Announcing Mennonite/Catholic Theological Colloquium, July 20-21

How Are We “Called Together?”
A Mennonite/Catholic Theological Colloquium

July 20-21, 2005
on the campus of Eastern Mennonite University
Harrisonburg, VA

In 2004, theological exchange between Mennonites and Roman Catholics marked a historic milestone as delegations to the first international dialogue between representatives of Mennonite World Conference and the Pontifical Council for Promoting Church Unity released a final report summarizing their five years of conversation. “Called Together to be Peacemakers” (available at http://bridgefolk.net/theology) offers a common narrative of watershed events in church history especially during the 16^th and 4^th centuries. It explores theological perspectives that the two traditions both share and dispute concerning the nature of the Church, sacraments and ordinances, and peacemaking. It closes with mutual confessions of repentance for past violence and recrimination, thus inviting a “healing of memories.”

As it holds its fourth annual conference, Bridgefolk – a grassroots movement for dialogue and unity between Mennonites and Roman Catholics – invites theologians, historians and ecumenists from the two traditions to gather on the previous evening and day to reflect on what they have learned from this historic document and to explore next steps for promoting theological dialogue between Mennonites and Roman Catholics. Scholars from other churches who regularly find themselves in conversation with both traditions are also invited to attend, along with all participants in the Bridgefolk conference to follow.

The colloquium will begin on the evening of July 20 with a keynote address by John A. Lapp, church historian and former Executive Secretary of Mennonite Central Committee on “Ecumenical Dialogue as a Ministry of Reconciliation.” On July 21, the colloquium will hear theological reflections on “Called Together to Be Peacemakers” from both Mennonite and Roman Catholic ecumenists. Participants will have ample opportunity for their own responses and discussion. The meeting will conclude by exploring ways to follow through on the document’s suggestions for further study.

New resources for theological reflection

As part of a new effort by Bridgefolk to revitalize something called the “Mennonite Catholic Theological Colloquium” (MCTC) we have now put up a new page on our website, http://bridgefolk.net. You can find it by looking for the new “Theology” link on the yellow bar at the top of every page, or you can go directly to http://bridgefolk.net/theology.

Many of the links on this page have come elsewhere on our website and been reorganized. But a number of new articles are available too, marked by our usual yellow “New!” star.

Of special importance is an article by Darrin Belousek that urges Mennonites to strengthen their peace tradition by drawing on what Catholics call a “Consistent Ethic of Life.” The article appears with permission of The Mennonite Quarterly Review, where it is slated for formal publication. Editor John D. Roth invites responses to Belousek, possibly for publication. We hope this encourages the sort of conversation that the MCTC initiated a few years ago, and that we are looking to promote in new ways in the future.

Finally, an apology and a request: The resources we provide at http://bridgefolk.net/theology have simply come together as they have come to our attention. Unfortunately that results in a disproportionate number of pieces from two resources — myself and The Mennonite Quarterly Review, thanks its growing interest in ecumenical themes in the last few years. The request, then, is that you let me know whenever you become aware of significant pieces on themes of interest to both Mennonites and Catholics. I look forward to correcting any imbalance.

Gerald W. Schlabach
Bridgefolk Executive Director

First books in Bridgefolk Series published

Catholic and Mennonite theologians have been discussing two of the most difficult issues dividing their traditions—baptism and the ethics of warfare. Now their discussions have been published in a new Bridgefolk series.

On Baptism The first two volumes in the new Bridgefolk Series are now off the press. They are the results of the Mennonite Catholic Theological Colloquium, which was convened four years ago by Bridgefolk leaders Gerald Schlabach and Ivan Kauffman to stimulate conversation between Mennonite and Catholic theologians on the major issues then being discussed by the International Mennonite Catholic Dialogue.

Fifteen theologians were invited to participate in an email exchange of papers and comments over a period of months. About one third of the participants were Mennonites, a third were Catholics, and a third were persons like the conveners who had commitments to both traditions.

The first two volumes make available to the public the discussions on baptism, which took place in 2001, and the discussions of the concept of Just Policing which took place in 2002.

The lead paper in the volume on baptism is by the Catholic theologian, Frederick C. Bauerschmidt. The Mennonite response is by Thomas Finger, and there are further comments by the Mennonite scholar Alan Kreider, and others. The lead paper in the volume on just policing is by Gerald Schlabach, with a response by the Catholic theologian Joseph Capizzi. There is additional response from the Mennonite theologian J. Denny Weaver, and others.

The Bridgefolk Series is published by Pandora Press, whose director is Arnold Snyder. Both volumes are available from Pandora via their website www.pandorapress.com.

News reports on recent Mennonite-Catholic gatherings

Whether or not you were able to participate in the gatherings of Mennonites and Catholics in late July at Saint John’s Abbey, you may be interested in reading accounts of those events as they appear. A news story on the Bridgefolk gathering is to appear next week in The Mennonite Weekly Review; I will send out a link to the story when it becomes available. In the meantime here are two articles on the Martyrs Conference that took place in the days before, along with an editorial in the Mennonite Weekly Review that comments favorably on the state of Mennonite-Catholic dialogue.

“Mennonite, Catholic Scholars Consider Anabaptist Martyr Legacy,” by Robert Rhodes Mennonite Weekly Review, 16 August 2004
http://www.mennoweekly.org/AUGUST/08-16-04/MARTYRS08-16.html

“Remembering the Cloud of Witnesses: Second Ecumenical Conference on 16th-century Martyrdom” — Mennonite World Conference release from a report by Marilyn Stahl and Dirk Giseburt
http://www.mwc-cmm.org/News/MWC/040812rls3.html

“Faith’s Common Ground,” editorial by Robert Rhodes Mennonite Weekly Review, 16 August 2004
http://www.mennoweekly.org/AUGUST/08-16-04/EDIT08-16.html