Biblical Foundations and Theological Vision of the Ecumenical Movement
What is ‘Ecumenism’?
The origin of the English word ecumenical is the ancient Greek oikoumene. The root of this word is oikos, a house, and its original meaning relates to those who live together in a household.
By a process of extension it came to refer to the whole inhabited earth. This is a similar journey to that undertaken by another word coming from the root of oikos, economy, which began as the management of the household.
The New Testament uses the word oikoumene (oikoumenh) in the sense of the whole inhabited earth in several places. To give some well-known examples:
Then the devil led him up and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world (oikoumenhz).(Luke 4:5)
In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world (oikoumenh) should be registered.(Luke 2:1)
And this good news of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the world (oikoumenh), as a testimony to all the nations; and then the end will come.(Matt 24:14)
Ecumenical as used for the first councils of the Ancient Church
The word “ecumenical” acquired its ecclesiastical connotations through the name being applied to the early councils of the church from the Council of Nicaea in 325.
The word ecumenical when applied to Nicaea and subsequent councils became associated with that which is authoritative and valid throughout the whole Church.
An ecumenical council becomes understood as a body which speaks on behalf of the whole Church.
