Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Evangelical
A Call for Universal Communion (among Orthodox Christians)

A Call for Universal Communion (among Orthodox Christians)

Last updated on: March 17, 2023 at 11:17 am by Roger E. Olson

0 Comments

A Call for Universal Communion (among Orthodox Christians) 2023-03-17T11:17:23-05:00 Roger E. Olson

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

The divisions among Christians is a tragedy and not pleasing to God. Jesus prayed to the Father than his disciples would be one, even as he and the father were one. Surely neither Jesus nor the apostles envisioned a future in which Christians would be so divided.

However, I’m a realist (maybe a pessimist) and don’t see any hope for one world Christian church. Denominations (whatever people call them) are here to stay. (See my book The Handbook of Denominations in the United States, 14th edition, Abingdon Press.) Sure, there have been amalgamations, ecumenical unions, but each one has led to some churches of the uniting denominations leaving to for their own, separate, new denomination. Trust me, I know what I’m talking about.

Also, I think it’s perfectly alright for groups of Christians to have their own particular viewpoints on doctrines and practices—up to a point. That point is adherence to the Bible as God’s Word written, to Jesus Christ as God incarnate, and to God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit, three somethings (I don’t know how we can get away from the words “three persons” but I recognize the problems with that), eternally existing and equal in every way, and salvation by grace through faith provided solely by God because of the death of his Son Jesus on the cross. And I would add the resurrection of Jesus including the empty tomb.

I simply do not understand why some denominations and churches practice closed communion. Many do. If you do not belong to them, you may not partake of the eucharist, the Lord’s Supper, communion, even if you are a devout, believing, orthodox Christian repentant of sins and seeking God’s forgiveness and sanctifying grace. To me, that is sectarianism and breaks God’s heart.

This is probably a legend, but I heard about a Catholic chaplain who was serving the eucharist to a group of school kids, teens, at a Catholic school. Some Protestant students attended the school and the chaplain forgot to tell the students that only Catholics could take the Eucharist. Some Protestant students processed forward and took the elements. The chaplain was confessing this to his bishop. He stopped at the point where the Protestant students were coming forward without knowing they were supposed to cross their arms and receive a blessing but not the bread and wine. The bishop said to the chaplain “What did you do?” The chaplain responded, “Well, I asked myself what Jesus would do.” The bishop responded with outrage “You didn’t!”

But Catholics are by far NOT the only Christian group that practices closed communion, communion only for members. Some Baptist groups practice closed communion. So do some very conservative Lutherans and Presbyterians. And, of course, so do the Eastern Orthodox churches.

Why? The usual answer is because people of other Christian traditions, even if they are in communion with God by God’s grace, do not understand the reality, meaning and significance of communion rightly and therefore cannot take it. The irony is that in 1 Corinthians the Apostle Paul warns against taking communion unworthily and singles out those who are seeking to divide the Body of Christ as those who are unworthy.

That is what I believe Paul meant and I’m not going to change my mind, so don’t bother arguing with me about it.

I have no problem with denominations; I have a big problem with closed communion. I see no need for ecumenical reunion of Christians in the sense of seeking “one visible and institutional church.”

I was once invited to an ecumenical meeting led by theologians Carl Braaten and Robert Jenson. There were Catholics, Lutherans, Eastern Orthodox, Congregationalists and other theologians and even some bishops there. Almost all were well-known theologians and church leaders. It became clearer as the weekend progressed that Braaten and Jenson were aiming at the formation of one, visible and institutional church and that a major obstacle was closed communion. When my turn to speak came, I told them that I was a member of a moderate Baptist church that practiced open communion and that any of them could come to my church and take communion and that we would even have no problem with most, if not all, of them preaching from our pulpit.

Most of them looked shocked and even dismayed as I explained that I saw no need for “one visible and institutional church” but that I did see a need for intercommunion among true Christians of any and all denominations.

I am tremendously bothered by churches that practice closed communion. No, I’m not advocating absolutely open, universal communion without restrictions to authentic Christians. But by “universal and open communion” I mean trans-denominational communion open to all believers of any and no denominational identity.

As I see it, the scandal is not separate denominations; it’s sectarianism that manifests when denominations claim to be “the only real Christians” and/or practice closed communion. Just stop it.

*Note: If you choose to comment, make sure your comment is relatively brief (no more than 100 words), on topic, addressed to me, civil and respectful (not hostile or argumentative), and devoid of pictures and links.*

Uncategorized

Previous Post

March 14, 2023

Is America Now “Decadent” (as Khrushchev predicted)?

Next Post

March 23, 2023 Whatever Happened to Common Sense?

Recent Comments

0 | Leave a Comment

"“Secular” means non-religious. No religion is embraced by American society anymore. Christianity remains the leading ..."

Roger Olson

Billy Graham’s Successor?

"I will look him up. Never heard of him."

Roger Olson

Billy Graham’s Successor?

"Where and when and how did I “support” a leader or church…? I said I ..."

Roger Olson

I’m Proud of Adam Hamilton (and ..."

"4-5% of the population is atheist or literally 'secular' not the entire country.Thats a really ..."

davidt

Billy Graham’s Successor?

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Against Liberal Theology Uncategorized

Select a Month November 2026 October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What was the name of the sea that Moses parted?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Sea of Galilee Jordan River Dead Sea Red Sea