to. 1).The.point.of.origin.of.visible.unity.is.the. which.the.section.on.doctrinal.consensus. faith.that.the.unity.of.the.Church.“belongs. mentions.a.ministry.of.pastoral.oversight. by.necessity.to.its.[the.Church’s].nature”. (episcope),.exercised.in.personal,.collegial. (II,.para..21/p..13),.because.“the.unity.of. and. communal. ways. (III. 32.k).. This. the.Church.is.grounded.in.the.mysterious. consensus.is.explicated.more.thoroughly,. relationship.of.the.persons.of.the.Trinity”. in. accordance. with. the. model. of. (ibidem)..Therefore,.communion.between. reconciled.diversity,.in.chapter.IV,.which. Christians.and.churches.is.not.a.“product. is.called.“Episcopacy.in.the.service.of.the. of. human. achievement”. but. is. “already. apostolicity.of.the.Church”. given.in.Christ.as.a.gift.to.be.received,. and.‘like.every.good.gift,.unity.also.comes. The.Porvoo Common Statement.makes.use. from. the. Father. through. the. Son. in. the. of.a.kind.of.“combined.method”,.which. Holy. Spirit’”. (II,. para.. 21/p.. 13).. This. seeks. to. take. seriously. both. doctrinal. formulation.of.the.nature.of.the.unity.of. consensus.and.reconciled.diversity..Thus,. the.Church,.which.is.a.very.classic.one,. the. doctrinal. consensus. concerned. is. is. closely. linked. to. the. results. achieved.

69 in. the. Roman. Catholic/Lutheran. Joint. being.the.quotation.of.a.resolution.of.the. Commission,.as.indicated.by.footnotes.5,. Eighth.Assembly.of.the.Lutheran.World. 6,.and.7.in.the.Statement..According.to. Federation.in.Curitiba.in.1990;.III,.para.. the.Porvoo Common Statement,.the.unity. 31/p.. 17).. Both. visible. unity. and. full. of.the.Church.is.given,.and.therefore.the. communion.still.lie.ahead.of.us..They.are. document.also.speaks.of.the.“restoration”. goals.towards.which.both.partners.believe. and.“recovery”.of.unity..(“....this.will.be. to. be. going.. Therefore,. the. following. a. very. significant. contribution. towards. expressions. are. used. in. the. document:. restoring. the. visible. unity. of. Christ’s. closer unity.(V,.title/p.30),.closer visible Church”;. Foreword,. para.. 11/p.. 5;. unity. (IV,. para.. 54/p.. 28),. and. closer “Churches.....are.obliged.by.their.faith.to. communion. (V,. para.. 60/p.. 32).. Visible. work.and.to.pray.for.the.recovery.of.their. unity.is.still.the.goal.towards.which.the. visible.unity”;.II,.para..27/p..15) partners.are.going..The.Porvoo Common Statement is.an.expression.of.new.steps. 2). As.I. have. mentioned. earlier. in. a. on.the.way.to.visible.unity.(“We.are.now. preliminary. fashion,. visible. unity. must. called.to.a.deepening.of.fellowship,.to.new. not. be. confused. with. uniformity.. Unity. steps.on.the.way.to.visible.unity...”;.III,. and.diversity.do.not.stand.in.contradiction. para..29/p..16)..The.consensus.expressed. to.each.other,.but.unity.“is.given.with.and. in. the. document. concerning. the. Church. in. diversity”. (II,. para.. 23/p.. 13).. Thus,. and.its.ministry,.especially.the.laying.on. diversity.is.not.the.same.thing.as.disunity. of.hands.and.episcopal.succession,.means. (cf..II,.para..22/p..13),.which.Christians. that.the.unity.and.continuity.of.the.Church. “can.never.tolerate”.(II,.para..27/p..15).. is.made.more.visible.“at.all.times.and.in. Unlike. disunity,. diversity. “corresponds. all.places”.(IV,.para..53/p..28)..However,. with. the. many. gifts. of. the. Holy. Spirit. as.these.formulations.indicate,.even.after. to. the. Church”. (II,. para.. 23/p.. 13-14).. the. approval. of. the. Porvoo Common Viewed. in. this. light,. diversity. is. not. to. Statement.there.will.still.remain.-.in.the. be. regarded. as. a. “mere. concession. to. churches.of.both.traditions.-.the.kind.of. theological.pluralism”.(II,.para..23/p.14).. diversity.which.these.churches.must.seek. Therefore,. not. only. unity. but. “both. the. to. overcome. in. the. future. (Foreword,. unity.and.the.diversity.of.the.Church.are. para.. 9/p.. 4,. referring. to. the. Porvoo ultimately.grounded.in.the.communion.of. Declaration). God.the.Holy.Trinity;.II,.para..23/p..14). The elements of unity 3). The. Porvoo Common Statement. distinguishes. between. the. concepts. of. The. structure. and. the. content. of. the. visible unity.and.full communion..In.fact,. Porvoo Common Statement. reveal. the.term.‘full.communion’.is.not.used.in. what. kinds. of. things. are. considered. as. the. document. at. all. (the. only. exception. prerequisites. for. and. elements. of. the.

70 emergence. of. closer. unity..These. are. 1). the. Lutheran. World. Federation.. What. a. common. understanding. of. the. nature. paragraph.32.is.about.is.the.“substantial. and.unity.of.the.Church.(chapter.II),.2). agreement.in.faith”.(III,.para..30/p..16),. agreement. concerning. the. content. of. which.is.a.summary.(concentrating.only. faith. (chapter. III),. and. 3). a. consensus. on. that. which. is. most. necessary). of. the. concerning. historical. episcopacy. and. consensus. of. the. both. partners. on. the. episcopal.succession.as.a.servant.of.the. content.of.our.faith..Neither.the.Lutheran. apostolicity.of.the.Church.and.as.a.sign. nor.the.Anglican.side.has.felt.it.necessary. of.the.unity.and.continuity.of.the.Church. to. say. anything. more,. because. these. (chapter.IV). traditions. have. never. condemned. each. other. in. matters. of. the. content. of. faith.. As.for.point.1),.enough.light.has.already. This.applies.particularly.to.the.doctrine.of. been.shed.on.it.in.the.previous.section..As. justification,.on.which.there.is.no.separate. regards.the.content.of.faith.and.episcopacy,. section. in. the. document.. The. concept. however,.it.still.remains.to.be.asked.what. of. justification. of. the. sinner. by. grace. the. significance. of. these. questions,. in. alone,. for. the. sake. of. Christ. alone,. and. addition.to.the.model.of.unity,.is.within. by.faith.alone,.which.is.inalienable.to.the. the.entirety.of.the.Statement. Lutheran.side,.is.given.valid.and.sufficient. expression.in.chapter.III,.para..32.c./p..18. Especially.from.the.point.of.view.of.my. (which.is.the.sub-paragraph.on.the.gospel). church. and. its. (Lutheran). confession,. and,. in. fact,. even. earlier. in. chapter. II,. the.content.of.the.Statement’s.chapter.III. para..15-16/p..10-11. (“What.we.agree.in.faith”).is.of.essential. importance..Namely,.this.section.actually. The.partners’.agreement.concerning.faith. gives.expression.to.that.which,.from.the. has.been.expressed.in.the.following.loci. point. of. view. of. faith,. is. necessary. and. which.involve.both.doctrine.and.practice: sufficient.for.the.unity.of.the.Church.(cf.. a).The.Scriptures.as.the.sufficient.source. The.Augsburg.Confession,.article.VII). of.doctrine. b).The.question.of.God’s.will,. I. am. not. sure. whether. the. twelve. sub- commandment.and.grace..To.express.this. paragraphs.in.paragraph.32.in.chapter.III. in.the.language.of.Lutheran.tradition,.the. can.be.regarded.as.a.“common.Anglican- issue.involved.here.is.the.law.and.the. Lutheran. ‘Confession. of. Faith’”,. as. gospel. Georgese.Tsetis,.th .representative.of.the. c).The.gospel,.justification,.faith.and.love. Ecumenical.Patriarchate.of.Constantinople. d).The.Niceno-Constantinopolitan.Creed. in.its.permanent.delegation.to.the.WCC,. and.the.Apostels’.Creed;.the.Trinitarian. phrased.it.in.his.letter.of.29th.March.1994. and.the.Christological.dogma. to. Eugene. Brand,. the.Assistant. General. e).Liturgical.worship. Secretary. of. the. Ecumenical. Affairs. in. f).The.Church.

71 g).Baptism,.infant.baptism.and. historical,.cultural,.etc..-.for.which.it.is. . not.appropriate.to.attempt.to.establish.a. h).The.Lord’s.Supper.(Eucharist)..The. uniform.Anglican-Lutheran. church,. not. true.presence.of.the.body.and.blood.of. even. after. the. approval. of. the. Porvoo Christ..The.eucharist.and.sacrifice..The. Common Statement.. Theologically. meaning.of.the.eucharist. speaking,.however,.the.Porvoo Common i).The.priesthood.of.all.members.of.the. Statement. means. emergence. of. such. Church,.and.their.participation.in.the. communion.whose.“fullness”.is.very.near. apostolic.mission.of.the.Church. j).The.ordained.ministry..The.oneness.of. Episcopacy in the service of the the.ordained.ministry.and.its.threefold. apostolicity of the Church character. k).The.ministry.of.pastoral.oversight. From.the.Anglican.point.of.view,.the.most. (episcope),.its.different.manifestations,. important.obstacle.to.the.rapprochement. and.its.function.to.safeguard.the. between. the.Anglican. and. the. Lutheran. apostolicity.of.the.Church..The.episcopal. churches. has. been,. up. till. now,. certain. office.as.a.sign.of.the.continuity.of.the. deficiency. in. the. episcopal. office. of. Church. most. Lutheran. churches.. In. accordance. l).A.common.hope.in.the.final. with. the. Lambeth. Quadrilateral,. the. consummation.of.the.Kingdom.of.God,. Anglican.church.has.considered.historical. and.work.for.justice,.peace.and.integrity. episcopacy. and. episcopal. succession. as. for.creation. being.of.such.importance.for.the.essence. of. the. Church. that. this. question. has. Not. everything. that. is. included. in. our. determined. for. a. great. deal. the. pace. at. common. faith. is. expressed. in. this. which. Anglicans. have. taken. their. new. presentation.of.the.“substantial.agreement. ecumenical. steps..The. Porvoo Common in. faith”.. So. much. of. it,. however,. is. Statement brings. to. this. problem. a. new. articulated.here.that.Lutheran.confession. model.of.solution. challenges. us. to. ask. the. following. question:. What. else,. in. fact,. is. needed. In. its. solution. to. the. problem. of. the. for. the. fulfilment. of. the. satis est. which. ministry.of.oversight,.the.Statement.does. the.Augsburg. Confession. demands. (CA. not. simply. “give. way”. to. the. so-called. VII)?. From. the. Lutheran. point. of. view,. presbyteral. ordination. and. succession.. it. is. difficult. to. think,. after. this,. of. any. Instead,.the.Statement.sets.out.to.consider. remaining. theological obstacles. related. the.ministry.of.oversight.on.the.basis.of. to. the. content. of. faith. which. would. something. that. is. even. wider. and. more. hinder. us. from. acknowledging. that. our. fundamental,.and.belongs. to.the.essence. churches. have. achieved. unity.. There. of. the. Church,. namely,. apostolicity.. may.be.other.reasons,.though.-.liturgical,. “The.primary.manifestation.of.apostolic.

72 succession.is.to.be.found.in.the.apostolic. whole).as.an.alternative.to.the.episcopal. tradition.of.the.Church.as.a.whole”.(IV,. office..Rather,.these.two.belong.together. 39/p..23). in. the. apostolicity. of. the. Church,. and. complement.each.other. However,. the. manifestation. of. the. apostolicity. and. continuity. of. the. Also.the.personal.ministry.of.oversight,. Church. consists. of. several. “threads”.. as. well. as. its. historical. succession. and. These.are.“witness.to.the.apostolic.faith,. continuity,.are.discussed.in.the.Statement. proclamation.and.fresh.interpretation.of. within.the.framework.of.this.entirety..To. the.Gospel,.celebration.of.baptism.and.the. ordain. a. bishop. in. historic. succession. eucharist,.the.transmission.of.ministerial. through.the.laying.on.of.hands.is.a.sign. responsibilities,. communion. in. prayer,. of.the.apostolicity.of.the.Church.(IV,.50/p.. love,.joy.and.suffering,.service.to.the.sick. 27)..The. fact. that. some. of.the. churches. and.needy,.unity.among.the.local.churches. concerned.have.not.previously.used.this. and.sharing.the.gifts.which.the.Lord.has. sign.is.not.an.obstacle.to.the.establishment. given.to.each”.(IV,.36/p..23;.this.is.a.direct. of. fellowship.. By. their. approval. of. the. quotation. from. BEM,. Ministry,. para.. Porvoo Common Statement,.the.churches. 35).. Of. these. “threads”,. the. Statement. involved. agree. together. to. make. use. of. brings.to.the.fore.especially.the.ministry. this.sign,.which.is.understood.as.a.means. of. pastoral. oversight. (episcope),. which. of.making.the.unity.and.continuity.of.the. can. be. exercised. “in. personal,. collegial. Church.more.visible.at.all.times.and.in.all. and. communal. ways”.. According. to. places.(IV,.53/p..28). the. Statement,. this. kind. of. ministry. of. oversight.is.“necessary”.as.a.safeguard.of. While.stressing.historical.episcopacy.and. the.apostolicity.and.unity.of.the.Church. its. continuity. as. a. form. of. the. personal. ministry.of.oversight.and.as.a.sign.of.the. All.these.three.manifestations.of.oversight. apostolicity. of. the. Church,. the. Porvoo are.important..It.is.said.in.the.Statement. Common Statement. does. not,. however,. that. nowadays. communal. oversight,. raise. episcopacy. to. the. same. position. in. particular,. takes. synodical. form. in. which. belongs. to. the. word. and. the. most. of. the. churches. concerned. (IV,. sacraments,. or. make. it. a. third. “pillar”;. 44/p.. 25).. From. the. point. of. view. of. such.a.thing.would.not.be.acceptable.from. Lutheran. churches,. this. remark. is. of. the.point.of.view.of.Lutheran.confession.. special. importance.. We. do. not. regard. In.interpreting.episcopacy.as.a.sign.which. the. communal. oversight. that. takes. serves.the.apostolicity.of.the.Church.-.or. place.through.ecclesiastical.councils.(in. even.“safeguards”.and.“ensures”.it.(III,.32. which. the. majority. of. the. members. are. k./p..20-21),.but.does.not.“guarantee”.it. representatives.of.the.laity).and.through. as.such.-.the.Porvoo Common Statement. the.synod.(which.guides.the.church.as.a. does.not.give.rise.to.the.above-mentioned.

73 problem,.which,.thus,.is.not.an.obstacle.to. practical. consequences. for. the. life. of. the.approval.of.the.Statement. the. churches. concerned.. What. these. commitments.mean.is.an.almost.complete. The consequences of the Statement reciprocity. in. the. lives. of. the. members. for the churches concerned of.these.churches,.and.in.these.churches’. ministries..What.remains.for.the.churches. Indeed,. the. Porvoo Common Statement. to.carry.out.after.the.signing.of.the.Porvoo has. consequences. for. the. churches. Common Statement. is. the. challenging. which. have. approved. it;. chapter. V. of. task. of. changing. their. laws. and. other. the. Statement,. which. contains. the. so- ecclesiastical.regulations,.so.as.to.make. called. Porvoo Declaration,. shows. what. these.correspond.with.the.commitments.in. these.consequences.are..The.Declaration,. the.Declaration..However,.the.true.goal.of. which.is.composed.of.two.parts,.consists. the.Porvoo Declaration.is.not.be.reached. of. six. “acknowledgements”. and. ten. until.its.commitments.change.the.lives.of. “commitments”. these.churches,.too.

In. these. acknowledgements. and. The significance of the Declaration commitments,. the. churches. signing. the. for the Lutheran - Roman Catholic Porvoo Declaration. acknowledge. one. relations another’s. churches. as. belonging. to. the. One,.Holy,.Catholic.and.Apostolic.Church. It.is.said.in.the.Porvoo Common Statement. of. Jesus. Christ..They. acknowledge. that. with. emphasis. that. the. Statement. seeks. preaching. and. the. sacraments. are. valid. to. be. an. ecumenically. open. document.. in.one.another’s.churches,.and.they.also. It.is.not.the.intention.of.the.Statement.to. acknowledge. one. another’s. ordained. create. unity. that. would. be. exclusive. in. ministries.as.given.by.God.as.instruments. regard.to.these.churches’.other.ecumenical. of. his. grace. (NB:. “instruments”,. not. relations..The.Statement.as.a.whole.has. “means. of. grace”).. Moreover,. they. as.its.conclusion.a.section.called.“Wider. acknowledge.that.one.another’s.ministries. Ecumenical. Commitment”. (V,. C/p.. 32- of. personal,. collegial. and. communal. 33)..In.the.light.of.this.section,.it.is.readily. oversight.in.their.different.forms.are.valid,. apparent. that. the. churches. signing. the. and.acknowledge.one.another’s.episcopal. document.do.not.aim.at.emergence.of.an. office. as. a. sign. serving. the. unity. and. Anglical-Lutheran. “bloc”. which. would. continuity.of.the.Church. wish.to.isolate.itself.from.others..At.the. same. time. it. is. obvious,. however,. that. In. addition. to. these. acknowledgements,. the. Porvoo Common Statement. and. its. the. Declaration. of. these. churches. content.must.be.taken.into.account.in.the. contains.ten.commitments,.the.realization. other.ecumenical.relations.of.the.churches. of. which. will,. indeed,. have. many. involved.. This. also. applies. to. their.

74 relations.to.the.Roman.Catholic.Church. in.them.both.the.perspective.from.which. A. natural. point. of. comparison. to. the. ecclesiology. is. presented. is. that. of. Porvoo Common Statement. is. provided. communion.ecclesiology. by. the. recently. completed. outcome. of. the.third.stage.of.the.work.of.the.Roman. 3.. It. is. only. natural. that. in. Lutheran. -. Catholic/Lutheran. Joint. Commission.. It. Roman.Catholic.relations.the.doctrine.of. has.recently.been.published.as.a.document. justification.occupies.a.more.central.place. called. Church and Justification,. which. than.is.the.case.in.the.Porvoo Common has.been.sent.to.the.churches.concerned. Statement..Namely,.in.Lutheran-Anglican. for. their. response.. Even. though. these. relations. problems. have. not. emerged. in. two.documents.are.different.in.character,. the. domain. of. justification,. whereas. in. one. can. still. examine. their. mutual. Lutheran.-.Roman.Catholic.relations.this. compatibility.. However,. in. this. context. very. issue. has. been. perhaps. the. most. it.is.not.possible.to.carry.out.a.detailed. important.subject.of.controversy. comparison. of. the. documents;. hence,. what.follows.is.merely.a.brief.and.general. 4.. Both. documents. also. deal. with. characterization. the. ministry. of. the. Church.. From. the. Lutheran.point.of.view,.this.question.has. 1.. As. for. the. ecumenical. “spirit”. of. constituted. an. ecumenical. problem. in. the. documents,. the. Porvoo Common Lutherans’. relations. to. both. Anglicans. Statement. and. Church and Justification. and. Roman. Catholics.. In. the. Porvoo are. very. much. of. the. same. kind.. Both. Common Statement,. the. solution. found. seek. to. take. substantial. theological. to. the. problem. of. ministry,. especially. questions.seriously..In.these.documents,. episcopacy,.is.such.that.this.question.will. minimization.of.doctrinal.questions.is.not. no.longer.divide.these.churches..We.hope. regarded.as.a.way.of.creating.inter-church. that.this.consensus.might.also.promote.the. fellowship. process.in.which.solutions.are.sought.to. the.problems.related.to.the.ministry.of.the. 2..Ecclesiology.occupies.a.central.place. Church.also.in.Lutheran.-.Roman.Catholic. in. both. of. these. documents.. Moreover,. and.Anglican.-.Roman.Catholic.relations.

75 Europe in Our Hearts - The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland and the Integration of Europe

A Speech at the Ecumenical Association for Church and Society in Brussels, on February 21, 1995

It.is.not.necessary.for.us.Finns.to.come.to. theologian.and.cultural.philosopher.Paul. Brussels.or.Strasbourg.to.find.Europe;.we. Tillich,.borderland.is.a.particularly.fruitful. carry.Europe.with.us.day.and.night..We. soil.for.learning..If.this.is.true,.we.Finns. have.Europe.in.our.hearts. have.had.a.particularly.good.opportunity. to.learn.lessons.that.will.hopefully.benefit. How. did. this. happen,. how. did. Europe. the.rest.of.Europe.as.well..Unfortunately,. enter.into.our.hearts?.It.is.a.long.story..I. however,. we. have. also. been. compelled. do.not.think.that.this.would.be.the.proper. to.face.the.fact.that.not.only.learning.but. occasion.for.recalling.the.whole.story.in. also.the.waging.of.wars.is.characteristic. detail,. but.I. would. nevertheless. like. to. of. borderlands.. Wars. with. our. eastern. tell.you.some.parts.of.it..Only.against.this. neighbour. together. form. a. dark. period. background. is. it. possible. to. understand. of. more. than. a. hundred. years. in. the. what. we. Finns. and. the. Evangelical. history.of.our.country,.which.lies.on.the. Lutheran.Church.of.Finland.expect.from. borderland. between. east. and. west.. For. the.European.Union,.and.what.we.feel.our. this.reason,.we.have.learned.to.appreciate. contribution.to.the.Union.might.be. peace.particularly.deeply..I.hope.this.fact. will.be.manifest.in.our.interaction.with.the. It.was.the.Christian.church.that.brought. other.member.countries.of.the.EU.in.the. Europe.into.our.hearts..We.did.not.choose. coming.years. Europe. but. Europe. chose. us.. Arriving. simultaneously.from.both.east.and.west,. As.the.ecclesiastical.and.political.result.of. the. first. Christian. influence. made. its. the.west-versus-east.competition,.to.which. presence. felt. in. Finland. approximately. I.just.referred,.Finland.finally.joined.the. 1,000.years.ago..In.the.era.following.the. Western. world.. The. patron. saint. of. our. introduction.of.Christianity,.Finland.was. country. is. an. Englishman. who. came. to. a.field.for.trials.of.strength.between.east. our.country.in.the.twelfth.century.as.the. and. west. for. several. centuries,. at. times. Bishop. of. Uppsala. (Sweden). and. who. literally.a.battlefield..This.applies.both.to. became.later.the.first.bishop.of.Finland.. the.churches.and.to.the.politic.powers. However,.we.never.quite.fell.out.of.the. sphere.of.the.Orthodox.influence.either.. According. to. the. German-American. There.is.a.small.Orthodox.church.in.our.

76 country. still. today.. It. reminds. us. of. the. Protestant. churches. of. Central. Europe,. fact.that.we.live.in.one.of.the.important. we.emphasise.more.strongly.those.things,. European.borderlands. which.link.us.to.the.pre-Reformation.era.. This.is.the.essential.element.of.our.attitude. In.the.Middle.Ages,.Europe.was.planted. towards.the.Roman.Catholic.Church.still. in.our.hearts.in.many.different.ways..In. today.. Therefore,. with. regards. to. such. our. churches,. whose. architecture. and. European.Protestant.projects.that.seem.to. wall. paintings. still. reflect. the. influence. be. directed. against. the. Roman. Catholic. of.those.days,.the.Mass.was.celebrated.in. Church,.our.attitude.has.been.critical..One. accordance.with.the.Dominican.liturgy..In. reason.for.this.attitude.of.ours.is.certainly. parishes,.schools.and.the.diocesan.chapter,. the. fact. that. the. Catholic. church. we. there. were. priests. who. had. studied. in. encounter.in.Finland.and.the.other.Nordic. the. well-known. European. universities. countries.is.far.different.from.the.Catholic. in. Bologna,. Prague. and. Paris.. As. for. church.encountered.by.Protestant.minority. my. predecessors,. the. incumbents. of. the. churches.elsewhere.in.Europe. see.of.the.Bishop.of.Turku,.two.of.them. were.former.rectors.of.the.University.of. In. the. post-Reformation. centuries,. we. Paris..In.sum,.access.to.Europe.was.free,. were. naturally. influenced. also. by. those. and.great.use.was.made.of.it..The.Finnish. ideas.and.ideologies.which.together.gave. church.buildings.dedicated.to.St..Jacob,. shape.to.the.Europe.of.the.new.era:.the. which. still. serve. parishes. as. places. of. Enlightenment,. Romanticism,. Idealism,. worship,.are.witnesses.to.the.fact.that.one. and. Darwinism;. philosophical,. religious. of. the. pilgrimage. routes. to. Santiago. de. and.political.Liberalism;.Socialism;.and. Compostela,.Spain,.began.in.Finland. religious.revival.movements..Hence,.the. present. Europe,. which. we. Finns. carry. In. some. respects,. a. new. Europe. was. in.our.hearts,.is.also.a.Europe.of.various. brought.into.our.hearts.by.the.Reformation. philosophical,. ideological,. political. and. of.the.16th.century..However,.the.Europe. religious.tensions.-.even.though.Finland.is. of. the. Middle. Ages. also. remained. in. undoubtedly,.in.many.respects,.one.of.the. our. hearts.. In. Sweden. and. Finland,. ties. most.homogeneous.countries.in.Europe. with. the. past. were. not. radically. cut. off. by. the. Reformation.. By. contrast,. the. Thus,. the. Europe. in. our. Finnish. hearts. ecclesiastical. continuity. was. retained. in. is. not. a. separate. Europe,. but. part. of. a. significant. way,. which. also. applies. to. the. larger. context.. On. the. other. hand,. episcopacy..This.sense.of.continuity.can. however,. we. Finns. also. know. what. it. still.be.recognised.in.the.identity.of.the. means. to. be. isolated.. We. went. through. Evangelical.Lutheran.Church.of.Finland,. this.experience.in.the.winter.of.1939-40,. as.well.as.in.the.identity.of.our.twin.sister,. when.we.had.to.defend.our.independence. the.Church.of.Sweden..Compared.to.the. and. freedom. alone.. These. kinds. of.

77 memories.probably.also.had.their.impact. within.the.European.Union. on. our. EU. referendum. last. autumn.. If. there.ever.comes.another.occasion.where. It. is. against. the. background. outlined. our. freedom. is. threatened,. we. do. not. above.that.our.attitude.towards.European. want. to. stand. alone.. Hence,. we. regard. integration. in. general,. and. towards. the. the. Europe. in. our. hearts. as. a. Europe. European. Union. in. particular,. must. that. creates. security..At. the. same. time,. be. analysed. in. order. to. be. understood.. however,.it.may.be.that.some.people.or. Speaking. here. especially. of. how. the. groups. in. our. country. regard. Europe. as. Evangelical.Lutheran.Church.of.Finland. a.threat.to.our.cultural.independence.and. relates.to.the.EU,.and.to.the.larger.question. originality.. Thus,. it. seems. that. Europe. of. European. integration,.I. tell. you. that. both.safeguards.and.threatens.our.political. this.process.brings.with.it.at.least.three. and.cultural.independence..This.is.where. challenges.to.our.church..And.to.a.certain. we. stand,. and. this. paradox. probably. extent.I.believe.that.all.of.the.churches.in. finds.its.best.explanation.in.the.fact.that. the. member. countries. of. the. Union. are. we.live.in.a.borderland.between.east.and. faced.with.these.same.challenges. west.-.that.is,.in.an.area.where.survival. as.a.nation.requires.both.guarantees.for. First.of.all,.we.are.challenged.to.share.the. security.and.the.fostering.of.identity. responsibility. for. the. future. of. Europe.. While. it. must. be. admitted. that. none. of. Particularly.in.the.years.of.the.cold.war,. the. churches. stood. by. the. cradle. of. the. our.geographical.location.meant.for.us.a. European.Union,.and.that.the.Union.has. challenge.and.opportunity.for.learning..As. never.been.baptised,.this.does.not.mean. a.church.too,.we.felt.in.those.years.that.it. that. the. churches. are. exempt. from. the. was.our.duty.and.calling.to.build.bridges. responsibility. to. which.I. just. referred.. to. Eastern. Europe.. Very. determinedly,. Moreover,.it.must.be.borne.in.mind.that. we. established. and. maintained. relations. most.of.the.politicians.who.built.and.are. with. the. Russian. Orthodox. Church,. building.the.EU.are.Christians..Churches. and. especially. with. our. Lutheran. sister. must.support.their.members.and.all.those. churches. in. the. Baltic. states,. East. who.work.as.builders.of.Europe..Churches. Germany,. Poland,. Czechoslovakia,. must.ask.with.these.people.the.following. Hungary. and. .. When. the. questions:.What.kind.of.Europe.is.a.good. Conference. of. European. Churches. Europe?.What.task.does.each.of.us.have.in. (CEC).was.founded.in.1959.to.work.for. the.process.of.building.this.good.Europe? a.European.fellowship.stretching.from.the. Atlantic.Ocean.to.the.Ural.Mountains,.we. Secondly,. the. European. integration. entered.wholeheartedly..Today.as.well.we. also. challenges. churches. to. work. more. want.to.foster.this.kind.of.comprehensive. efficiently. for. even. closer. inter-church. European.fellowship.and.work.for.it.also. fellowship.and.co-operation,.so.that.they.

78 can.witness.to.their.faith,.hope.and.love. Spanish. philosophers,. Rafael. Argullol. even.more.convincingly. and.Eugenio.Trias,.discuss.the.“exhausted. Western. countries”.1. They. speak. of. a. Thirdly,.churches.have.to.ask.what.kind.of. civilisation. which,. in. their. opinion,. has. effect.the.norms.created.in.the.integration. somehow. lost. its. faith. in. its. own. great. process. will. have. on. their. position. and. ideals.. These. two. philosophers. say. that. opportunities.in.their.own.countries. though.European.Liberalism.began.in.the. spirit. of. liberty,. equality. and. fraternity,. In.the.following,.I.will.mainly.concentrate. at. present. the. discussion. only. concerns. on. the. first. of. these. three. issues..I. will. liberty,. and. that. only. in. the. sense. of. also,. however,. pay. attention. to. the. fact. freedom.of.trade..Moreover,.they.say,.this. that. awareness. of. churches’. common. discussion.is.conducted.without.faith.in. responsibility.for.the.future.development. the. future. and. without. true. enthusiasm. of. Europe. also. makes. the. question. of. -. in. other. words,. it. is. conducted. in. the. their. fellowship. and. co-operation. a. spirit.of.general.apathy,.in.an.atmosphere. topical.issue..Namely,.it.is.obvious.that. where. faith. in. progress. has. come. to. an. if.churches.wish.to.influence.the.policies. end,. where. nihilism. nullifies. ideals. and. of. the. European. Union. in. one. way. or. emotions,. and. where. people. nervously. another,.they.must.co-operate.as.much.as. confine.their.activities.to.protecting.their. possible. own.position.and.security.

What,. then,. is. the. calling. of. churches. If.these.Spanish.philosophers.are.right,.we. in. an. integrated. Europe?. What. are. truly.have.reason.to.ask.if.Europe.is.on. their. special. responsibilities?. Answers. the.verge.of.losing.its.self-confidence..If. to. these. questions. cannot. be. found. in. this.is.the.case,.the.situation.is.really.quite. the. documents. which. deal. with. the. serious,. because. history. teaches. us. that. constitution.or.organisation.of.the.EU..As. when. self-confidence. wavers,. creativity. we.know,.churches.do.not.have.any.official. and.innovations.also.come.to.an.end..As. status.in.this.organisation..In.spite.of.this. we.know,. Jesus.was.of.the. opinion. that. situation,.however,.there.can.naturally.be. a.human.being.can.gain.the.whole.world. certain. expectations. in. connection. with. but.still.lose.his.or.her.soul..Faith.in.the. churches.. For. example,. Jacques. Delors,. excellence. and. superiority. of. the. free. the. former. President. of. the. European. market.economy.is.not.a.sufficient.basis. Commission,.urged.churches.to.have.the. for. the. spiritual. health,. self-confidence. “soul”.of.Europe.as.their.special.concern. and.future.optimism.of.any.culture. Recently,.I. read. a. book. in. which. two. What. then. is. this. soul. of. Europe. which.

1 El cansancio Occidente,.1993.

79 the.churches.are.supposed.to.make.their. the.duty.to.take.care.of.the.smallest.and. special.concern?.Every.human.being,.as. the.weakest.in.particular. well.as.every.company.and.organisation,. needs. signposts. to. indicate. the. right. Thus,.a.certain.set.of.common.values.is. direction.-. the. direction. in. which. the. important.for.Europe..However,.another. future. lies..Without. these. signposts. one. element. just. as. important. as. this. is. the. just. wanders. about,. and. confusion. and. acceptance. of. the. pluralism. of. values. the.lack.of.enthusiasm.begin.to.take.over.. which. Europe’s. ethnic,. regional. and. This. is. why. business. and. management. language. variety. carries. with. it.. Within. consultants.say.that.in.order.to.overcome. the.cultural.legacy.of.Europe,.Judaism.and. a.crisis,.a.company.has.to.re-discover.its. Islam.have.their.own.place.too,.and.they. original.business.idea.and.its.function,.and. have.much.to.offer..In.Finland.the.Jewish. to.focus.on.them.again..In.other.words,. and.Islamic.minorities.have.enriched.our. one.must.re-discover.oneself. culture.and.social.life.already.for.many. generations..We.should.bear.in.mind.that. Thus,. when. we. speak. of. the. European. Europe’s.worst.violations.of.internal.peace. soul,.the.actual.point.at.issue.is.Europe’s. have.taken.place.and.her.most.atrocious. fundamental. set. of. the. values.. It. is. deeds. have. been. done. when. pluralism. good. to. bear. in. mind. that. usually. our. and. diversity. have. been. suppressed. in. continent. has. understood. and. defined. the.name.of.a.single.value..Therefore,.we. itself. as. a. cultural. concept. rather. than. can.be.certain.in.these.days.as.well.that. as. a. geographical. term.-. that. is,. as. a. the.internal.integrity.and.peace.of.Europe. community.of.certain.values.rather.than. depends.on.the.success.of.our.efforts.to. as. a. geographically. bounded. region.. fit.together.a.respect.for.certain.common. However,. when. it. comes. to. values,. values. on. one. hand,. and. an. approval. Europe.is.not.a.homogeneous.community.. of. pluralism. on. the. other.. From. every. On. the. contrary,. a. combination. of. minority’s.point.of.view.this.question.is. common. values. and. pluralism. are. crucial. characteristic. of. the. European. “soul”. and.its.inner.life..Naturally.that.which.is. Against. this. background. it. is. easy. common.to.all.of.us.has.to.do.with.our. to. understand. why. the. Treaty. on. the. common.roots..Europe.is.a.community.of. European. Union. (Maastricht. Treaty). values.of.reason.(Athens),.justice.(Rome). names. certain. values. which. are. to. be. and. mercy. (Jerusalem).. Therefore,. realised. in. all. the. member. countries. of. Europe.is.marked.by.its.particularly.deep. the.EU..Among.these.values.are.freedom,. appreciation.of.science.and.technology,. democracy,.respect.for.human.rights.and. its.appreciation.of.individuality,.its.strong. fundamental.rights,.and.solidarity.between. self-criticism,.its.emphasis.on.justice.as. peoples,. which. also. involves. respecting. the.basis.for.peace,.and.its.awareness.of. the.history,.culture.and.traditions.of.each.

80 people..Subsidiarity.as.a.moral.value.and. and. the. Council. of. European. [Catholic]. guiding.principle.is.an.integral.part.of.this. Bishops’.Conferences.(CCEE),.was.part. entirety,. because. it. obliges. the. member. of.the.world-wide.process.on.the.theme. countries.to.take.diversity.into.account. of. “Justice,. Peace. and. the. Integrity. of. Creation”. (JPIC).. It. was. stated. in. this. This. kind. of. effort. to. establish. a. set. of. assembly. that. these. values. are. suitable. fundamental.values,.which.can.guide.the. signposts. to. point. the. way. for. the. European. integration. process,. seems. to. contemporary.development.of.Europe.as. be.in.line.with.the.original.vision.for.the. well..A.similar.assembly.is.being.planned. integration..One.part.of.this.entirety.is.the. for. June. of. 1997.. The. theme. of. the. logical. and. causal. connection. of. values. conference.of.1997.will.be.Reconciliation. and.peace..This.causality,.in.turn,.reveals. -.a.most.topical.theme,.as.we.know. the.legacy.expressed,.e.g.,.in.the.message. delivered.by.the.prophet.Isaiah:.“If.only. Noble. and. high. values. are. like. a. raised. you.had.heeded.my.commandments,.your. flag..Flags.are.needed,.flags.that.stream. peace. would. have. been. like. a. river...”. in. the. wind. and. inspire. people,. flags. (48:18)..In.this.verse,.and.in.the.Bible.in. that. show. people. which. way. to. go. and. general,. peace. is. a. very. comprehensive. strengthen.their.identity..But.mere.flags. concept. which. actually. encompasses. are. not. enough.. The. ideals. and. values. the.well-being.of.the.whole.of.creation,. that. are. manifested. up. in. the. air. by. the. including.nature..Furthermore,.this.peace. flags. must. be. realised. and. materialised. is.“like.a.river,”.i.e..it.is.a.living.process. by.people.here.below..This.also.applies. which.gives.life.as.well;.a.living.process. to. European. values.. The. old. values. of. of. renewal..The. concept. of. this. kind. of. justice,. reason. and. mercy. must. find. peace. can. be. regarded. as. the. intrinsic. their. manifestation. and. materialisation. value.of.each.country.and.continent,.the. in. the. Europe. of. today. and. tomorrow.. value. which. is. also. served. by. political. A. significant. attempt. of. this. kind. is. the. peace. memorandum. “Responsibility. for. the. Social.Dimension.of.Europe”2.which.the. The.European.churches.spoke.out.on.this. Evangelical.Church.in.Germany.published. very.emphatically.in.Basel.in.1989..The. even.before.the.Maastricht.treaty..In.the. assembly. in. question. has. been. referred. Evangelical.Lutheran.Church.of.Finland,. to. as. the. most. important. ecumenical. we. can,. to. a. great. extent,. accept. the. meeting.held.in.our.continent.so.far..This. outlines. and. proposals. presented. in. this. assembly,. which. was. arranged. by. the. memorandum,. in. which. the. demand. for. Conference.of.European.Churches.(CEC). solidarity.is.also.extended.to.our.relations.

2.Verantwortung.für.ein.soziales.Europa:.EKD,.Die.Evanglische.Kirche.in.Deutschland.

81 to.future.generations,.nature.and.the.so- and.teach.and.live.out.the.values.we.have. called.third.world. discussed. here,. they. foster. the. soul. of. Europe,.on.which.the.vitality.and.future. I.said.at.the.beginning.of.this.presentation. of. our. continent. crucially. depend.. The. that.it.is.not.necessary.for.us.to.come.to. secularisation.of.Europe.is.an.indisputable. Brussels. or. Strasbourg. to. find. Europe.. fact,. but. it. is. just. as. indisputable. that. Europe.is.much.closer.to.us,.because.we. in. the. midst. of. all. this. pluralism. we. carry.it.in.our.hearts..In.a.like.manner,.I. still.have.certain.fundamental.values.of. want.to.state.that.the.most.important.part. pivotal. importance..We. should. become. of.the.work.done.for.Europe.by.churches. aware. of. and. recognise. the. universally. does. not. take. place. in. the. conference. binding.nature.of.these.values.again,.in. rooms. and. corridors. of. Brussels.. order.to.strengthen.Europe’s.identity.and. Undoubtedly.it.is.still.important.that.the. internal.sense.of.community.on.the.basis. presence.of.churches.can.be.felt.here..We. of. these. values..Accordingly,. we. must. ourselves.are.here.to.search.for.the.best. also. identify. and. recognise. the. unity. ways.for.our.church.to.be.in.touch,.here. that. prevails. amidst. the. ecclesiastical. “on.the.spot,”.with.the.important.bodies. pluralism. of. Europe.. We. work. for. this. and.staff.members.of.the.Union,.and.with. unity,.thus.serving.both.the.ecclesiastical. those.Finns.and.representatives.of.other. fellowship.and.the.European.fellowship. churches.who.work.and.are.active.here.. as.a.whole..All.over.Europe,.this.unity. We.also.wish.to.discover.how.our.church,. and. fellowship. is. under. serious. threat. on. the. basis. of. its. own. fundamental. whenever.churches.are.taken.advantage. values,. can. best. support. the. work. that. of. in. pursuit. of. national,. political. or. is. being. done. here.. However,. the. most. financial. interests.. This. is. something. important.work.for.Europe.takes.place.at. we.must.reject..To.be.truly.churches.is. home,.and.this.applies.to.every.church. the. best. way. for. churches. to. serve. the. goals. of. peace. that. are. present. in. the. When. churches. proclaim. the. Word. of. original.vision.of.the.quest.for.European. God,. administer. the. holy. sacraments,. integration.

82 Mission and Kingdom of God – Redemption and Kingdom of Peace as Object of Faith and Ethical Task1

A Contribution to the Current Interchurch Dialogue

Since.1970,.the.Russian.Orthodox.Church. The. theological. explosive. in. the. title. and. the. Evangelical. Lutheran. Church. is. chiefly. concentrated. in. the. world. of. Finland. have. held. a. series. of. joint. “rauha”,. peace,. because. it. can. signify. theological. consultations.. A. continuous. two. distinct. concepts,. or. perhaps. even. theme. of. these,. in. addition. to. central. two. pairs. of. concepts.. Firstly. one. can. dogmatic.matters,.has.been.the.question. distinguish. between. peace. in. the. sense. of.the.theological.basis.of.the.Churches’. of.a.psychological.condition.of.particular. work.for.peace..At.the.fourth.consultation,. individuals,.and.peace.as.a.political.and. held. in. Kiev. in. 1977,. this. topic. was. social.condition.in.collectivities.and.States.. dealt.with.under.the.title.“Redemption.and. Secondly,. a. distinction. can. be. drawn. kingdom. of. peace. as. object. of. faith. and. between. peace. as. a. condition. brought. ethical.task”..What.follows.is.the.address.I. about.by.God.through.redemption.in.Jesus. gave.on.that.occasion.as.a.contribution.from. Christ,.and.the.peace.which.is.produced. the.Finnish.and.Lutheran.side..In.conclusion,. by.various.human.measures.on.the.plane. I.shall.indicate.its.relevance.for.our.subject. of.the.creation,.whether.in.individuals.or. of.“Mission.and.Kingdom.of.God”. in.societies..In.the.first.case.peace.is.an. eschatological.term.concerning.salvation. I.The peace of God’s kingdom and history,.and.“rauhan.valtakunta”,.kingdom. political peace of.peace,.is.identical.with.kingdom.of.God. or.kingdom.of.Christ..In.the.latter.case,. The.title.under.which.the.relation.of.the. peace.is.a.concept.belonging.to.this.world. churches. to. the. ever. topical. question. and.kingdom.of.peace.is.an.expression.for. of. peace. is. to. be. dealt. in. this. year’s. earthly.conditions. theological. consultation,. bears. a. heavy. charge. of. theological. explosive,. but. it. Against. this. background. we. can. ask. should.also.be.likely.to.promote.fruitful. what.is.meant.by.“kingdom.of.peace”.in. and.enlightening.comparison.between.the. our.title..Is.it.the.kingdom.of.God.as.an. theological.traditions.of.our.churches. eschatological.reality.of.salvation.history,.

1.From.Lutheran.contributions.to.the.Missio.Dei,.LWF.1984,.p..55-63.

83 or. an. earthly. kingdom. of. peace. as. the. I. have. deliberately. considered. our. title. goal.of.social.and.political.endeavors?.At. closely. as. a. way. of. approach. to. the. all.events.one.thing.is.sure;.the.kingdom. theological.problem.which.it.hints.at.in. referred.to.in.the.Bible.must.be.susceptible. a. really. masterly. fashion.. It. is. obvious. of. being. both. an. object. of. faith. and. an. that. the. title. is. meant. to. bring. out. the. ethical.task. close. connection. between. the. peace. of. God’s.kingdom.and.the.peace.striven.for. The. problem. can. be. made. clear. by. two. by.work.for.peace..The.question.is.then,. questions. how.this.connection.is.to.be.brought.out. and. emphasized. without. uncritically. If. the. kingdom. of. peace. of. our. title. is. confusing. two. realities. which. ought. in. identical.with.the.kingdom.of.God.as.an. principle. to. be. kept. apart.. Uncritical. eschatological.reality,.it.is.easy.to.think.of. confusion.of.that.kind.leads.among.other. it.as.an.object.of.faith,.but.in.what.sense. things.to.redemption’s.losing.its.exclusive. can.it.be.an.ethical.task?.Can.the.kingdom. and.eschatological.character.and.tending. of.God.be.called.forth.by.human.activity? to.become.almost.exclusively.a.worldly. reality.. That. tendency. was. clearly. Again,.if.the.kingdom.of.peace.in.our.title. noticeable.at.the.missionary.conference.in. refers.to.an.earthly.realm.of.peace,.it.is. Bangkok.in.1973..In.their.reports.on.the. easy.to.see.it.as.an.ethical.task,.but.in.what. Consultation. in. Järvenpää. in. 1974,. the. sense.is.it.an.object.of.faith? delegations. from. our. churches,. as. is. of. course.well.known,.expressed.their.joint. The. title. contains. a. word. which. helps. criticism. that. the. “true. dimension”. of. us.to.answer.these.questions.–.the.word. redemption.had.not.been.fully.stressed.at. “redemption”.with.which.the.kingdom.of. the.conference.(V:16). peace. is. linked..We. can. infer. that. what. is. primarily. in. question. is. the. reality. The.central.theological.task.must.therefore. which. we. usually. call. kingdom. of. God. be.to.determine.what.actually.constitutes. or. kingdom. of. Christ.. Now. since. our. the.connection.between.the.peace.of.the. intention. is. to. discuss. the. contribution. kingdom.of.God.and.political.peace..How. of.the.Churches.to.peace.under.this.title,. is.this.connection.to.be.defined.without. the. word. “rauha”,. peace,. must. also. be. uncritical. confusion,. so. that. redemption. intended. to. mean. earthly. peace,. so. that. can. retain. its. specific. character. while. “rauhan. valtakunta”,. the. kingdom. of. work.for.peace,.and.political.peace,.may. peace,. tends. to. become. also. a. concept. also. retain. their. specific. features?. The. of. social. ethics.. So. we. are. concerned. conception.of.the.kingdom.of.peace.as.an. here. with. a. social. ethics. in. which. the. object.of.faith.and.an.ethical.task,.depends. kingdom.of.God.represents.the.central.and. decisively.on.the.kind.of.answer.given.to. dominating.idea. this.question.

84 What was said at earlier the.interconnection.of.these.two.realities.. consultations? The.connection.is.that.the.eschatological. peace.of.salvation.history.has.more.or.less. It. may. be. asked. whether. we. are. not. direct. consequences. for. political. peace.. dealing.with.a.problem.here.to.which.no. It. is. not. possible. to. determine. to. what. sufficient. attention. was. devoted. in. our. extent.the.emphasis.laid.on.the.connection. previous.consultations..Were.the.peace.of. between.the.two.realities.has.also.led.to. the.kingdom.of.God.and.political.peace. confusion. between. them..At. all. events,. spoken.about.in.such.a.way.that.the.danger. eschatological. and. political. peace. are. of.uncritical.confusion.could.be.avoided?. coordinated.in.a.very.matter-of-fact.way,. A. few. quotations. from. consultation. so. that. no. genuine. protection. is. offered. reports.may.suggest.an.answer:. against. an. interpretation. which. makes. it. possible. to. equate. these. two. kinds. of. “Peace. with. God. is. the. presupposition. peace..The.danger.of.such.interpretations. for.Christians’.endeavors.for.peace.in.the. is. obvious,. as. the. history. both. of. the. world”.(Turku/Abo.1970). Churches. and. of. theology. in. the. last. hundred.years.shows.. “Christians. cannot. evade. their. responsibility.for.peace.by.claiming.that. We. now. briefly. refer. to. this,. and. then. God’s. peace. only. concerns. individual. elucidate. the. question. of. the. difference. human.beings.or.that.the.perfect.state.of. and. the. connection. of. political. and. peace.can.only.be.realized.at.the.end.of. eschatological. peace,. and. consequently. time”.(Turku/Abo.1970). the.question.of.the.kingdom.of.peace.as. an.object.of.faith.and.ethical.task,.from.a. “In.bearing.witness.to.their.Lord.as.the. Lutheran.point.of.view. prince. of. peace,. Christians. should. not. forget.intercessary.prayer.for.peace.and. A connection which leads to for. the. victims. of. violence”. (Zagorsk. confusion 1971). Protestant.theology.in.the.present.century. “The.holy.gospel.itself.is.a.spur.to.us.to. presents. some. phenomena. which. are. work.for.peace..Christ.is.our.peace,.and. typical. examples. of. more. or. less. far- by. proclaiming. this,. the. Church. works. reaching. identification. of. the. peace. of. for.peace.in.the.true.sense.of.the.word”. the.kingdom.of.God.with.political.peace,. (Järvenpää.1974). of. salvation. history. with. world. history.. These. are. theological. conceptions. in. Each.of.these.statements.contains.both.the. which.the.idea.of.the.kingdom.of.God.is. salvation.history.and.the.political.concept. predominant. as. the. guiding. principle. of. of.peace..The.stress.is.laid.throughout.on. social.ethics.

85 Here.above.all.we.can.name.the.so-called. advances.are.interpreted.as.an.approach. “cultural.Protestantism”.with.its.roots.in. to. the. kingdom. of. God.. The. peace. of. the. liberal. theology. of. the. 19th. century.. the.kingdom.of.God.and.political.peace,. In. this. theological. and. ecclesiastical. accordingly.flow.together. current,. the. kingdom. of. God. was. a. central.idea..That.kingdom.was.thought. To. a. large. extent. that. is. over. and. done. of.as.an.ethical.reality.within.the.world. with..But.clear.lines.of.communication.run. itself,. a. realm. of. morally. accomplished. from.those.theological.and.ecclesiastical. personalities..To.work.for.that.kingdom. phenomena. down. to. the. present. time.. was.regarded.as.a.joint.task.of.Church.and. They. are. to. be. found. above. all. in. the. State..Consequently,.the.kingdom.of.God. ecumenical. movement. and. its. social. and. the. political. realm. had. a. tendency. thought.. The. dominant,. almost. solely. to.coincide..Salvation.history.and.world. dominant,. conception. of. social. ethics. history.converged.more.and.more.to.form. within.the.ecumenical.movement.of.recent. a.single.stream,.and.the.salvation.history. decades,. the. idea. of. the. kingly. rule. of. aspect.tended.to.sink.into.the.background.. Christ.elaborated.by.Karl.Barth,.exhibits. This. was. connected. with. the. fact. that. remarkable.kinship.at.several.points.with. no. great. weight. was. attributed. either. to. the. above-mentioned. currents.. There. is. the. eschatological. or. the. sacramental. the.same.tendency.to.make.the.kingdom. character.of.Christianity..The.Trinitarian. of.God.a.structural.factor.in.the.social.and. aspect.was.correspondingly.unstressed. political. field,. so. that. salvation. history. peace.and.political.peace.tend.to.become. The. same. class. of. phenomena. includes. identical. religious. socialism,. which. in. the. first. decades. of. the. present. century. became. This. tendency. was. particularly. strong. an. important. ecclesiastical. and. social. in. the. “post-Barthian”. stage. of. the. phenomenon.in.Europe,.and.its.American. ecumenical.movement.and.social.ethics..I. counterpart,. the. “social. gospel”.. In. this. am.thinking.here.of.the.“conversation.to. modernized.edition.of.the.Puritan.kingdom. the.world”.which.marked.some.endeavors. of.God.idea,.Christianity.is.interpreted.in. in.the.ecumenical.movement.in.the.1960s.. collectivist.categories..Sin.and.redemption. In.this.connection.a.specifically.Christian. are.thought.of.collectivically..As.sin.can. ethics. was. rejected,. and. by. reference. also.be.observed.in.structures.of.society,. to. the. hidden. presence. of. Christ. in. the. redemption. is. held. to. apply. to. these. world,. simply. being. in. the. world. was. structures. too.. Society,. too,. must. be. elevated. into. a. specifically. Christian. redeemed.. That. is. to. happen. by. means. task..It.was.a.Christian’s.business,.it.was. of.an.historical.process.in.the.course.of. alleged,.to.find.Christ’s.footsteps.out.in. which. the. kingdom. of. God. is. realized. the.world.outside.the.established.Church,. and. in. which. even. technological. social. and.to.follow.them:.in.secularization,.in.

86 technological. and. social. development,. mostly.based.on.so.one-sided.an.emphasis. in. the. liberation. of. the. people.. The. on.the.ethical.element.in.Christianity.that. most. remarkable. thing. about. this. was. other. factors. are. disregarded.. It. is. only. that. the. self-same. idea. which. had. been. natural,. not. to. say. self-evident,. that. the. put. forward. by. Barth. as. warranty. for. a. evolutionist. attitude. to. the. kingdom. of. specifically. Christian. ethics,. was. now. God.and.to.redemption,.is.linked.with.an. used.as.an.argument.to.blur.the.boundary. optimistic.view.of.man. between.the.specifically.Christian.and.the. universally.human.–.namely.the.idea.of. It.is.time.to.ask.whether.some.common. Christ’s.kingly.rule..Christ’s.rule.extends. element.lies.behind.these.tendencies.and. to. the. whole. world,. Christ. is. active. in. features,. some. factor. which. of. inherent. the. whole. world,. consequently. all. that. necessity.operates.in.the.same.direction. is. Christian. is. worldly. or. secular,. and. within. different. phenomena. and. is. the. the. secular. is. Christian!. Thus. Christ’s. cause.why.the.peace.of.the.kingdom.of. redemption.indeed.encounters.us.in.social. God,.and.political.peace,.tend.to.coincide. development..The.logic.cannot.be.faulted.. more.or.less.completely..If.one.considers. The.mistake.lies.in.the.assumption,.where. these.phenomena.from.a.Lutheran.point. among.other.things.belief.in.creation,.and. of.view,.such.a.factor.is.not.difficult.to. with.it.the.Trinitarian.aspect,.has.been.lost. find..It.proves.to.be.a.constant.tendency. sight.of.. to.monism.in.the.attitude.to.the.relation. between.law.and.gospel. Closer. analysis. of. these. phenomena. reveals. certain. common. features. which. The.propensity.to.let.gospel.and.law.join. appear. to. be. worthy. of. note. in. this. together. into. a. single. reality,. may. have. connection..Perhaps.the.most.important.of. various.causes..In.cultural.Protestantism. these.is.the.concept.of.development.which. it.is.the.philosophical,.and.more.precisely. is.applied.both.to.the.events.of.salvation. the. idealist. element. which. operates. in. history.and.to.those.of.world.history..The. this. direction.. Elsewhere. it. can. be. a. events. are. conceived. as. a. continuous. Biblicism.which.regards.the.Bible.more. realization.of.certain.ideas,.principles.and. as.a.law.book.than.as.God’s.judging.and. programmes.. This. idea. of. development. forgiving. Word. to. man.. In. ecumenical. towards.the.realization.of.the.kingdom.of. social.ethics,.it.is.the.Barthian.image.of. God,.has. in.some.cases.a.counterpart.in.the. Church.and.State,.Church.and.society.as. conception. of. man’s. redemption,. which. concentric. circles. with. Jesus. Christ. and. also.is.regarded.as.onward.development.. his. redemptive. action. as. their. common. The. idea. of. human. cooperation. in. the. centre..It.has.already.been.pointed.out.that. realization.of.the.kingdom.of.God,.often. this. clearly. Christological. starting-point. has. a. counterpart. in. the. idea. of. man’s. can. lead. in. practice. to. the. loss. of. what. cooperation.in.his.own.salvation..That.is. is. specifically. Christian.. In. many. cases.

87 it.would.probably.be.possible.to.find.the. answers.to.these.questions.might.depend. ultimate.reason.in.the.actual.idea.of.God,. on. the. underlying. idea. of. God.. At. all. namely,.a.static.notion.of.God,.leading.to. events.this.is.so.as.regards.the.Lutheran. the.history.of.salvation.and.world.history. tradition.. Here. the. connection. with. the. being.viewed.as.a.continuous.realization. idea.of.God.is.evident..That.is.no.accident,. of. definite. and. unshakable. divine. for. after. all,. the. heritage. of. the. ancient. principles,. plans. and. decisions.. Then. it. Church.with.its.Trinitarian.doctrine.and. is. not. just. a. matter. of. interconnection. Christology.is.of.fundamental.importance. between. the. peace. of. the. kingdom. of. for.Lutheran.interpretation.of.Christianity. God.and.political.peace;.interconnection. The.question.is.how.on.the.basis.of.the. becomes. intermingling. and. ultimately. Lutheran. understanding. of. Christianity,. complete. identity. of. the. two. realities.. the.kingdom.of.God.is.viewed.as.an.object. Then. it. is. relatively. clear. how. the. of.faith.and.an.ethical.task,.and.how.the. kingdom.of.peace.can.be.an.ethical.task,. relation.between.that.kingdom.and.work. but.extremely.obscure.in.what.sense.that. for.peace.on.earth.is.regarded..The.view. kingdom.could.be.an.object.of.faith..It.is. taken.of.the.kingdom.of.God.is.clear.from. connected.with.the.fact.that.redemption. the. commentary. on. the. petition. “Thy. itself. is. in. immediate. danger. of. losing. Kingdom.come”.in.the.Large.Catechism: its.specific.character.as.an.eschatological. reality. Now,. what. is. God’s. kingdom?.Answer:. Nothing.else.than.that.God.sent.His.Son,. II. The peace of the kingdom of Jesus. Christ. our. Lord,. into. the. world,. God and political peace from a that. He. might. redeem. us. and. free. us. Lutheran point of view from.the.power.of.the.devil.and.bring.us. to.Himself.to.reign.over.us.as.a.King.of. The.idea.of.the.kingdom.of.peace.as.an. righteousness,.of.life.and.of.salvation,.and. object.of.faith.and.ethical.task,.depends,. to.protect.us.from.death,.sin.and.an.evil. as.we.have.noted,.on.how.that.kingdom. conscience..Wherefore.God.also.gave.us. is. defined,. and. for. that,. the. view. taken. His.Holy.Spirit,.to.teach.us.this.through. of.the.relation.between.the.peace.of.the. His.holy.Word,.and.through.his.power.to. kingdom. of. God. and. political. peace. is. enlighten.and.strengthen.our.faith. of. the. greatest. importance.. What. does. the. interconnection. of. the. two. consist. It. is. clear. from. this. quotation. that. the. in?.What.is.their.relation.and.what.is.the. kingdom.of.God.is.closely.linked.with.the. connection.between.work.for.the.freedom. redemption..It.is.designated.as.kingdom. of.the.kingdom.of.God.and.political.peace. of. Christ. and. defined. by. words. such. work? as. righteousness,. life. and. happiness.. Kingdom.of.God.is.an.antithesis.to.sin,. We. have. already. suggested. that. the. death. and. evil. conscience.. Somewhat.

88 later,.it.is.said.that.this.kingdom.comes. into.society,.with.its.effects.on.social.life.. to. us. in. two. ways,. “either. temporarily. Thus.God’s.kingdom.is.a.precondition.of. through.the.Word.and.faith,.or.eternally. the.action.of.Christians. through.the.revelation”..Further,.it.is.said. that.this.kingdom.“has.taken.its.beginning. On.this.point,.great.unanimity.between.the. here”,. “daily. increases. and. is. finally. Lutheran.and.the.Orthodox.view.appears. consummated.in.eternal.life”. to.prevail..In.the.addresses.on.the.question. of.peace.at.our.earlier.consultations,.it.was. That.the.kingdom.of.God.in.the.Lutheran. repeatedly.stressed.by.Orthodox.speakers. view.is.closely.connected.with.personal. that.the.peace.produced.by.the.gospel.in. redemption,.also.follows.from.the.fact.that. turn.creates.peace.in.human.relations..In. under.the.name.of.Christ’s.kingdom.it.is. Zagorsk.in.1971.it.was.said.in.so.many. identified.with.the.Church..Consequently. words. that. the. kingdom. of. God. is. a. it. is. also. an. object. of. faith. in. the. same. precondition.of.Christian’s.work.for.peace. sense. as. the. Church.. Like. the. Church,. (Osipov). God’s. kingdom. too. can. sometimes. be. hidden. under. the. cross.. Faith. in. the. God’s. kingdom. is. not. merely. a. hidden.character.of.the.kingdom.of.God. precondition.of.Christians’.ethical.action.. and.of.the.Church,.has.its.counterpart.in. It.can.likewise.be.a.goal,.in.the.sense.that. faith.in.God’s.hiddenness,.which.plays.a. the. life. and. work. of. Christians. always. central.role.in.the.Lutheran.conception.of. stands. and. should. stand. at. the. service. God’s.mode.of.action.in.the.world.of.sin. of.this.kingdom..In.the.Apologia.of.the. as.well.as.in.Lutheran.theology.generally. Confession. of.Augsburg,. it. is. said. that. (theologia crucis). the.actions.of.Christians,.though.defiled. by. sin,. nevertheless,. because. of. faith,. In.what.relation,.then,.does.this.kingdom. are. “holy. and. divine. and. an. expression. of. God. or. of. Christ. stand. to. ethics.. of. Christ’s. life. of. sacrifice”,. “because. In. what. sense. can. this. kingdom. be. an. through.them.he.reveals.his.kingdom.for. ethical. task. in. Lutheran. eyes?. From. the. world”.. By. the. deeds. of. Christians,. one. point. of. view. the. kingdom. of. God. therefore,.God’s.kingdom.is.revealed.to. is.not.the.goal.but.the.presupposition.of. the.world..“Through.these.works,.Christ. Christians’.action..The.kingdom.of.God. triumphs.over.the.devil”,.it.is.also.stated. is. spontaneous. and. overflowing. love,. in.this.confessional.document. which. finds. expression. in. the. activity. of. Christians. out. in. the. world,. or. more. What. is. the. relation,. then,. between. this. precisely.in.their.individual.vocations.at. work. for. the. kingdom. of. God. and. the. home.and.at.work..In.this.sense.there.is.a. work. for. peace. and. justice. which. is. spontaneous.outflow.of.justice,.peace.and. carried. out. in. society. by. Christians. and. joy,.originating.in. the. kingdom. of.God,. non-Christians?.Or,.to.repeat.the.earlier.

89 question,.what.is.the.relation.of.the.peace. between.work.for.the.kingdom.of.God.and. of.God´s.kingdom.to.political.peace?.Is. endeavors.for.peace.and.justice,.between. work.for.peace.which.is.not.a.spontaneous. the.peace.of.God’s.kingdom.and.political. expression.of.the.peace.of.God´s.kingdom. peace,.are.answered.on.the.Lutheran.side. but.involves.deliberate.efforts.for.peace. on.the.basis.of.the.Trinitarian.doctrine.of. and.justice,.often.employing.power.as.a. the.ancient.Church..We.believe.that.God.is. means,. only. a. supplement,. made. under. active.in.the.world.in.which.we.live,.both. the.pressure.of.necessity,.to.the.“work.for. as.creator.and.conserver.and.as.redeemer.. peace”.of.God’s.kingdom,.or.has.it.a.value. The. present. kingdom. of. God. is. an. and.motivation.of.its.own.independently. expression.for.the.uninterrupted.operation. of.the.kingdom.of.God? of.God.as.redeemer..In.this.capacity.he. is.active.through.the.gospel.and.in.Word. On.this.point.I.shall.refer.to.the.address. and.sacrament..As.creator,.God.operates. of. Bishop. Filaret. (Turku/Abo. 1970),. through. his. law,. by. which. he. maintains. which.strongly.emphasized.the.necessity. and.promotes.life.on.our.earth. of.external.measures.for.peace..He.said. among. other. things:. “One. would. be. The.Lutheran.idea.of.calling.is.of.a.kind. making.a.great.mistake,.however,.if.one. to.throw.more.light.on.this.relation..This. were.to.assert.that.a.mere.appeal.to.man’s. concept. of. vocation. is. an. expression. of. moral. and. spiritual. rebirth. is. enough. the.faith.presented.in.the.first.and.second. to. save. the. world. from. the. horrors. and. chapters.of.the.Letter.to.the.Romans.that. destructions. of. war.. Life. demonstrates,. God’s. law. is. inscribed. in. the. creation. and. the. history. of. mankind. confirms,. in.such.a.way.that.it.can.in.principle.be. that. preaching. which. contains. spiritual. known. by. every. human. being..The. law. education. for. each. individual,. does. not. of.God,.which.is.an.expression.for.God. always.find.an.echo.in.all.hearts..What.is. the.creator’s.will,.has.for.its.purpose.the. required.here.is.not.only.efforts.directed.to. conservation.and.further.development.of. the.inward.transformation.of.man,.but.also. life.in.a.world.in.which.God.constantly. such.external.endeavors.as.may.possibly. continues. his. work. as. creator.. By. the. include. a. change. in. prevailing. social. law,. man. is. summoned. to. be. God’s. conditions.”.The.question.is.now.whether. collaborator. in. this. work.. Man. meets. these. external. endeavors,. which. are. not. with. this. law. in. the. various. callings. per se.a.spontaneous.expression.of.interior. which.he.has.at.home.and.in.society.and. peace. in. man,. have. only. a. practical. by. which,. fundamentally,. he. can. serve. motivation,. or. whether. a. motivation. his.fellowman..For.God’s.law,.of.course,. of. principle,. deriving. from. theological. always.concerns.love.and.service,.care.for. standpoints,.can.be.attributed.to.them. the.neighbor.and.the.life.of.the.neighbor,. in. big. and. small. things.. And,. we. have. These. questions. about. the. relation. said,.all.men.are.confronted.with.this.law.

90 in.the.tasks.which.they.have.to.fulfill.both. 2..Mission.means.taking.this.redemption. in. their. private. life. and. in. society.. We. out.to.all.men,.who.are.still.in.the.power. find.the.content.of.the.law.in.principle.in. of.sin,.death.and.Satan..The.mission.is.an. our.Bible,.and.its.concrete.content.in.the. instrument.of.the.saving.gospel.and.at.the. various.needs.of.our.fellow-men.and.of. same. time. an. instrument. of. redemption. human.society..Among.these.needs.is.that. through. God’s. kingdom. for. the. whole. of.peace.and.justice. world..

Work. for. political. peace. is. therefore. 3.. Mission. and. kingdom. of. God. are. an. ethical. task. which. is. incumbent. on. therefore. closely. connected. in. the. all. men. on. the. grounds. that. they. are. Lutheran.view..On.this.point.there.is.no. created. by. God. and. incorporated. into. conflict.with.the.mission.theology.which. his.creation..We.have.here.an.ethics.of. found.expression.at.the.1980.Melbourne. law. as. distinct. from. the. ethics. of. the. Conference. under. the. heading. “Your. gospel.or.of.grace,.which.holds.good.in. kingdom. come”.. Mission. is. prayer. and. the.kingdom.of.God.but.is.nevertheless. work.with.the.purpose.that.God’s.kingdom. fulfilled.by.carrying.out.the.same.tasks. may.spread.more.widely.and.reach.more. at. home. and. in. society. to. which. we. and.more.human.beings. are.called.by.God.through.the.law..The. connection. between. the. two. is. caused. 4..The.decisive.tension.between.Lutheran. by.God,.who.is.active.in.this.world.in. missiology. and. the. theology. of. the. two. ways,. as. creator. by. means. of. his. Melbourne. Conference. lies. in. the. more. law.and.as.redeemer.by.his.gospel..This. precise.characterization.of.the.kingdom.of. link. between. the. ethics. of. the. gospel. God.which.the.mission.is.to.serve..That. and.the.ethics.of.the.law.is.matched.by. characterization. will. in. turn. determine. the. connection. between. the. peace. of. the. view. taken. of. missionary. goals. and. God’s. kingdom. and. political. peace.. It. methods.. is. a. connection. which. has. its. ultimate. ground.in.God.who.is.constantly.active. 5..A.theological.basic.conception.which. maintaining.and.remaking.his.creation. is.not.able.to.do.justice.to.the.first.article. of. faith. and. the. idea. of. creation,. leads. III. What relevance do these ideas with.inherent.necessity.to.a.secular,.this- have to the “Mission and Kingdom worldly.concept.of.the.kingdom.of.God.. of God” problem? This.in.turn.leads.to.a.concept.of.mission. with.a.markedly.social.ethical.aspect.. 1..In.Lutheran.view,.“kingdom.of.God”. is. an. expression. for. the. redemption. 6.. Where. justice. is. done. to. the. idea. of. gospel..The.salvation.of.God’s.kingdom. creation,.there.is.no.need.for.the.gospel. ultimately.applies.to.the.whole.creation.. to.enter.as.substitute.for.law,.but.it.can.

91 be. God’s. liberating. work. which. wills. mission.can.be.seen.as.an.instrument.of. the.liberation.of.the.whole.creation..The. this. eschatological. activity,. which. also. kingdom. of. God. can. then. be. a. reality. includes.loving.service.and.the.bearing.of. which. is. produced. by. God. himself. witness.in.the.midst.of.the.suffering.and. through. Word. and. sacrament,. and. the. distress.of.the.fallen.creation.. .

92 Life – a Gift of God

A Contribution at the 6th General Assembly of the World Council of Churches in Vancouver, 24 July – 10 August 1983

As. Christians. we. live. in. the. happy. “In him we live, and move” assurance.that.it.is.God.who.has.created. In. a. discussion. about. the. existence. of. this.world.and.who.sustains.its.matter.and. God.in.Finland’s.largest.daily.newspaper. life. regardless. of. what. opinions. we. may. recently.there.was.a.contribution.from.the. hold.of.him,.regardless.of.our.beliefs.and. paper’s.political.cartoonist..Done.in.the. our.doubts..This.means.that.it.is.not.just.we. cartoonist’s.own.style,.the.cartoon.showed. human.beings.but.everything.on.this.earth. the. smiling. bearded. face. of. God. the. that.is.related.to.God.just.by.the.mere.fact. Father.peering.from.behind.a.mountain.. of.existence..The.whole.of.our.existence,. His. arm. stretched. round. the. mountain. the.whole.of.our.reality.has,.in.a.manner.of. and.in.his.hand.sat.a.number.of.serious- speaking,.a.personal.character.–.not.in.the. faced.gentlemen.engrossed.in.discussion.. sense.that.reality.is.identical.with.God.but. The.cartoon.needed.no.caption..Anyone. in.the.sense.that.all.reality.and.therefore.all. opening.the.newspaper.on.that.morning. life,.everywhere.and.at.all.times,.is.related. was. fully. aware. that. the. topic. of. the. to.a.personal.power.which.calls.everything. gentlemen’s.animated.discussion.was.the. in.existence..The.innermost.essence.of.this. existence.of.God. power.is.love.and.the.name.of.this.love.is. Jesus. Christ.. Christ. is. the. expression. of. St.Paul.the.Apostle.would.have.been.able. God’s.love.for.this.world.–.“God.so.loved. to.supply.a.suitable.caption.to.the.cartoon. the.world.that.he.gave.his.only.begotten. had. one. been. needed.. He. could. have. son.…”.(John.3:16).Through.Christ.(Col.. taken.a.few.words.from.his.sermon.to.the. 1:16),. through. the. Word. (John. 1:3). all. Athenians.on.Areopagus,.“In.him.we.live,. things.are.made..Above.the.whole.of.God’s. and. move,. and. have. our. being.”. (Acts. creation.we.may.therefore.write.the.words,. 17:28) “GOD. SO. LOVED”.. Above. the. stars,. we.may.write.the.words.“God.so.loved”,. The. Old. Testament. story. about. Jacob. above. every. flower,. every. human. being,. provides. ample. evidence. that. man. can. every. tree,. and. every. meadow. we. can. fight.against.God.without.realising.who. imagine.that.the.words.“God.so.loved”.are. he. is. fighting. against.. The. same. story. written.–.perhaps.rather.“God.so.loves”,.for. also.shows.that.man.can.even.be.blessed. God.is.always.present.as.the.creator.and.the. by.God.without.knowing.who.he.is.being. force.that.sustains.his.creation..Not.a.single. blessed.by..(Gen..32:24–29) sparrow.falls.to.the.ground.without.God’s.

93 knowing. and. willing. it. (Matt.. 10:29).. is.more.a.hymn.of.praise.of.the.Creator. Therefore.“Cast.all.your.cares.upon.him,. than. an. account. of. the. Creator’s. work. for.you.are.his.charge”.(1.Peter.5:7)..This. and.the.psalmist.never.ceases.to.sing.the. is.what.we.believe.and.we.acknowledge. praises.of.God.for.his.wonderful.works: that.the.very.essence.of.all.creation.is.faith,. trust,. love.. God. is. continually. moving. O.praise.the.Lord. towards.us.and.we.may.meet.him.openly. Praise.the.Lord.out.of.heaven; and.in.trust. praise.him.in.the.heights. Praise.him,.all.his.angels; In. God’s. good. and. unspoiled. creation. praise.him,.all.his.host. this.love.and.this.goodness.lead.to.closer. Praise.him,.sun.and.moon; interaction. and. intercommunication,. to. praise.him,.all.you.shining.stars; greater.fellowship,.both.between.human. praise.him,.heaven.of.heavens, persons. and. between. human. person. and.you.waters.above.the.heavens. and.nature..This.we.can.read.in.the.first. Let.them.all.praise.the.name.of.the. pages. of. the. Bible.. God. places. man. in. Lord, the.Garden.of.Eden.to.tend.it.and.watch. for.he.spoke.the.word.and.they.were. over.it.(Gen..2:15)..Man.and.nature.are. created; united.in.each.other’s.service.–.the.land. he.established.them.for.ever.and.ever is.tended.and.cared.for.and.man,.in.turn,. by.an.ordinance.which.shall.never. experiences. the. joy. of. creating,. tending. pass.away. and.watching.over.the.land..In.the.same. Praise.the.Lord.from.the.earth, way.man.and.woman,.human.being,.come. you.water-spouts.and.ocean.depths; together.and.meet.each.other..This.is.the. fire.and.hail,.snow.and.ice, true.reality.that.the.God.of.love.creates,. gales.of.wind.obeying.his.voice; sustains.and.continually.renews.through. all.mountains.and.hills; the.Holy.Spirit.(Psalm.104:30). all.fruit-trees.and.all.cedars; wild.beasts.and.cattle, Praise the Lord, the Creator creeping.things.and.winged.bird.birds; kings.and.all.earthly.rulers, The.vision.of.God.the.Trinity’s.creative. princes.and.judges.over.the.whole. work.is.a.vision.of.exuberant.and.abundant. earth; happiness. and. love.. Every. attempt. to. Young.men.and.maidens, portray.this.in.words.therefore.tends.to.be. old.men.and.young.together. transformed.into.expressions.of.gratitude. Let.all.praise.the.name.of.the.Lord and. praise.. Consequently,. the. account. for.his.name.is.high.above.all.others, of. God’s. creation. in. Holy. Scripture. is. and.his.majesty.above.earth.and. couched.in.the.form.of.praise..The.creation. heaven. as.recounted.in.the.first.pages.of.the.Bible. (Psalm.148)

94 The voices of evil This. old. story. from. the. Bible. still. has. something.to.tell.us.about.ourselves.and. What.has.become.of.this.song.of.praise. our.world.even.today..They.show.how.the. in. this. world. in. which. we. live. today?. good.that.God.created.is.no.longer.what. Praise. of. God’s. glory. is. today. mingled. it. was. intended. to. be.. Instead. of. being. with.many.other.voices.and.noises.–.the. united.we.are.divided;.instead.of.giving. thunder.of.tanks.and.bomb.–.explosions,. life. human. person. takes. it.. Man. thinks. screams. from. torture. chambers. and. more. of. himself. than. of. his. brother,. he. prison.camps,.the.heart-rending.weeping. is.more.interested.in.his.own.glory.than. of.starving.children,.the.voices.of.those. God’s,.man.is.moving.away.–.from.God,. intent.on.destroying.their.lives.with.drugs. from. his. brother,. from. himself,. from. a. and.cursing.the.day.they.were.born,.the. proper.relationship.to.nature. clatter.of.machines.mercilessly.exploiting. the.natural.recourses.of.this.planet. The occupied life

Why.has.it.turned.out.this.way?.Why.has. Why.then.this.senseless.self-destruction?. praise.of.God.been.drowned.by.the.voices. Because.this.world.has.been.occupied.by.a. of.selfishness,.hate,.evil.and.violence?.The. foreign.power.that.is.opposed.to.God.and. Bible.tells.us.how.the.first.human.beings. wishes.to.destroy.what.God.has.created.–. opposed.God,.how.they.fled.from.the.face.of. “the.whole.world.lieth.in.wickedness”.(1. God.and.were.driven.out.of.Paradise.(Gen.. John.5:19)..The.good.that.God.has.created. 3)..Outside.the.very.gates.of.Paradise.the. is.continually.threatened.by.this.foreign. first.fratricide.takes.place.and.there.is.heard. destructive.power,.sorely.threatened..This. the.scornful.question.of.selfishness.and.lack. explains.why.the.good.in.this.world.can. of.concern,.“Am.I.my.brother’s.keeper?”. very. often. only. be. achieved. through. a. (Gen.. 4:9).At. the. very. gates. of. Paradise. struggle.with.the.evil..In.such.cases.it.is. man.uses.his.technical.know-how.not.to.the. in.fact.the.Creator.himself.who.takes.up. glory.of.God.but.to.further.his.own.selfish. the.struggle.by.creating.new.life.and.by. interests;.“Come,.let.us.build.ourselves.a. protecting.life.with.his.message.of.love,. tower.with.its.top.in.the.heavens,.and .make.a. justice.and.truth. name.for.ourselves.”.(Gen..11:4) Since. our. Creator. continues. to. play. an. The.consequences.of.this.tower.raised.in. active.role.in.this.world.beset.by.evil,.we. the.name.of.vanity.and.selfishness.are.that. can.still.rejoice.over.much.that.is.good.and. the.builders.are.divided.among.themselves. beautiful..We.can.take.pleasure.in.man’s. and.can.no.longer.understand.each.other. creative.ability,.not.only.in.the.fields.of. (Gen..11)..So.man.comes.to.realize.that. science,.technology.and.the.arts.but.also. the. tree. of. knowledge. is. a. tree. of. both. in. simple. activities. in. the. home. and. at. good.and.evil. our.place.of.work..We.may.occasionally.

95 catch. glorious. glimpses. of. the. Paradise. immediately.pointed.out.that.this.was.in. that.we.have.lost.–.in.love.and.tenderness,. fact.nothing.new.to.the.Greeks..Their.own. in.loyalty.and.friendship,.in.solidarity.and. poets. had. said. earlier,. “We. are. also. his. brotherhood,.in.happy.games.and.lively. offspring.”.(Acts.17:28) parties. The Prince of Life Life.in.this.world.is.a.mixture.of.freedom. and.compulsion,.of.kindness.and.cruelty,. The.awareness.that.there.exists.a.God.is. of.pleasure.and.strife,.of.truth.and.lies,.of. therefore.nothing.new.in.this.world,.nor.is. justice.and.injustice,.of.constructiveness. the.awareness.of.higher.ethical.ideals.that. and. destruction.. Between. these. there. is. can.serve.in.the.defence.of.and.furtherance. waged. an. incessant. struggle,. which. at. of. life.. This. is. common. knowledge. bottom. is. a. struggle. between. God. and. essential.for.the.whole.humanity,.created. those.who.oppose.him,.between.“the.all- and. kept. alive. by. the. universal. Creator.. merciful. Father”. (2. Cor.. 1:3). and. “the. But. Paul. did. not. go. to. Areapagus. just. father.of.lies”.(John.8:44)..This.struggle. to. tell. the. Greeks. what. they. already. concerns.us.all..It.goes.on.both.within.and. knew.. He. had. something. new. to. relate,. without.us..We.experience.it.through.the. a.revolutionary.piece.of.news.for.them.. tension. between. God’s. commandments,. It.was.because.of.this.news.that.he.had. which.call.upon.us.to.work.in.the.service. travelled.so.far.and.it.was.this.news.which. of. life,. and. the. temptation. to. be. the. formed.the.basis.of.the.young.church. servant.of.destruction..This.is.something. which.concerns.us.simply.because.we.are. This. revolutionary. and. fundamental. human.beings.and.part.of.God’s.creation.. news.was.that.the.lawful.king.has.come. Regardless.of.our.beliefs.we.are.involved. to. this,. our. occupied. world.. Naturally. in. the. struggle. between. good. and. evil.. he.has.come.in.disguise,.which.explains. Regardless. of. our. beliefs. we. can. stand. why. not. everyone. recognises. him,. but. side.by.side.in.the.struggle.for.life.against. he. is. here. and. now. as. the. leader. of. a. death,. for. truth,. for. justice,. and. for. a. growing. resistance. movement.. Signs. of. better.world.in.every.sense.of.the.word.. his.presence.may.be.detected.from.time. This. is. possible. not. least. because. there. to.time,.signs.that.indicate.the.new.power. are.obvious.parallels.between.the.moral. which.is.still.hidden.but.which.will.one. principles.of.different.religions..In.these. day. come. forth. when. the. forces. of. the. parallels.we,.as.Christians,.see.proof.that. occupying.power.are.finally.broken. God.as.the.creator.is.related.to.all.life.and. therefore. to. every. human. being.. When. We.who.have.gathered.at.this.assembly. the.apostle.Paul.pronounced.those.words. here. in. Vancouver. are. members. of. upon.Areopagus.in.Athens.–.“In.him.we. this. resistance. movement.. Our. life. as. live,.and.move,.and.have.our.being”.-,.he. Christians. “lies. hidden. with. Christ. in.

96 God”. (Col.. 3:3)..At. times. we. may. find. the.fellowship.that.exists.among.all.men. it. hard. to. recognise. both. ourselves. and. on.this.earth.as.a.result.(Acts.17:22-31).. others.as.Christians.–.and.sometimes.we. To.convert.to.Christ.is.to.be.united.with. may. have. difficulty. in. recognising. our. him. “by. whom. all. things. were. made”. disguised.king,.Jesus.Christ..But.we.wish. (Nicene.Creed,.Col..1:16).–.with.him.who. to. give. each. other. support,. to. be. more. is.the.rightful.ruler.of.heaven.and.earth,. closely. united. in. order. to. fight. for. our. “the. prince. of. life”. (Matt.. 28:18;. Acts. Lord.and.his.kingdom,.inspired.with.the. 3:15). hope.that.this.kingdom.will.indeed.come. The.prince.of.life.frees.and.renews.the.life. When.we.fight.for.Christ’s.kingdom,.we. of.occupied.creation..Therefore.we.follow. do. so. in. the. knowledge. that. we. are. no. him,. therefore. we. praise. him. when. we. foreign. conquerors. of. this. world..When. praise.and.pray.to.God,.the.Holy.Trinity:. Christ.came.on.to.this.earth.to.be.among. men,.he.came.to.“his.own”.(John.1:11).. “Of.him,.through.him,.and.to.him,.are. It. is. his. own. human. race. and. his. own. all.things:. creation.which.shall.be.freed.(Rom..8:19- to. whom. be. glory. for. ever..Amen.”. 23)..This.is.why.Paul.in.his.sermon.also. (Rom..11:36) includes.a.reference.to.the.creation.and.to.

97 Contemporary Challenges to the Christian Church as I See Them

A Lecture given in Christ Church Cathedral in Indianapolis, on July 31, 1996

The.theme.I.have.been.given.is.a.broad.and. longer.a.selfevident.element.of.culture.as. demanding.one;.it.is.in.fact.an.absolutely. it.was.in.past.centuries.in.many.countries,. overwhelming. task.. The. contemporary. particularly.in.Europe..Christian.faith.is. challenges. to. the. Christian. Church. are. encountering.serious.challenges.from.very. immensely.different.in.different.parts.of. many. quarters.. Every. Christian. who. is. the.world..Fortunately,.the.title.contains. able.to.relate.openly.to,.and.think.critically. the. words. “as.I. see. them.”.I. may. thus. about,.his.or.her.environment.has.to.admit. choose. to. address. the. subject. from. a. that. critical. reflection. constantly. directs. personal. angle,. that. of. a. Finnish. and. itself.towards.his.or.her.faith.as.well,.often. European. bishop. and. theologian.. It. is. bringing.doubt. your.task.to.evaluate.the.extent.to.which. the.challenges.I.have.perceived.are.also. Besides. pluralism,. accentuated. challenges.to.the.Christian.Church.on.this. individualism.is.part.of.the.environment. side.of.the.Atlantic. in. which. Christian. faith. lives. today.. In. the. background. there. is. a. significant. I.begin.with.the.premise.that.the.Christian. ideological. and. psychological. change,. Church. is. a. community. of. faith,. hope. which.has.at.times.been.called.“the.silent. and. love..I. shall. accordingly. divide. my. revolution”..This.refers.to.the.shift.which. presentation. into. three. parts..I. shall. be. has. taken. place. in. recent. decades. away. speaking.of.the.challenges.that.our.faith,. from. valuing. material. security. towards. our.hope.and.our.love.encounter.today.as. an. emphasis. on. postmodern. freedom.. I.see.them. This. shift. has. given. rise. to. the. sort. of. person. which. tries. to. make. decisions. I. Contemporary Challenges to on. individual. and. personal. basis. in. as. Christian Faith many.different.areas.of.life.as.possible.. He.or.she.wants.to.work,.eat,.dress.and. The.Church.of.today.needs.to.encourage. spend.leisure.time.in.entirely.individual. people. to. believe. in. the. Triune. God. and. personal. ways.. The. same. quest. for. in. a. culture. which. is. characterised. by. individuality. is.also. apparent. in. matters. pluralism. and. individualism.. With. such. of. ethical. values,. life. philosophy. and. a.diversity.of.views,.values.and.religions. faith..In.everything.he.or.she.wants.to.get. to. compete. with,. Christian. faith. is. no. away.from.mass.produced,.standardised.

98 products.and.decisions..He.or.she.wants.to. such.challenges.to.its.faith?.In.attempting. have.tailormade.options,.and.a.tailormade. to. answer. this. question.I. must. make. a. god. to. match.. What. we. are. facing. is. a. further.distinction.between.theology.and. privatisation.of.every.area.of.life. practice.

The.contemporary.man.thus.has.an.emphatic. As. for. the. theological. aspect,. one. need.to.believe.in.his.own.way,.independent. must. be. aware. of. the. existence. of. two. of. all. institutions.. Such. a. privatised. faith. temptations.. The. environment. of. our. may. include. many. divers. elements.. The. faith. created. by. critical. thought. and. ecological.movement.of.our.time.typically. pluralism. is. characterised. by. constant. awakens. an. interest. in. pantheism.. Many. insecurity.and.uncertainty..This.can.be.a. have.read.the.writings.of.“ecosophists”,.the. very. oppressive. environment. for. faith.. New.Age.movement.and.radical.feminists. Thus. it. is. very. understandable. that. the. which.speak.of.Mother.Earth,.goddesses.or. Christian. seeks. more. stable. and. secure. a.new.planetary.awareness,.under.the.name. living. conditions. for. his. faith.. He. or. Gaia..In.yoga.and.alternative.therapies.one. she.may.attempt.to.resolve.the.situation. hears.of.spiritual.world.energy..For.others. by. rejecting. oppressive. voices. and. the.only.divinity,.the.divine.flame.or.spark,. observations.by.closing.his.or.her.eyes.to. is.to.be.found.in.themselves..Such.beliefs. the.surrounding.reality..The.consequence. are,.surprisingly,.often.connected.with.some. of.this.is.the.attitude.and.shade.of.opinion. variation.of.the.doctrine.of.reincarnation.. commonly. referred. to. with. the. word. And.then.there.are.those.who.seek.life.force. “fundamentalism.”. One. can. argue. over. and. energy. not. in. God. but. in. Satan,. the. the.exact.meaning.of.this.word,.but.it.is. prince.of.darkness. in.any.case.a.form.of.reaction.which.cuts. off. living. and. open. interaction. with. the. Alongside. pluralism,. individualism. and. surrounding.world..This.is.replaced.by.a. various. religious. and. occult. phenomena. closed,.rigid.religious.system.which.offers. there. is. also,. of. course,. the. continuing. its. adherents. certainty. and. security..As. challenge.posed.to.Christian.faith.today. such.it.poses.a.great.temptation.to.all.those. by.the.legacy.of.the.Enlightenment..This. for. whom. the. conflict. and. uncertainty. legacy.has.admittedly.been.subjected.to. brought.on.by.the.existence.of.different. growing.criticism,.but.the.idealisation.of. views.and.ideologies.becomes.a.burden. irrationality.associated.with.that.critique.is. too.heavy.to.bear. not.an.obvious.ally.of.and.support.for.the. Christian.faith..The.challenge.of.scientific. The. other. temptation. is. to. solve. the. thinking. must. be. met. as. it. is,. in. all. its. problem. with. the. wrong. kind. of. criticalness. adjustment:.assimilation.and.syncretism.. One. can. be. gullible. and. uncritical,. and. How.is.the.Christian.Church.to.respond.to. glean. apparently. good. elements. from.

99 here. and. there,. linking. them. in. varying. hidden. God,. the. God. of. the. cross..This. degrees. to. one’s. Christian. faith.. In. this. faith.is.madness.to.the.world.and.human. way. too. a. certain. stability. and. security. reason.. Martin. Luther. in. particular. has. can.be.reached.in.the.midst.of.religious. taught.us.how.the.God.of.the.Bible,.whom. and. ideological. conflicts. and. tensions.. Moses. could. only. see. from. behind,. is. The.procedure.is.reminiscent.of.situations. concealed. in. his. antithesis.. The. hidden. where. one. tries. to. get. rid. of. intrusive. God.has.concealed.his.power.in.weakness,. peddlers. by. purchasing. something. from. his.wisdom.in.madness,.his.love.in.hate,. the.selection.of.wares.offered.by.each.one. his. glory. in. the. curse. and. shame. of. the. cross. Such. answers. to. the. challenges. of. pluralism.and.individualism.are.attractive. God’s. remaining. hidden. from. human. and.understandable.in.a.sense,.but.they.are. reason.and.experience.might.easily.lead. not.the.proper.responses.for.the.Christian. us. to. despair.. But. on. the. other. hand. Church..Challenges.must.neither.be.fled. there.is.the.message.that.God.is.different. from,.nor.silenced.or.softened..Challenges. from.what.He.seems.on.the.basis.of.our. are.to.be.faced.up.to.as.what.they.are..The. reason. and. experience,. which. is. a. very. Church.must.meet.them.while.remaining. encouraging. and. liberating. message.. faithful. to. itself,. to. its. own. essence.. In. Amidst.sin,.death,.darkness,.hopelessness,. what.I.say.about.this,.I.shall.concentrate. fatigue.and.fear.we.can.believe.that.the. on.two.things:.the.nature.of.faith,.on.the. hidden. God. of. the. cross. is. close. to. us,. one.hand,.and.its.content,.on.the.other. forgiving,.saving,.comforting.and.giving. strength.. This. is. how. He. has. revealed. As. for. the. nature. of. faith,. one. must. Himself.to.us..He.is.different.from.what. remember. that. genuine. Christianity. has. He.appears.to.be. from.the.very.beginning.been.a.faith.that. has.met.with.persecution.and.questioning,. I. am. of. the. opinion. that. this. theology. and.thus.it.is.a.militant.faith..It.arose.as. of. the. cross. is. particularly. necessary. a. movement. of. protest. which. from. the. and. valuable. for. the. Christian. Church. very.first.met.with.rejection,.and.early.on. at. the. present. time.. Amidst. critical. with.persecution.as.well..It.spread.in.an. issues,. senseless. evil. and. suffering,. and. empire.where.there.was.a.great.variety.of. competing.worldviews.and.religions.the. religious. movements. and. philosophical. God. of.Abraham,. Isaac. and. Jacob. may. trends..The.environment.in.which.the.new. occasionally. seem. very. weak..At. times. faith.grew.was.at.least.as.pluralistic.as.our. like.this.it.is.good.to.remember.that.this. contemporary.society.and.culture.. impression.is.nothing.new..We.believe.in.a. God.whom.man.can.see.only.from.behind.. The. particular. nature. of. Christian. faith. Our.God.is.the.vulnerable,.suffering.and. is.also.due.to.the.fact.that.it.is.faith.in.a. lonely.God.of.the.cross..Faith.in.such.a.

100 God.is.tenacious..It.may.waver.and.bend. situation. we. have. had. to. recognise. that. but.it.will.not.break. our. theology. of. interfaith. dialogue. is. extremely.undeveloped..Preachers,.church. Besides. the. theology. of. the. cross. the. teachers.and.church.members,.in.particular. contemporary.Church.also.needs.a.better. young.members,.all.need.theological.help. defined.theology.of.creation..As.ecological. in. encountering. other. religions.. In. this. issues. become. more. highlighted,. man’s. context.we.may.note.that.there.are.many. relation.to.nature.has.come.to.the.fore.in. links.between.a.theology.of.creation.and. a. way. that. has. never. been. seen. before.. a. theology. of. interfaith. dialogue.. The. At. least. in. Finland,. and. in. many. other. Apostle.Paul.recognised.this.in.his.speech. European.countries,.it.has.been.observed. on.the.Areopagus.in.Athens. that. the. “Greens”. have. usually. been. especially. critical. of. the. Church. and. I. have. stated. that. we. need. to. make. Christianity.. On. the. other. hand,. those. efforts. to. respond. theologically. to. the. who.are.ecologically.oriented.tend.to.be. contemporary. challenges. to. Christian. very.open.to.religious.movements.which. faith.. But. the. answer. to. pluralism. and. seem.to.have.a.stronger.emphasis.on.the. individualism.also.has.its.practical.side.. harmonious.relationship.between.man.and. In. this. context.I. should. like. to. mention. nature.than.is.found.in.Christianity. one. particular. issue.. This. concerns. the. relationship. between. the. individual. and. It. is. clear. that. we. must. not. formulate. the. community.. A. particularly. critical. theology. on. the. basis. of. PR. tactics,. to. attitude.towards.institutions.and.towards. say. nothing. of. opportunistic. marketing. large.organisations.in.general.is.connected. strategies,. but. it. is. just. as. clear. that. we. with.the.individualism.of.our.age..This.is. need.to.be.self.critical.and.ask.ourselves. what. the. wellknown. sociologist. Jürgen. whether. the. theology. of. the. first. article. Habermas.means.when.he.speaks.of.the. of.faith.has.not.been.neglected.in.recent. tension.and.even.antithesis.between.man. decades..I. really. think. that. it. has. been.. and.the.“world.of.systems”.as.one.of.the. The. JPIC. process. (Justice,. Peace. and. typical.features.of.our.time. the. Integrity. of. Creation). of. the. World. Council.of.Churches.has.indeed.exercised. This. tension. and. antithesis. has. been. a. positive. influence. on. theological. experienced.by.all.large.institutions.and. rethinking,.but.there.still.remains.much.to. organisations,.at.home.in.Finland.and.in. be.done.in.this.area.of.theology. Europe.in.general,.including.the.churches.. How.should.one.respond.to.such.a.serious. The. present. situation. has. revealed. even. challenge?.When.faced.with.this.question. more. clearly. yet. another. theological. one. needs. to. take. into. account. the. fact. omission..At.least.in.Finland,.and.in.other. that. in. rejecting. old. large. organisations. European.countries,.in.the.new.religious. the.contemporary.man.is.in.fact.seeking.

101 a. stronger. sense. of. fellowship. and. a. dialogue. between. two. Spanish. community. philosophers.concerning.the.contemporary. moral. climate,. particularly. in. Europe,. The. new. religious. movements,. various. entitled.“The.Exhausted.West”.1.Together. alternative. movements. and. certain. new. these. two. discuss. how. one. of. our. forms. of. civic. society. have. shown. that. continent’s. two. competing. economic,. people.get.involved.and.join.in.where.their. ideological. and. political. systems. has. needs.are.met.in.a.genuine.and.relevant. collapsed,. while. the. other. one,. which. way,.and.where.they.can.experience.that. dates.back.to.the.French.Revolution.and. the. community. exists. for. them. and. not. which. has. been. supported. by. the. ideas. they.for.the.community. of.the.Enlightenment,.has.lost.its.faith.in. its.great.ideals..European.liberalism.was. In. this. situation. we. in. our. church. have. born.out.of.the.inspiration.of.the.values. begun. to. speak. of. the. Church. growing. and. slogans. of. “liberty,. fraternity. and. from. the. bottom. up,. and. we. have. equality.”. Now. all. that. is. left. of. these. attempted.to.act.accordingly.by.reforming. is.the.talk.of.liberty.in.the.sense.of.free. the. church’s. liturgy,. diaconia. etc... The. markets,.and.that.without.real.enthusiasm. special. symbol. and. paradigm. we. have. or. faith. in. the. future.. Since. the. brave. adopted. for. these. efforts. is. the. story. of. and.enthusiastic.idea.of.progress.has.run. the.blind.beggar.Bartimaeus,.whom.Jesus. out. of. steam,. since. ideals. and. emotions. asked,.“What.do.you.want.me.to.do.for. have. been. nullified. by. nihilism,. and. you?”.(Mark.10:51).We.thus.endeavour.to. since. people. are. now. fearfully. limiting. begin.with.people’s.situations.and.needs,. themselves.to.defending.what.privileges. and.not.with.the.needs.of.the.local.church. and. benefits,. position. and. security. they. organisation..Just.like.other.organisations,. have,.general.apathy.reigns. we.have.for.too.long.tried.to.grow.from. the. top. down.. Now. we. are. aiming. to. Perhaps. these. Spanish. philosophers. return.to.the.original.and.natural.direction. use.too.dark.of.colours.in.painting.their. of.growth,.and.we.believe.that.at.the.same. picture,.but.I.fear.that.their.observations. time. we. are. finding. the. new. communal. and.evaluations.are.by.and.large.correct.. dimension.which.the.person.who.values. True,. similar. observations. have. been. individuality.longs.for.and.needs.. made. before.. When. Lesslie. Newbigin,. a. leading. figure. in. mission. and. the. II Contemporary challenges to ecumenical. movement. this. century,. Christian hope returned.to.England.and.Europe.in.1974. after. forty. years. in. India,. he. described. A.little.while.ago.I.read.a.book.containing. his.chief.impression.with.the.words,.“the.

1.Rafael.Argullol.&.Eugenio.Trias,.El cansancio de Occidente.

102 disappearance. of. hope.”. In. his. opinion. alarming.way.displaced.valuerationality.. he.encountered.a.Western.culture.which. Human.person.and.the.whole.of.society. had.lost.its.selfconfidence.in.the.face.of. are.thus.losing.their.ability.to.steer.their. the.ecological.and.other.problems.it.had. own. course. today.. One. indication. of. created. in. its. attempts. to. build. a. brave. the.crisis.of.reason.is,.according.to.von. new. world. with. the. aid. of. science. and. Wright,.the.popularity.enjoyed.by.different. technology.2 antirationalistic. protests,. superstitions,. esoteric.teachings.and.eastern.religions. In.Finland.our.worldfamous.philosopher,. Professor.Georg.Henrik.von.Wright,.has. Von.Wright.says.that,.for.his.part,.he.places. for.several.years.now.articulated.severe. his.hope.“if.I.have.any.such.thing”.in.the. and. profound. criticism. of. society. and. kind.of.protest.which.comes.from.within;. culture..He.draws.attention.to.the.direction. in. the. powers. which. he. considers. to. be. in.which.the.legacy.of.the.Enlightenment. the.most.powerful.motive.of.the.leading. is.now.leading.our.entire.civilisation..In. contemporary. trend:. man’s. rational. his.remarkable.book.Science and Human tendencies.. He. thinks. it. possible. that. Reason,. von. Wright. sees. the. trends. of. new.scientific.categories.are.developing,. our. contemporary. way. of. life. in. a. very. and. along. with. them. a. new. world. view. pessimistic. light.. The. total. extinction. which. brings. us. to. value. the. search. for. of.the.human.race.on.our.planet.appears. scientific.truth.because.it.gives.us.power. to. be. a. serious. possibility. when. one. to.control.our.natural.living.conditions..In. takes.into.account.the.direction.in.which. my.opinion,.we.can.agree.with.von.Wright. technology. and. its. adverse. effects. are. that.the.solution.to.the.crisis.of.reason.is. developing..According.to.von.Wright,.it.is. to.be.sought.in.reason.itself..There.is.no. ultimately.a.question.of.a.crisis of reason.. alternative.to.reason..In.the.life.of.both.the. One. particularly. fatal. development. has. individual.and.society.we.need.both.goal. been.that.of.the.field.of.reason.becoming. rationality.and.valuerationality. limited.to.a.banal.“technological.reason,”. relating.merely.to.means.and.resources;. But.at.the.same.time.we.need.to.be.aware. excluding.questions.of.values.and.goals. that. the. perhaps. most. profound. crisis. from. the. scope. of. reason.. Reason. is. of. our. civilisation. is. a. kind. of. crisis of used.primarily.to.control.and.manipulate. motivation,.as.the.Spanish.philosophers.I. nature,.without.its.being.able.to.lead.to.the. referred.to.above.maintain..People.can.no. development.of.what.we.might.consider. longer.believe.in.the.rightness.of.old.goals.. to. be. a. reasonable. lifestyle.. Using. Max. The. selfconfidence. of. our. civilisation. Weber’s. terminology. then,. one. can. is. wavering.. Faith. in. development. is. thus. state. that. goalrationality. has. in. an. wavering..Amidst. the. explosive. growth.

2.Lesslie.Newbigin,.The Other Side of 1984.

103 of.knowledge.feelings.of.purposelessness,. chasm. stands. the. cross. of. atonement,. irresolution. and. inactivity. are. gaining. suffering.love,.which.reminds.us.that.the. ground. future.exists.in.spite.of.everything..Our. God.and.our.future.have.a.human.face. This.is.a.challenge.to.our.Christian.hope.. The. exhortation. of. the. First. Letter. of. On.this.our.hope.is.based..I.firmly.believe. Peter.is.now.very.relevant.and.upto.date:. that.the.present.intellectual.and.spiritual. “Always.be.prepared.to.make.a.defense. state. of. our. civilisation. challenges. the. to.any.one.who.calls.you.to.account.for. Christian.Church.to.keep.standing.tall.on. the.hope.that.is.in.you”.(1.Pet..3:15)..The. the.ancient.foundations.of.our.hope..When. infant.Christian.faith.was.once.the.herald. the.Church.is.true.to.itself,.it.is.at.the.same. of. hope. in. a. culture. showing. signs. of. time.a.community.of.hope. fatigue..It.was,.of.course,.a.hope.anchored. beyond. visible. reality,. but. it. also. gave. III Contemporary challenges to meaning.to.this.life. Christian love

What.is.the.basis.of.such.hope?.Faith.in. The.challenges.to.Christian.love.are.still. God.as.Creator.of.heaven.and.earth.tells.us. more. bound. to. time. and. space. than. are. that.this.world.and.life.in.this.world.have. those. to. faith. and. hope.. The. external. a.purpose..Faith.that.we.are.created.in.the. challenges. to. Christian. love. are. as. image. of. God. and. are. God’s. coworkers. changeable.as.life.itself..In.fact.it.is.the. tells. us. that. we. may. rejoice. and. give. ever.changing.needs.and.distresss.of.one’ . thanks.for.our.personal.gifts,.and.that.we. neighbours. which. ultimately. determine. may.trust.in.the.judgement.of.reason.when. what. the. command. of. love. implies. in. we. seek. the. way. forward. for. our. world. concrete.terms.in.individual.cases. under.threat.of.catastrophe..According.to. the.biblical.faith.in.creation,.we.are.put. Some. general. challenges. are,. however,. here. to. “till. and. keep”. (Gen.. 2:15). this. identifiable..On.the.basis.of.revelation.the. earth,.not.to.ruthlessly.dominate.it..Faith. Christian.Church.begins.with.the.premise. that.the.law.of.God.is.the.law.of.life.tells. that. the. real. nature. and. background. of. us.that.we.may.take.the.risk.of.building. evil. in. the. world. is. the. breaking. up. of. our. lives. to. a. greater. extent. on. ethical. wholeness,. disintegration.. The. Greek. considerations..We.know.that.in.the.world. name.for.the.adversary.of.God,.the.devil,. there.is.a.deep.chasm.of.evil,.suffering,. Diabolos,. literally. means. “the. one. who. purposelessness. and. hopelessness,. and. throws.apart,”.the.disrupter..On.the.first. that.this.chasm.threatens.to.swallow.up. pages. of. the. Bible. we. can. see. what. he. each.one.of.us..But.we.can.believe.that. brings.about..There.the.original.perfection. when.we.cry.to.the.Lord.out.of.the.deep,. of.creation.is.broken,.first.between.man. these.cries.are.heard..On.the.brink.of.the. and.God,.then.between.spouses,.between.

104 brothers,. between. man. and. nature,. and. has.been.made.to.view.social.reality.from. between.different.nations. the. viewpoint. of. the. weakest. in. society. and.to.act.accordingly. Thus.the.integrity.of.creation,.the.integrity. of.humankind.and.the.integrity.of.different. Today. we. have. come. to. realise. that. this. communities.are.constantly.considerations. beautiful.creation.of.the.Christianhumanist. for,. concerns. of. and. challenges. to. the. tradition.-.Nordic.liberalism,.together.with. Christian.Church..This.is.also.the.reason. the.labour.movement.-.has.become.more. why.the.JPIC.process.which.I.mentioned. expensive.that.we.can.afford..At.the.same. earlier. has. necessarily. been. a. global. time.the.common.ideology.of.neoliberalism. project.for.all.the.churches.involved..Here. and. pure. market. economy. is. eroding. its. we.have.a.common.problem,.a.common. base.and.its.support.structures..The.result. responsibility.and.a.common.task;.in.other. seems. to. be. the. division. of. society,. the. words,.a.common.challenge. alienation.of.those.in.the.weakest.position. economically.and.socially,.thus.at.least.a. In. Europe. this. problem. of. break-up. and. partial.return.to.the.situation.we.had.prior. disruption.faces.us.in.particular.in.terms.of. to. the. establishment. of. the. welfare. state. the.alienation.of.more.and.more.different. based.on.the.concept.of.solidarity. groups. within. society,. especially. the. unemployed,. foreigners. and. untrained. This.unfortunate.development.brings.with. young.people..While.engaged.in.discussions. it.a.great.challenge.to.our.Nordic.churches.. with.leaders.of.a.European.Union.research. Responding.to.this.challenge.involves,.on. unit. a. little. while. ago,. I. noted. that. they. the.one.hand,.participating.in.the.debate. regard.this.phenomenon.of.alienation.as.the. on.the.future.of.the.welfare.state,.and.on. most.serious.threat.to.the.stability.of.our. the.other.hand,.helping.in.a.concrete.way. continent.in.the.age.we.are.living.in. those.people.who.suffer.most.in.a.situation. of.growing.competition. In. the. Nordic. countries. we. meet. this. problem. of. disintegration. particularly. Such.examples.show.how.the.integrity.of. in. reference. to. the. welfare. state. system. humankind.is.threatened.in.different.ways. whether.to.dismantle.it.or.save.it..In.recent. both.globally.and.locally..Our.faith.tells. decades. the. Nordic. welfare. state. has. us.that.the.Church.of.Christ.is.called.to. been.able.to.put.into.effect.some.of.the. be.a.community.where.the.inner.healing. main. values. of. our. Christianhumanistic. of.humankind.is.anticipated.on.the.basis. tradition..The.weak.have.been.cared.for. of.the.atoning.work.of.Christ..Here.is.a. in.a.spirit.of.love,.solidarity.and.human. challenge.to.our.faith,.hope.and.love..It.is. dignity..Society.has.remained.intact..No. a.challenge.which.is.leading.us.towards.a. one.has.been.left.outside..In.accordance. deeper.and.wider.realisation.of.the.unity. with.the.Lutheran.social.ethic.an.attempt. of.the.Church.of.Christ..

105 III SERMONS ON SPECIAL ECUMENICAL OCCASIONS

Life and Peace

A Sermon at the ”Life and Peace” peace conference in Uppsala, Final Worship Service in the Uppsala Cathedral, on April 23, 1983

In. recent. years. peace. has. become. the. I.am.the.Lord.your.God. central.topic.of.discussion.in.our.world..It. I.am.the.Lord.of.heaven.and.earth. is.discussed.at.conferences.and.seminars,. The.world,.this.divided,.suffering.world,. at. demonstrations. and. mass. meetings,. which.longs.for.peace.and.mercy,.is.my. in. the. chambers. of. the. UN. and. in. our. world,.says.the.Lord. kindergartens,.in.churches.and.schools,.in. I.have.created.this.world,.I.love.this. songs.and.prayers. world,.I.have.suffered.for.this.world,.I. want.to.take.care.of.this.world. We.too.have.been.talking.about.peace..For. I.want.my.will.to.be.done.on.earth.as. three.days..It.has.been.necessary.to.do.so.. in.heaven,.so.that.love.and.justice.will. We.have.felt.that.it.was.our.duty.to.do.so. prevail. in.our.capacity.as.leaders.of.churches.in. I.want.life.to.flourish.on.the.earth. different.parts.of.our.divided.world. I.want.life.and.peace.on.the.earth.

We.have.spoken..Now.as.we.prepare.to. So.speaks.the.God.whom.we.find.in.the. separate,. we. should. still. ourselves. in. Holy. Scripture. and. whose. presence. we. order. to. hear.Another. speak.. We. still. sense. both. beyond. Milky.Way. and. in. a. ourselves.so.that.the.Lord.Himself.can. little. flower. and. in. our. consciences. all. speak.to.us..He.shall.have.the.last.word.. over.the.world. His.word.will.send.us.back.home..His. word.will.send.us.back.into.the.world. When.he.sends.us.into.the.world.today,.he. from.which.we.have.come..Through.the. does.not.send.us.as.the.representatives.of. prophet.Isaiah.He.says: some.alien.ideology..He.who.came.unto. “I. am. the. Lord. your. God,. who. te- “his.own”.(John.1:11).in.Jesus.Christ.sends. aches.you.what.is.best.for.you,.who. us. into. his. own. world.–. not. as. foreign. directs. you. in. the. way. you. should. robbers.but.as.ambassadors.of.His.love. go..If.only.you.had.heeded.my.com- mandments,.your.peace.would.have. He.sends.us.because.He.loves..He.sends.us. been.like.a.river…”. because.He.suffers.–.if.we.dare.to.express. (Isaiah.48:17-18) it.thus..If.that.is,.love.suffers.with.those.

106 who. suffer,. God. suffers. with. our. world. order.exists..But.is.this.peace? and. humankind. today.. If. love. shares. all. with.the.beloved,.God.today.shares.our.fear. Is.peace.the.same.as.nothing.happening?. and.anxiety,.our.disappointment,.our.hope. The.God.who.speaks.through.the.prophet. and.our.dreams..God’s.love.is.a.suffering. tells. us:. “Your. peace. would. be. like. a. and.struggling.love..This.is.shown.us.by. river.”.True.peace.is.not.like.a.stagnant. the.message.of.Good.Friday.and.Easter. mud.puddle..It.is.not.a.frozen.lake..Peace. is.a.river.which.builds.up.in.the.spring.and. But. God’s. love. is. not. sentimentality.. gives.life.to.the.cold,.dry.earth..Peace.is. God’s.love.is.not.the.care.of.a.guardian,. life..Peace.is.justice.and.freedom. either..It.does.not.remove.from.us.our.own. responsibility..God’s.love.lets.us.see.and. How. can. we. achieve. the. peace. that. is. feel.the.results.of.our.actions..It.allows.us. like.a.river?.In.order.to.obtain.the.peace. to.feel.the.possibilities.of.freedom.and.the. brought. by. outward. order,. all. that. is. risks. of. freedom.. The. Lord. also. speaks. required. is. power.. That. peace. can. be. about. this. through. the. prophet:. “If. you. created.with.the.help.of.weapons,.torture. heeded. my. commandments,. your. peace. chambers. and. barbed. wire. fences;. that. would.be.like.a.river…” peace.can.be.maintained.through.the.treat. of.reprisals.and.through.fear..The.peace.of. Here. the. Lord. God. is. speaking. about. the. force.and.violence.and.fear. nature.of.peace.and.its.preconditions..He.tells. us.what.peace.is.and.how.peace.is.created. But.force.and.violence.can.never.achieve. the. peace,. which. is. like. a. river.. Winter. What. do. we. mean. by. the. word. peace?. does.not.create.rivers. We.often.suppose.that.peace.is.the.same. as. outward. orderliness.–. outward. peace. How. can. we. create. and. maintain. the. and. quiet.. But. are. peace. and. outward. peace,. which. is. like. a. river,. the. peace. orderliness. really. the. same. thing?.After. which. is. life. and. not. death.. The. Lord. a. struggle. the. victor. hopes. that. order. answers. through. the. prophet:. If. you. will. reign. on. the. field. of. battle.. But. is. heeded. my. commandments,. your. peace. this. peace?. On. the. job. a. hard. foreman. would.be.like.a.river. can. maintain. order. through. discipline.. But. is. this. really. peace?. In. the. home. a. “If. you. heeded. my. commandments…”. domineering. father. can. spread. chilling. Never.before.in.our.world.have.we.been. silence.around.himself..Can.we.call.this. able.to.see.so.clearly.as.now.where.we. silence. peace?. In. a. country. the. hand. of. are. headed. unless. we. heed. the. Lord’s. power. can. press. heavily. on. those. who. commandments..We.can.see.that.this.way. wish. for. change. and. who. dream. of. a. ends.in.catastrophe.and.destruction..Death. future. of. justice. and. freedom.. Outward. is.the.outcome.when.we.do.not.follow.the.

107 Lord’s.commands,.the.commands.of.love. helplessness.and.fear..Where.then.can.we. and.justice,.truth,.honesty,.solidarity.and. find.comfort.and.salvation,.security.in.the. freedom..We. do. not. need. simply. a. new. face.of.the.future?.In.what.should.we.trust?. international. economic. order.. We. also. Can.we.trust.in.anything.besides.power,.our. need.a.new.international.moral.order.if.we. own.power,.the.power.of.our.friends,.the. wish.to.avoid.catastrophe,.if.we.wish.to. power.of.our.allies,.the.power.which.has. protect.life.on.this.planet. its.clearest.manifestation.in.nuclear-armed. missiles.on.launching.pads,.in.submarines. But. we. need. more. than. morals.. The. and.in.aircraft?.Is.this.all.that.remains.when. Lord’s.commandments.do.not.apply.only. humanity. has. grown. tired. of. its. idols?. to.moral.questions..The.Lord’s.commands. Is.this.all.that.remains.for.us.to.trust.in:. also. deal. with. more. important. matters. destructive.force,.the.power.to.destroy.life. than.morals:.they.deal.with.the.conditions. on.the.globe?.Is.this.the.only.peace.we.can. for.morals.–.trust.and.faith. count.on:.the.peace.which.depends.on.the. threat.of.destruction.–.life.and.death? I.am.the.Lord.your.God..So.reads.the.first. and. the. most. important. commandment,. No,. this. is. not. all.. We. believe. that. there. which. contains. all. the. other. is.an.alternative..For.this.reason.we.have. commandments..But.this.is.not.simply.a. assembled. in. Uppsala.. For. this. reason. demand..It.is.an.offer,.God’s.great.offer.to. we.are.returning.to.our.own.countries.and. humanity.and.each.individual.–.the.Gospel. our.churches..We.believe.that.there.is.an. alternative. because. we. hear. the. voice. of. I.am.the.Lord.your.God..You.can.trust.in.me! Him.who.says:.“I.am.the.Lord.your.God.. You.can.have.faith.that.my.promises.and.my. Where. do. we. place. our. trust. in. today’s. commandments.are.valid..For.my.sake.you. world?. Where. do. we. seek. our. basic. can.dare.to.trust.in.one.another.more.than.in. security,. our. salvation,. our. hope. in. the. weapons..You.can.dare.to.have.faith.that.my. future..We. know. where. we. have. looked. commandments.lead.to.life.and.peace.” in.past.decades..We.believed.that.science. would. create. a. happier. world.. We. As.you.now.travel.back.to.your.church.and. believed. that. technology. would. lead. us. your. land,. you. may. feel. small. before. the. towards. a. brighter. future.. We. trusted. in. enormous.task.which.awaits.you.there..The. “development”.. We. must. not. deny. the. Lord.speaks.to.you.today.through.the.prophet:. importance. of. these. things,. but. we. must. “I.am.the.Lord.your.God.”.Your.God. also. see. what. happened. when. these. our. servants. became. our. masters,. even. our. “All.power.in.heaven.and.on.earth.is.given. gods..We.turned.them.into.gods,.into.idols,. to.me..Go.therefore..” which. could. not. help,. idols. which. have. betrayed. us. and. left. us. in. the. grasp. of. Go.therefore!

108 ”I am the vine...”

A Speech at an Ecumenical Service in Conjunction with the Visit of His Holiness Pope John Paul II in Turku, on July 5, 1989

In.the.name.of.the.Father.and.of.the.Son. in.Jesus.Christ..Together.we.can.ask.God’s. and.of.the.Holy.Spirit, guidance.and.blessing.for.our.peoples.and. churches..Together.we.can.trust.that.the. Jesus. says:. ”I. am. the. vine,. you. are. the. Lord.of.the.Church,.Jesus.Christ,.is.in.our. branches:.He.who.abides.in.me,.and.I.in. midst.as.he.has.promised..This.is.a.holy. Him,. he. it. is. that. bears. much. fruit,. for. moment. apart.from.me.you.can.do.nothing.”.(John. 15:5) We. are. gathered. today. as. members. and. representatives. of. different. churches.. This. is. a. historic. moment. in. the. old. Before. God. and. the. world,. we. must. Cathedral.of.Turku..For.the.first.time,.the. openly.and.honestly.acknowledge.that.we. Bishop.of.Rome.joins.the.congregation,. are. not. only. different,. but. also. disagree. which.praises.and.worships.Almighty.God. on. certain. matters.. But. we. also. know. in.this.shrine..I.have.the.joy.and.honour. that. what. unites. us. is. much. more. and. to.wish.Your.Holiness.heartily.welcome. much.stronger.than.what.divides.us..As. to. our. service..I. likewise. welcome. the.people.of.God,.we.have.been.called. the. members. of. your. retinue. and. the. to. wander. towards. that. promised. land,. representatives. and. members. of. various. where.the.prayer.of.our.Lord.Jesus.Christ. churches.that.have.come.here. ”that.they.all.may.be.one”.will.one.day.be. granted. This. is. a. holy. moment.. This. cathedral. of. ours,. dedicated. to. the. Virgin. Mary. We.have.set.off.enjoined.and.encouraged. and. Saint. Henry. (Henrik),. has. not. been. by.the.word.of.God..The.idea.of.the.unity. suddenly. transformed. into. a. place. of. of. the. Church. of. Christ,. of. a. profound. church. diplomacy.. It. is. now,. as. it. has. fellowship. of. all. Christians,. is. not. a. been.for.centuries,.a.place.of.the.special. concept. and. goal. of. any. church-policy. presence. of. God,. a. holy. place.. We. strategy,.but.rather.an.original.and.central. are. gathered. in. the. face. of. God.. Here,. part.of.our.Christian.faith..It.belongs.to. together,.we.can.ask.God.to.grant.mercy.to. the. Gospel. itself,. to. the. good. news. of. our.world,.to.Christianity,.and.to.each.and. Jesus.Christ..Jesus.says:.”I.am.the.vine,. everyone.of.us..Together.we.can.thank.and. you.are.the.branches.” praise.God.for.His.goodness,.His.work.of. creation,.His.care.and.His.gift.of.salvation. The.unity.of.the.Church.of.Christ.is.broad,.

109 which.gives.us.cause.for.joy..But.it.is.also. us.to.live..It.has.given.us.the.courage.to. a.gift.that.imposes.an.obligation.for.us..As. die.. This. treasure,. the. treasure. of. the. the.branches,.we.must.remain.on.the.vine,. Gospel,.has.furnished.safety,.consolation. growing.more.and.more.firmly.attached.to. and.salvation.in.this.country..It.has.been. it..Every.renewal.of.the.church,.every.real. our.people’s.greatest.resource. reformation,.is.therefore.progress.towards. more.and.more.perfect.realization.of.the. Thanks.to.doctrinal.consultations.in.recent. unity.the.church..It.is.a.drawing.closer.to. years,.we.have.seen.anew.that.this.treasure. Christ. of. the. Gospel. is. not. a. peculiarity. that. divides. and. isolates. us. from. others,. but. When,.as.churches,.we.seek.renewal,.we. rather.part.of.the.common.heritage.of.the. must.set.ourselves.in.motion..That.is.why. Church.of.Christ..That.is.why.we.boldly. we.are.here.now..This.service.of.worship. carry.this.treasure.with.us.on.our.journey. is.a.station,.this.cathedral.one.rendezvous. towards. ever. more. perfect. fulfillment. point.on.our.common.journey..The.people. of. the. unity. of. the. Church.. We. do. not. of. God,. who. follow. different. roads. and. presuppose.that.accomplishing.the.unity. paths. as. they. wander,. carry. with. them. of. the. church. would. necessarily. require. something.that.they.have.received.from. the. amalgamation. of. existing. historical. their. common. apostolic. heritage.-. we. churches..But.we.do.need.agreement.in. have.gifts.in.common,.but.also.what.we. teaching.the.Gospel.and.performing.the. have.received.from.the.cultural.and.social. sacraments.. That. being. the. case,. certain. terrain. that. we. have. travelled.. In. our. diversity. may. be. a. better. guarantee. and. Lutheran.Church,.for.example,.there.are. servant. of. fellowship. than. an. endeavour. things.that.stem.from.the.environment.in. to.achieve.outward.uniformity.in.matters. which.we.have.lived.and.through.which. that.are.not.of.decisive.importance.from. we.have.travelled..But.we.know.that.we. the.point.of.view.of.salvation..Holy.Spirit. also.bear.with.us.a.certain.gift,.which.we. can.use.our.diversity.and.make.us.living. believe.we.have.received.as.an.inheritance. branches.on.the.vine,.which.is.Jesus.Christ. of.faith.from.the.ancient.church.and.which. is.very.precious.to.us..This.treasure,.which. As.churches,.we.have.a.common.starting. has. been. preserved. and. cherished. with. point,.our.mutual.heritage.of.faith.based. special.love.and.care.among.our.people,.is. on. the. Bible.. We. also. share. tasks. and. the.message.of.the.justification.of.sinners. challenges.. The. first. task. that. we. share. by.Christ.through.faith. is,. of. course,. to. take. the. Gospel. to. the. whole. world.. In. that,. the. reality. of. We.in.Finland.have.felt.the.importance.and. secularization.in.old.Christian.countries. value. of. this. treasure. down. through. the. and. encountering. other. religions.-. here. centuries,.especially.in.difficult.times..We. in. Europe. as. elsewhere.-. requires. ever. have.found.that.it.endures..It.has.enabled. greater.shared.efforts.on.our.part.

110 In.future.years.we.shall.encounter.other. concept,. peace. also. includes. the. well- shared. challenges. as. well.. One. such. being. of. nature,. and. we. must. now. ask. challenge.stems.from.the.endeavours.now. how. we. can. accomplish. peace. between. being. made. to. accomplish. integration. nature.and.its.worst.enemy,.human.being.. in. Europe.. Topical. European. questions. This. new. fateful. question. confronting. do. not. apply. only. to. the. economy. and. humanity.is.a.challenge.-.the.churches.as. politics.. A. question. that. must. also. be. well..It.gives.us.joy.that.we.have.been.also. asked.is:.What.will.the.moral,.intellectual. to.set.out.together.to.respond.to.this.global. and. spiritual. future. of. Europe. be. like?. challenge.-.participating.in.a.process.that. What.is.required.of.us.if.Europe.is.not.to. has.been.given.the.name.of.”Justice,.Peace. lose.her.soul?.When.speaking.of.Europe,. and.the.Integrity.of.Creation”. we. Finnish. churches. wish. to. remember. and. remind. that. the. border. of. Europe. I. have. said. that. what. unites. us. is. more. does. not. run. along. the. eastern. frontiers. than.divided.us..We.are.united.by.Christ,. of. Finland. and. several. other. Western. the.true.vine..We.are.united.by.the.Holy. European. countries.. In. accordance. with. Gospel..We.are.united.by.shared.tasks.and. that.view,.fellowship.with.the.churches.of. shared.challenges..We.are.also.united.by. Eastern.Europe.has.assumed.an.important. shared.views.and.dreams: place.in.our.ecumenical.work. Together,. we. look. towards. that. day. As. churches,. we. are. pleased. when.swords.will.be.forged.into.ploughs. that. broadening. and. deepening. and. spears. into. pruning-hooks,. when. interdependence. between. different. ”righteousness. and. peace. will. kiss. each. countries. is. creating. a. constantly. other”.(Psalms.8a:10)..And.we.are.inspired. strengthening. foundation. for. lasting. by.the.vision.in.the.Book.of.Revelations.to. peace. in. Europe.. But. as. churches. we. John.of.a.group.clothed.in.white.raiment,. have.also.emphasized.that.peace.is.much. who,. assembled. from. all. peoples,. stand. more. than. merely. the. absence. of. overt. before.the.throne.of.the.Lord.exalting.Him. violence..Peace.is.not.simply.that.nothing. and. praying:. ”Blessing,. and. glory,. and. is.happening..Peace.has.a.positive.content:. wisdom,. and. thanksgiving,. and. power,. the. attainment. of. justice,. respect. for. and.might,.be.unto.our.God.for.ever.and. human.rights,.mutual.trust..As.a.Biblical. ever!.Amen.”.(Rev..7:12)

111 Through the Valley of Grace

A Speech given as Part of an Ecumenical Worship Service in St. Peter´s Basilica in Rome, on October 5, 1991

The. ecumenical. journey. taken. by. our. prayer:.”and.make.me.ready.to.follow.it.” churches.passes.through.an.ever.changing. Ecumenical. work. often. involves. risks.. landscape..It.is.a.journey.over.hills.and. Our. joint. experience. shows. that. our. through.valleys..From.the.hills.we.have. attempts. to. achieve. unity. sometimes. wide,. inspiring. vistas,. but. down. in. the. serve. instead. to. strengthen. the. forces. valleys. the. view. is. considerably. less. of. opposition.. Sometimes. the. keenest. spectacular.. From. there. we. can. usually. protagonists.of.the.ecumenical.movement. only.see.a.small.portion.of.the.road.ahead.. constitute. a. risk.. It. is. obvious. that. the. Sometimes.the.way.is.so.obscured.that.it. ecumenical. movement. needs. men. and. requires.some.effort.to.find.it.even.. women. who. with. ardent. enthusiasm. work.for.the.unity.of.Christ’s.church..Our. At.this.service.we.have.for.a.short.time. problem. is. not. that. we. have. too. many. been. up. on. a. hill. and. enjoyed. a. truly. such.men.and.women.but.rather.that.we. impressive.view..In.giving.thanks.together. have.too.few.-.that.apathy.and.caution.are. to.God.for.what.he.has.given.our.churches. greater.than.enthusiasm..Nonetheless,.on. and.our.countries.through.St..Bridget,.we. occasions.over.enthusiasm.can.undermine. have.been.able.to.look.back.over.a.period. the.credibility.of.ecumenism.within.our. of.600.years..In.praying.together.for.the. churches. unity.of.the.church,.we.have.been.able.to. direct.our.eyes.forwards.to.the.promised. In.other.words,.it.seems.to.be.dangerous. land.of.Christian.unity. to.advance..Is.it.safer.then.to.stop,.to.cease. treading.the.path.towards.fellowship.and. In.a.little.while.we.shall.descend.from.this. unity?.No,.absolutely.not!.The.alternatives. height.and.go.down.into.the.valley..There. are.not.the.security.of.waiting.versus.the. we. shall. continue. our. journey. towards. insecurity. of. advancing;. the. safety. of. the. promised. land.. In. the. course. of. our. delaying.versus.the.risks.of.striking.out. journey. we. shall. often. have. cause. to. and.going.on. repeat.the.prayer.that.St..Bridget.has.given. us:.”Lord,.show.me.the.way.”.But.it.is.not. As. St.. Bridget. says. to . the. Lord. in. her. enough.just.to.see.that.way..We.also.need. prayer,. ”It. is. dangerous. to. delay,. yet. obedience.if.we.are.to.advance.along.the. perilous. to. go. forward.”. In. the. course. road.to.unity..Therefore.we.must.be.ready. of.our.ecumenical.journey.we.are.faced. to. accept. the. continuation. to. Bridget’s. not. with. the. choice. between. safety. and.

112 danger.. It. is. not. only. risky. to. advance,. not.then.a.valley.of.perils;.it.is.above.all. to. go. on;. it. is. also. dangerous. to. delay. a. valley. of. grace..What. does. this. mean. and.loiter.on.the.road.to.Christian.unity.. for. our. ecumenical. strivings?. The. joint. To. hesitate. and. wait. on. this. road. can. Commission.on.the.Dialogue.between.the. create. as. much. unease. and. conflict. as. Roman.Catholic.and.Lutheran.Churches. to. hasten. impatiently. onwards.. The. has. in. its. report,. Ways to Community greatest. danger. here,. of. course,. is. the. (1980),.given.an.answer.to.this.question.. danger. that. disobedience. brings. with. It. says,. “Christian. Unity. is. a. blessing. it..Let.us.therefore.listen.together.to.St.. of. the. Triune. God,. a. work. which. he. Bridget.when.she.says.to.our.Lord:.”It.is. accomplishes,. by. means. he. chooses,. in. dangerous.to.delay.” ways.he.determines.”

The.valley.that.we.must.pass.through.on. In. the. valley. of. grace. the. unity. of. the. the.way.to.the.promised.land.of.Christian. church.is.an.expression.of.God’s.gracious. unity. seems. to. be. a. valley. filled. with. love. for. his. world. and. his. church.. God. dangers. -. a. perilous. valley.. But. in. that. himself. has. created. from. our. world. a. valley.there.is.something.else..To.put.it.in. valley.of.grace..Here.on.this.earth,.through. the.words.of.the.psalmist:.”Though.I.walk. Jesus.Christ,.he.has.broken.down.the.walls. through.the.valley.of.the.shadow.of.death,. that.separate.us,.and.united.us.instead.with. I.fear.no.evil;.for.you.are.with.me”.(Psalm. him.and.with.each.other.(Eph..2:12-22). 23:4)..He.knew.that.there.were.not.just. frightening. shadows. in. the. valley.. God. Our. joint. ecumenical. journey. is. a. himself.is.also.there. continuing. acceptance. of. this. gift. of. salvation. and. unity,. a. common. The.Bridgettine.monastery.in.Finland.was. thanksgiving.and.praise.to.him.who.is.the. founded.in.a.valley.north.of.the.bishop’s. fount.and.perfection.of.unity. see.in.Turku.(Åbo)..The.valley.was.given. the. name. Vallis Gratiae,. the. valley. of. In.the.valley.of.grace.God.takes.particular. grace.. In. the. rich. and. valuable. spiritual. care.of.the.least.and.the.weakest..That.is. heritage. passed. down. to. us. in. Finland. how.God.is..That.is.what.God’s.love.is. from.St..Bridget.we.are.given.a.reminder. like..This. means. that. we.have. a. special. that.our.life.in.this.world.is.a.life.and.a. obligation.to.include.the.small.minority. journey. in. Vallis. Gratiae,. the. valley. of. churches. in. our. ecumenical. fellowship. grace..It.is.this.greeting.that.I.wish.to.bring. and.to.treat.them.in.the.same.way.as.we.do. from.Finland.to.this.ecumenical.service. the.larger.churches.

The. valley. through. which. we. shall. The.valley.of.grace.is.then.a.valley.of.love.. continue. on. our. ecumenical. journey. to. At.the.same.time.it.is.a.valley.of.truth,.a. the. promised. land. of. Christian. unity. is. valley.of.divine.truth..He.who,.according.

113 to. the. Scriptures,. is. “full. of. grace. and. The.wander.through.the.valley.of.grace. truth”.(John.1:14).does.not.demand.unity. means.that,.unlike.Moses,.we.do.not.have. and. fellowship. of. us. at. the. expense. of. to.be.content.just.to.see.the.promised.land.. truth.. Therefore. we. must. continue. our. For.the.valley.of.grace.leads.on.into.the. discussions. on. basic. questions. of. faith,. promised.land.and.we.are.not.forced.to. trusting.that.the.Holy.Spirit.will.guide.us. stop.at.the.border.of.that.promised.land.. to.the.whole.truth.(John.16:13). God. did. not. allow. Moses. to. enter. the. promised.land.but.he.will.not.hinder.us. In.the.light.of.God’s.truth.we.can.see.the. from.doing.so..On.the.contrary,.we.may. way.in.the.valley.of.grace.more.clearly.. believe.that.the.Father.will.gladly.fulfil.the. But. in. that. same. light. we. also. see. how. Son’s.prayer.that.“all.may.be.one”.(John. incomplete. our. lives. and. our. path. are.. 17:21).. So. we. have. the. possibility. of. Therefore. together. we. cry. out,. “Lord,. entering.the.promised.land.and.enjoying. have.mercy.on.us,”.and.look.towards.the. its.blessings.at.the.same.table. cross,. which. is. our. judgement. and. our. salvation. We.thank.the.Lord.for.the.brief.moment. of.rest.that.we.have.spent.together.on.this. The.cross.of.reconciliation.has.been.raised. height.and.continue.our.journey.through. in.our.valley.of.grace.so.that.it.is.not.just. the.valley.of.grace,.for.“it.is.dangerous.to. a.valley.of.the.shadow.of.death.but.also. delay.” a. valley. from. which. the. source. of. life. springs..Our.Lord,.Jesus.Christ,.whom.we. follow,.is.“the.way,.the.truth.and.the.life”. (John.14:6).

114 The Fourth Basket

A Sermon given at the Worship Service in the Lutheran Cathedral on the Occasion of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE) Meeting in Helsinki, on March 29, 1992

We.have.just.heard.John.the.Evangelist’s. rights,.cultural.interaction.and.exchanges. account. of. the. multitude. that. needed. of.information. bread,.the.bread.of.that.time.(John.6:1- 15)..The.question.of.bread.has.also.been. Much.enthusiasm.and.many.expectations. central.in.the.process.concerning.security. centered.around.those.three.baskets.here. and. cooperation. in. Europe. to. which. in.Helsinki.back.in.those.days..However,. Helsinki.has.given.its.name. a. question. that. was. being. asked. at. the. same. time. was:. ”will. they. be. enough?”. In.saying.this,.I.use.the.word.bread.in.the. It.seemed.that.there.were.more.problems. same.meaning.as.Martin.Luther.does.in. and.needs.in.Europe.than.resources..How. his.Small.Catechism..In.it.he.asks:.”What. far.would.the.bread.in.the.three.baskets. is.daily.bread?”.and.answers.by.listing.a. go? number.of.things.that.people.need.to.live:. food,. drink,. clothing,. footwear,. devout. There. was. a. similar. situation. and. a. and. faithful. leaders,. good. government,. comparable.problem.on.a.hillside.near.the. faithful.neighbours.and.”other.things.like. Sea.of.Galilee..There,.too,.needs.seemed. that”. to.exceed.resources..One.young.boy.had. five. barley. loaves. and. two. fish. in. his. The. list. contains. many. things. that. are. basket,.whilst.all.around.were.thousands. important.also.to.the.peoples.of.Europe,. of. hungry. men,. women. and. children.. for. example. good. government,. peace,. ”But. they. will. certainly. not. be. enough. good. friends,. faithful. neighbours.. It. is. for. all. these. people?”. asked. Andrew,. precisely.in.this.that.one.finds.the.daily. Jesus’.disciple..The.others.certainly.had.to. bread.that.the.people.and.peoples.of.our. concede.that.his.assessment.was.realistic. continent.now.need..At.the.CSCE.meeting. and. his. concern. justified.. Jesus’. other. in.Helsinki.in.1975,.the.leaves.that.were. helpers.were.likewise.at.a.loss.to.know. then.to.hand.were.placed.in.three.baskets.. what.to.do,.but.Jesus.was.not..”Make.the. The.first.basket.was.filled.with.security. people. sit. down,”. he. commanded.. It. is. issues,. the. second. was. for. economic. easy.to.imagine.what.kinds.of.questions. matters,. science,. technology. and. Jesus’. helpers. had. to. answer. as. they. environmental. protection,. and. the. third. walked.around.and.told.people.to.sit.down. contained. everything. to. do. with. human. for.a.meal.

115 When. the. people. had. sat. down. on. the. to.us.as.Holy.Gospel,.as.good.and.joyful. summary. grass,. Jesus. stood. up..As. the. message..When.we.return.in.our.thoughts. host.for.the.meal,.he.took.the.loaves.and. from.that.hillside.to.the.present.moment,. fishes.and.said.grace,.asking.the.blessing. we.can.note.that.also.in.today’s.Europe. of. the. Heavenly. Father. on. those. gifts.. needs.seem.to.exceed.visible.resources.in. The.he.began.distributing.them,.breaking. many.places..In.the.same.way.as.Jesus’. bread. disciple,.we.too.must.ask.how.”this.will. be.enough.for.all.these.people”. What.actually.happened.in.tangible.terms. we.do.not.know..What.we.do.know.is.that. Of. course,. we. have. been. able. to. notice. there.was.a.young.boy,.possibly.a.slave,. how.the.contents.of.the.three.baskets.of. who. was. willing. to. share. with. others. the. European. security. and. cooperation. what.he.had.brought.with.him..We.also. process.have.increased.and.multiplied..In. understand. that. Jesus’. blessing. set. in. this.connection,.I.am.thinking.in.particular. motion.a.distribution,.a.process.in.which. of.the.loaves.that.have.been.in.the.human. bread. was. passed. along. to. neighbours. rights.and.exchange.of.information.basket.. who.needed.it,.where.resources.that.had. In.recent.years,.those.millions.of.people. been.hidden.seem.to.have.been.found..We. who. have. hungered. for. freedom. have. also. know. that. the. people. felt. they. had. found.much.bread.in.that.basket. experienced.a.great.miracle. But.hunger.can.never.be.finally.satisfied.. There.is.no.explanation.for.a.miracle..If. It. returns. time. and. time. again.. The. there.was,.it.would.not.be.a.miracle.any. requirements. of. freedom. and. self- longer..The.only.answer.to.the.people’s. determination. are. permanent. ones. for. astonishment.and.questions.was.that.Jesus. individuals. and. people;. so. is. the. need. of.Nazareth.who.was.in.their.midst. for. security,. not. to. speak. of. the. needs. associated.with.material.livelihood..And. We.can,.of.course,.ask.whether.it.might. those.needs.are.very.real.in.Europe.today. be.that.the.closeness.of.Jesus.opened.up. other. baskets. besides. that. of. the. young. Thus. there. is. hunger.. There. are. also. boy..Could.it.be.that.the.baskets.opened. baskets..But.will.the.loaves.be.enough?. up. because. hearts. were. opening. in. the. The. sufficiency. of. the. loaves. seems. to. presence.of.Jesus?.What.we.do.know.in. depend.on.factors.similar.to.those.on.the. any.case.is.that.after.the.meal.there.were. shore.of.the.Sea.of.Galilee.nearly.2.000. empty. baskets,. at. least. twelve. of. them,. years. ago.. Distributing. resources. in. a. available.for.use.to.gather.up.the.pieces. manner.that.ensures.that.also.the.needs.of. left.over. weak.groups.and.regions.are.met.requires. solidarity.. There. is. likewise. a. need. for. Today,.this.familiar.old.story.has.been.told. solidarity. with. the.Third.World. and. the.

116 whole. of. creation.. But. solidarity. does. that.we.already.have,.a.fourth.-.the.basket. not. grow. from. selfish. hearts.. Solidarity. of.five.barley.loaves.and.two.fishes,.open. presupposes.an.opening.of.hearts.of.the. hearts.and.internal.renewal. kind. that. obviously. took. place. around. Jesus.by.the.waters.of.the.Sea.of.Galilee. That.is.why.we.pray:.Come,.Holy.Spirit,. you. living. factor. and. renew. us.. You,. This.means.that.reshaping.economic.and. who. opened. the. baskets. on. the. hillside,. political.structures.will.not.be.sufficient.in. open.also.our.heart!.Come,.Holy.Spirit,. itself.to.revitalise.Europe..Our.continent. and. renew. Europe. and. the. churches. of. also.needs.profound.spiritual.and.moral. Europe!.Come,.Holy.Spirit,.and.renew.the. renewal.. Thus. in. the. present. decade. whole.world,.the.whole.of.Creation.-.Your. Europe.needs,.in.addition.to.three.baskets. Creation.

117 In the Service of Reconciliation and Hope

A Sermon given in Westminster Abbey in London on the occasion of the signing the Porvoo Declaration, on November 28, 1996

A.narrow.door.leads.up.to.the.pulpit.in.the. An.impersonal.God,.an.impersonal.vital. Cathedral.of.Porvoo..Above.the.door.there. force,.an.impersonal.highest.principle.is. are.two.quotations.from.the.Bible,.one.on. protected.by.anonymity..But.a.God.who. the.outside.and.the.other.on.the.inside..As. reveals.his.innermost.thoughts,.his.will,. bishop.of.Porvoo.in.the.70’s.I.often.had. his.heart,.exposes.himself.to.criticism.and. cause.to.remember.these.quotations..Now. doubt. I.wish.to.share.them.with.you. God’s. church. is. just. as. vulnerable,. just. When. the. minister. or. bishop. climbs. up. as. defenceless. in. the. face. of. critical. to.the.pulpit,.he.is.faced.with.the.apostle. observations. and. doubts..Where. is. your. Paul’s.words.to.the.Christians.of.Corinth,. God. among. starving. children,. raped. We.preach.Christ.crucified.(1.Cor..1:23). nuns. and. sick. ?. Isn’t. your. God.able.to.protect.even.his.most.loyal. The.Lord.has.not.made.life.easy.for.his. followers?.And.why.do.you.have.lightning. preachers.either.in.Porvoo.or.in.London. conductors.on.your.church.roofs?.Don’t. or,. indeed,. anywhere. else.. A. market. you.believe.in.God’s.care.and.protection. survey. among. people. today. might. well. when.you’re.praying.inside? reveal.that.when.we.mount.the.stairs.to. our.pulpits,.we.should.speak.above.all.of. On. the. cover. of. the. Porvoo Common signs.and.miracles,.of.supernatural.things. Statement.there.is,.as.we.know,.a.picture. and. fantastic. experiences,. of. profound. of.the.cathedral.in.Porvoo..At.the.top.can. thoughts. and. great. wisdom.. This. is. the. be. seen. a. cross. with. a. crown. of. thorns. sort.of.thing.people.want.to.hear..But.we. in. the. middle..I. can. tell. you. something. are.exhorted.to.preach.Christ.crucified,.a. that. most. people. don’t. know:. there. is. bleeding,.weeping,.doubting.son.of.God,.a. a. lightning. conductor. concealed. in. the. God.tortured.and.wounded.to.death. cross.-.a.symbol.of.doubt.together.with.the. symbol.of.faith. To. preach. Christ. crucified. is. to. preach. a. vulnerable. God..A. God. who. remains. This. is. rather. embarrassing.. Should. we. distant. and. far. away. is. well. protected. perhaps.ask.the.present.bishop.of.Porvoo. from.all.attacks..A.God.who.is.close.to. to.have.this.humiliating.piece.of.technical. us,.on.the.other.hand,.is.defenceless.and. equipment. removed. from. the. cross. on. vulnerable. Porvoo.cathedral.so.that.our.communion.

118 would. have. a. purer. and. more. noble. peace,. healing. that. which. is. broken..As. symbol?.But.before.we.do.that,.shouldn’t. churches. we. have. been. entrusted. with. we.reflect.for.a.minute?.With.its.lightning. the.ministry.of.reconciliation.(2.Cor..5).. conductor. isn’t. the. cross. on. Porvoo. Therefore.we.must.preach.Christ.crucified. perhaps.a.better.rather.than.poorer.symbol. -.not.only.in.Porvoo.but.in.every.church. of.our.faith.and.fellowship? When. the. bishop. or. minister. leaves. the. We.believe.in.a.God.who.is.close.to.us,. pulpit.in.Porvoo.cathedral,.he.sees.above. a. God. who. enters. into. our. broken. and. the.door.other.words.from.the.same.letter:. incomplete.reality,.not.just.in.very.human. the.kingdom.of.God.is.not.a.matter.of.talk. Bible. texts. and. in. the. simple. bread. and. of.word.but.of.power.(1.Cor..4:20). wine.of.Holy.Communion.but.also.in.our. suffering. and. loneliness,. in. our. sorrow. God’s.kingdom.is.not.a.matter.of.words,. and. pain,. in. the. darkness. of. our. doubts. of. pompous. speeches. and. declarations,. and. fears.. We. believe. in. a. God. who. is. not.even.the.Porvoo Declaration..God’s. open.to.our.questions.and.doubts,.a.God. kingdom. is. a. question. of. power,. the. hidden.behind.weakness.and.foolishness. strength. of. God. that. is. powerful. in. its. weakness..God’s.kingdom.is.the.life.that. But.the.foolishness.of.God.is.wiser.than. God’s.Holy.Spirit.inspires.and.tends.in.his. man’s.wisdom.and.the.weakness.of.God. church.when.the.gospel.is.proclaimed.and. is.stronger.than.man’s.strength,.writes.the. the.sacraments.administered. apostle.(1.Cor..1:25)..When.we.believe.in. a.vulnerable.God.on.the.cross,.we.have. God’s.kingdom.is.the.power.of.the.Spirit. nothing.to.lose,.nothing.to.fear.any.more.. which. creates. unity. amidst. all. schisms,. There.is.no.longer.anything.to.separate.us. which. gives. hope. and. new. courage. in. from.God..No.darkness,.no.doubt,.no.sin,. the.midst.of.doubt.and.despair,.the.Spirit. no.death.that.can.separate.us.from.God. that. lets. the. flower. of. life. thrive. on. the. and.his.love.(Rom..8:.38-39)..For.he.is. harsh.soil.of.selfishness,.that.creates.new. already.here,.in.the.middle.of.all.this..God. life.and.a.new.future.in.the.valley.of.the. is.here,.with.us.and.for.us. shadow.of.death,.reconciliation.with.both. God.and.human.person. Why. this. presence. of. God?. It. is. a. question. of. the. unfathomable. mystery. Our.churches.live.and.have.their.being.in.a. of.reconciliation..Surely.he.took.up.our. part.of.world.that.longs.for.reconciliation. infirmities,.says.the.prophet,.and.carried. and. hope.. Once. it. was. the. war.-. both. our.sorrows.....the.punishment.that.brought. hot.and.cold.-.that.gave.rise.to.rifts.and. us.peace.was.upon.him.and.by.his.wounds. differences.. Now. it. is. nationalism. that. we.are.healed.(Isaiah.53:4-5)..He.is.the. sunders.peoples,.and.economic.ideologies. Redeemer.who.is.here.among.us,.creating. and.policies.that.divide.our.peoples.into.

119 winners.and.losers..At.the.same.time.as.the. The.Porvoo Declaration.aims.at.a.deeper. process.of.outward.integration.advances,. realisation. of. the. unity. that. has. already. our.part.of.the.world.is.threatened.with. been.bestowed.upon.us.both.as.people.and. collapse.from.within..Marginalisation.and. as.Christians..It.is.also.a.promise.of.the. alienation.of.more.and.larger.sections.of. perfect.unity.that.we.will.one.day.celebrate. the.population.is.a.catastrophic.trend.in. before.the.throne.of.God..Therefore.we. our.countries.today..In.this.very.serious. can.with.thanksgiving.and.joy.place.our. situation.we.are.in.crying.need.of.visions. increased.and.deeper.communion.at.the. that.will.bring.us.together,.and.concrete. service.of.reconciliation.and.hope. expressions.of.a.fundamental.fellowship.

120 on his 80th birthday October 1st 2011 To the honor of Archbishop emeritus John Vikström emeritus John Vikström Archbishop the honor of To The Same Church in all Directions – Lutheran Identity and Ecumenism – Lutheran Identity in all Directions The Same Church

RESEPTIO 2/11 Archbishop emeritus Dr. John Vikström (1931) is one of the most influential Lutheran influential most the of one is (1931) Vikström John Dr. emeritus Archbishop and ecumenical church leaders. As Archbishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland (1982-98) he promoted ecumenism roots of in the Lutheran many reformation the ways. primary ecumenical dialogue Starting partner was from the the Roman Catholic Church. In this direction he paved the contributions. way Archbishop for many Vikström noteworthy promoted significantly the Lutheran Anglican Porvoo process and good relations with the Lutheran sister churches. In Finland he initiated the ecumenical dialogue with the Orthodox Church of Finland in 1989 and led many delegations in the bilateral dialogue with the Church Free Evangelical the with dialogue official an had Church our Russian time his During Orthodox Church. (1983-84) and the Pentecostal Awakening (1987-89), and the also Finnish Baptists the began in dialogue 1997. As with a deep Christian opportunity thinker to Vikström give had papers the in large ecumenical meetings like in Vancouver (1983). According to him, renewal belongs together with the heritage diversity legitimate the only not “Stressing of formulated: Vikström Archbishop faith Church. of the early of character churches’ Lutheran the strengthen undoubtedly will continuity the also but the same church in all directions. communio.” In this way it is possible to be Archbishops Martti Simojoki and John Vikström, two prominent Lutheran ecumenical leaders. two prominent Vikström, Archbishops Martti Simojoki and John