May 11, 2005

"Avoiding the simplistic interpretations which see globalization and post-modernity only as a melting-pot or, on the contrary, only as an inevitable clash of civilizations, we are called to see the present state of affairs as an occasion for critical creativity."

Facing globalization seen as a monocultural melting-pot on the one hand, and the rise of the conviction that every single local human context has its own truth, on the other, Dr Athanasios P. Papathanasiou called the churches to a critical creativity towards reconciliation.

In his presentation to the plenary on the second day of the Conference on World Mission and Evangelism being held 9-16 May 2005 by the World Council of Churches in Athens, Papathanasiou brought an Orthodox contribution to the debate.

This professor in the Higher Ecclesiastical School in Athens offered an Orthodox theological viewpoint to this world-wide Orthodox, Protestant, Roman Catholic, Evangelical and Pentecostal gathering on the theme of "Come, Holy Spirit, Heal and Reconcile."

Basing his argumentation on the Eastern fathers, Papathanasiou conceives all life as "conversion to the Trinitarian mode of existence." This means that life has to be considered as "paired with relationship."

Papathanasiou therefore called churches and mission bodies at the CWME conference to encourage the understanding that "authentic existence" is when "otherness is not something parallel or opposite to [one's own] identity," but an element of it.

Because the church believes history is illuminated by the light of the last times (and not the last times being a consequence of history), it must witness to the hope of resurrection and of the transfiguration of the whole world.

Therefore, according to Papathanasiou, the church can be "neither an association of individuals nor a secular organization," but must give a clear testimony to the Holy Trinity communion. This way of being in communion is neither an undifferentiated "global-village" nor a simple juxtaposition of unlinked single local human contexts.

The full text of Athanasios Papathanasiou's address is available on our website at: http://www.mission2005.org/ > Resources > Documents

World Council of Churches