Abstract:
Amongst the recent documents released by the Greek Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople,
the one titled ‘For the Life of the World’, published before the beginning of the COVID-19
pandemic, touches upon an important section of the life of the Orthodox Church, namely, the
social one. As a result of the fact that, so far, there is no official document of the aforementioned
Church dedicated to this aspect, whilst the Reformed Churches and the Catholic one have
already issued similar documents, I consider the existence of such an article, with all its minuses,
important. Moreover, it can constitute a bridge and an invitation to dialogue with other Christian
traditions or backgrounds. Being aware of this fact, I have decided to analyse this document in
this article to emphasise its influence and its elements of novelty and to speak about both its
utility and its weaknesses. As a result of the fact that the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew has
had an important contribution to its drafting, I will also try to present this aspect and to show
how the ecological vision that he has, amongst other aspects, influenced its content.
CONTRIBUTION : Considering the importance of the recent document ‘For the Life of the World
of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople’, I will try to analyse it and to present its
social relevance and meaning.
Description:
This research is part of the
research project ‘Political
Theology and Reconciling
Diversity’, directed by Dr
Tanya van Wyk, Systematic
and Historic Theology, Faculty
of Theology and Religion,
University of Pretoria
