Abstract:
In the context of the bilateral dialogue between the Mar Thoma Syrian Church and the Old
Catholic Churches of the Union of Utrecht, the question of Christology –and
with that
the joint reception of the conciliar tradition of the early church –played
an important role,
given the “families” of churches that both traditions belong to: “Western Catholic” and
“Oriental.” This paper, written from the vantage point of Old Catholic ecumenical theology,
analyzes how the topic of (Chalcedonian) Christology was addressed in this dialogue and
places it in the context of the broad ecumenical movement. The dialogue focused reception
on the content rather than on the wording of patristic convictions. This focus, as well as
the willingness to look beyond confessional categories, facilitated a joint understanding of
Christology that did justice to both of the traditions involved and was a faithful reflection of
the conciliar tradition regarding Christology.
