Pope Francis attends an event in Malmo, Sweden, commemorating the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation. DePaul University’s Center for World Catholicism and Intercultural Theology will host a conference on the Reformation and its lingering impact on Asia, Latin America and Africa. (CNS/Paul Haring)
CHICAGO — In 1517, Martin Luther nailed a proclamation to a church
door in Wittenberg, Germany and launched the Protestant Reformation. Five
hundred years later, speakers from India, Nigeria, Brazil, Chile and Sri Lanka
will gather at DePaul University to address the lingering repercussions of the
Reformation on Christianity, particularly in the global South.
“Christians
all over the world are using this anniversary to take stock of where we have
come over the last five centuries,” said William Cavanaugh, professor of
Catholic Studies and director of the Center for World Catholicism and
Intercultural Theology at DePaul.
The center will host its conference during World
Catholicism Week, April 28-30, on DePaul’s Lincoln Park Campus. Events will be
held in the Student Center, 2250 N. Sheffield Ave. Though the conference is
free and open to the public, registration is required at http://bit.ly/WCWeek2017.
“Over the
last 50 years, Protestants and Catholics have taken important steps toward
healing the divisions among Christians, but a lot of work remains to be done,
especially in the global South, where there is often intense competition for
adherents,” Cavanaugh said.
Speakers will explore ecumenism — promoting
unity among the world’s Christian churches. Topics include grassroots
competition and cooperation, theological resources for promoting solidarity,
the official ecumenical dialogues sponsored by the churches, and the ecumenism
of martyrdom.
“Most of the presenters come from the global South, and all
have participated in and written about ecumenical relations there,” said
Cavanaugh. Scheduled keynote speakers include:
- Teresa Okure, a prominent African Catholic theologian, will
discuss Jesus’ perspective of promoting unity among the world's Christian
churches.
- Felix Wilfred, a scholar from India, will present on the
future of ecumenism through the lens of postcolonial theories.
- Paul Murray of Durham University in the United Kingdom leads an
international movement called Receptive Ecumenism. He will discuss formal
ecumenism, receptive ecumenism and the diverse local churches of the global
Catholic Communion.
“Greater
ecumenical understanding has not just been an option but a requirement for
Catholics since the Second Vatican Council in the 1960s,” said Cavanaugh. “Catholics
have been urged to seek the unity of Christians because oneness is an essential
mark of Christ's church.”
The
Center for World Catholicism and Intercultural Theology was founded at DePaul
University in 2008 to produce research that will serve the church and the
academy. To fulfill this mission, the center has paid special attention to the
world church that has emerged since the Second Vatican Council and its growth
in Africa, Asia and Latin America. While the focus has been on the present
global communion of faith, the center also attends to historical, theological
and cultural questions that will contribute to a fuller understanding of
Catholicism and the dialogue of cultures today. More information is available
at http://las.depaul.edu/cwcit.
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Source:
William Cavanaugh
wcavana1@depaul.edu
773-325-7680
Media
contact:
Kristin
Claes Mathews
kristin.mathews@depaul.edu
312-362-7735