Churches Need To Be Less Confrontational

Christian churches must set aside differences and adopt less confrontational approaches toward other faiths in an age of mobile populations and strains between the West and the Islamic world, the head of the Greek Orthodox Church told a global religious conference.

"The consequences which globalization, terrorism and the war on terror bring about require that (Christian churches) rediscover (their) prophetic voice ... to raise their voice and be on the side of peace," Archbishop Christodoulos said, opening a weeklong gathering of more than 500 Christian leaders and theologians in Greece to examine challenges to the faith.

Christodoulos warned that old models of Christian attitudes and missionary work are quickly becoming obsolete as cultures and faiths increasingly intermingle.

"The growing effect of globalization - as a cultural and not as a financial phenomenon any more - the opening of national frontiers and the increasing move of populations from one place to another puts our Christian witness in a totally different situation than that of the past," Christodoulos told the conference organized by the World Council of Churches at a seaside venue 20 miles northeast of Athens.
"This is even more urgent now, in the post-Sept. 11 world, than in earlier times," he added, urging a "more humble ethos" among Christian churches and rejection of the overly optimistic tones of some missionary groups.

Christodoulos' comments struck some of the major hurdles facing the conference, which draws together Christians from nearly every tradition.

Evangelical groups, which have sharply raised their profile in central Asia and Africa in the past decade, may resist appeals for less aggressive outreach. The gathering also will grapple with the galloping pace of globalization and its effects on traditional economies and religious life. Also on the meeting's ambitious agenda: ways to enhance dialogue with moderate Muslim leaders and control the spread of AIDS.
Christodoulos mentioned another huge challenge for Christian leaders: overcoming historical rifts in the spirit of unity.

He offered encouragement for reconciliation but mentioned the "past bitter experience" of the Western Crusades into the mostly Orthodox East. He also pointed out one of the biggest obstacles in closing the nearly 1,000-year-old rift with Roman Catholics: the Eastern Rite churches that follow many Orthodox traditions but are loyal to the Vatican. Orthodox clerics claim the Eastern Rite congregations are an attempt by the Vatican to encroach on historically Orthodox lands.

The Vatican has a delegation at the conference, although it is not a full member of the Geneva-based WCC. The organization includes more than 350 member Christian churches and is one of the major forums for interfaith talks and efforts to improve Christian cooperation.