Chalcedon on the road to justice and peace : the case of the Mar Thoma–Old Catholic dialogue

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.