Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A movement promoting unity among Christian churches or denominations.
  • noun A movement promoting worldwide unity among religions through greater cooperation and improved understanding.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun philosophy Ecumenical doctrines and practices, especially as manifested in the ecumenical movement.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a movement promoting union between religions (especially between Christian churches)
  • noun (Christianity) the doctrine of the ecumenical movement that promotes cooperation and better understanding among different religious denominations: aimed at universal Christian unity

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

ecumene +‎ -ism

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Examples

  • Although the term ecumenism is widely used outside Catholic circles to refer to efforts at mutual understanding among all religions, or even between religion and atheism, the Catholic Church treats relationships with non-Christians very differently, because non-Christians have a fundamentally different relationship with Catholics than do other baptized Christians.

    CatholicCulture.org - What You Need to Know 2009

  • But if we allow "ecumenism" to become a code word for "You do your thing and I do mine," we're in trouble.

    Archive 2007-11-01 2007

  • But if we allow "ecumenism" to become a code word for "You do your thing and I do mine," we're in trouble.

    News from the Fish Bowl 2007

  • I want to argue, however, that ecumenism is much more fundamental than that.

    2008 Election 2009

  • Unfortunately, there are some who wish to proclaim the Gospel but who think ecumenism is contrary to that task; there are also some who talk endlessly about unity but never want to address essential differences and difficulties.

    Ecumenism 2009

  • I want to argue, however, that ecumenism is much more fundamental than that.

    The Rev. Chuck Currie: 2008

  • I want to argue, however, that ecumenism is much more fundamental than that.

    U.S. Hurt By McCain’s Campaign Of Division 2008

  • I want to argue, however, that ecumenism is much more fundamental than that.

    U.S. Hurt By McCain’s Campaign Of Division 2008

  • True and rightly oriented ecumenism is not the dilution of differing doctrines, because that would ultimately mean diluting and thereby falsifying the one true Church.

    Archive 2007-02-01 2007

  • Good ecumenism is not a C.S. Lewisian reduction of Christianity to an arbitrary set of “mere” attributes in order to achieve unity.

    Archive 2007-02-01 2007

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