Field and river

20th International Conference of Ethiopian Studies (ICES20)
Mekelle University, Ethiopia

"Regional and Global Ethiopia - Interconnections and Identities"
1-5 October, 2018

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ADDIS ABABA: PLACE OF THE ECUMENICAL DIALOGUE BETWEEN EASTERN ORTHODOX AND ORIENTAL ORTHODOX CHURCHES AND THE RECEPTION OF THE THEOLOGICAL AGREEMENTS FROM THERE IN THE EASTERN ORTHODOX THEOLOGY [Abstract ID: 1305-01]

Andrei MACAR, Faculty of Theology, Georg-August University of Göttingen (Germany)

The second half of the 20th century represented for Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox Churches a period of a mutual rapprochement, determined by an increased interest for reconsidering the reasons which lead to nearly a millennium and a half of alienation and suspicion. Before passing to an official ecumenical dialogue, theologians of this Churches gathered together in unofficial consultations, where they tried to bring a fresh view on the matters concerning the Council of Chalcedon (451). After three meetings, in Aarhus (1964), Bristol (1967) and Geneva (1970), the discussions continued in the Ethiopian capital city Addis Ababa between 22nd and 26th January 1971. The delegates of the two Churches approached here particularly the topic of lifting excommunication and mutual recognition of the Saints, but the theological debates in Addis Ababa didn’t stop after this fourth unofficial consultation. Two subsequent meetings concerning the Eastern Orthodox – Oriental Orthodox dialogue took place there, which were studied to a lesser degree up to now. These are the meetings of the Inter-Orthodox Commission for the Dialogue with Old Oriental Churches, held from the 18th to 28th August 1971, and of the Orthodox Subcommittee for Dialogue with the Old Orientals, held from the 8th to 13th January 1975. Hence, the purpose of our study is to bring into discussion this three theological consultations from Addis Ababa, pointing out their contribution to the ecumenical dialogue between the Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox Churches with a particular attention for the role of the Ethiopian theologians during the discussions. In the second part of the study we shall present the reception of this theological reflections from Addis Ababa in the Eastern Orthodox theology.