Marcin Składanowski

Analiza dokumentów dialogowych wskazuje na to, że istnieją ważne obszary tematyczne, które nie są w nich poruszane lub też, dość często, są poruszane w sposób fragmentaryczny, tak aby bardziej zaakcentować istniejące zbieżności niż skalę i konsekwencje rozbieżności. Dotyczy to zarówno pewnych kontrowersji dogmatycznych, jak też zagadnień etycznych. Milczenie w dialogu ekumenicznym jest zatem ambiwalentne: może być wyrazem oczekiwania na dalszy postęp tego dialogu i przezwyciężenie trudności, ale może również być próbą uchylenia się od kwestii najtrudniejszych i ich oceny. Tak zarysowany kontekst wyznacza cel tej krótkiej refleksji teologicznoekumenicznej, podejmującej kwestie milczenia i słowa w dialogu ekumenicznym. Najpierw warto przyjrzeć się milczeniu – temu, o czym i w jaki sposób milczy się w dialogu ekumenicznym. Następnie można przypatrzeć się charakterystyce ekumenicznego słowa.

Silence and Word in the Ecumenical Dialogue

An analysis of dialogue documents indicates that there are important thematic areas that are not addressed in them or, quite often, are addressed in a fragmented way, so as to more accentuate existing convergences than the scale and consequences of discrepancies. This applies to both certain dogmatic controversies and ethical issues. Silence in the ecumenical dialogue is therefore ambivalent. It can be an expression of expectations for further progress of this dialogue and overcoming difficulties, but it can also be an attempt to evade the most difficult issues and their assessment. It is the context which sets the goal of this brief theological-ecumenical reflection. The article addresses the issues of silence and word in the ecumenical dialogue. Firstly, it proposes some ways of interpreting „ecumenical silence”. Secondly, it presents the characteristics of the „ecumenical word”.

The Dispute over Marriage in the Catholic Church’s Attempts to Reinterpret Traditional Doctrinal Formulations in the Discussion Related to the Assemblies of the Synod of Bishops on the Family

The article shows the main issues in the dispute over marriage within contemporary Catholicism. It also presents possibilities and limitations of the attempts at reinterpretation of traditional Catholic doctrinal formulations. These attempts, which are related to the assemblies of the Synod of Bishops in 2014 and 2015, are aimed at greater openness of the Catholic Church towards the divorced and remarried. They are also intended to maintain unity within the Catholic dogmatic, ethical and canonical tradition as a justified expression of its development. Firstly, the article presents the main issues of the ongoing dispute in the Church. Secondly, it describes the language of this dispute. Thirdly, it shows Walter Kasper’s proposals and their criticism from the point of view of the conservative wing in the Church.

In Whose Name? The Problem of Inclusive Religious Language, with the Example of the Controversies over the Baptismal Formula in North American Protestant Communities

The inclusive language issue is an important element of Christian reflection on Church involvement for gender equality. The article focuses on American Protestant communities and their attitude towards inclusive (non-exclusive and non-discriminatory) language, although tendencies to make the Church’s language more inclusive are also present in some Catholic circles. The article begins with an attempt to define the Christian understanding of inclusive language. It then presents the positions of North American Protestant communities towards this kind of religious language. It also shows the difficulties related to this issue, using the example of the inclusive baptismal formula.