Two Ecumenisms: Conservative Christian Alliances as a New Form of Ecumenical Cooperation

Abstract

An outburst of Orthodox anti-ecumenical criticism in 2016 raised the question of the current state of ecumenism. Examining this topic, the author describes a new form of ecumenical activity associated with the emergence of conservative Christian alliances in defense of traditional values. This “conservative ecumenism'', or “Ecumenism 2.0,” differs from the “classical ecumenism'' that arose in the early 20th century and is represented today by the World Council of Churches and other ecumenical structures. The author considers the phenomenon of “ecumenical consciousness” and shows that it can be found in both types of ecumenism; however, some of the Orthodox anti-ecumenists who attack the “classical'' ecumenism may eagerly opt for this new, conservative “Ecumenism 2.0”. The article discusses the possible competition between the two types ecumenism.