Introduction: Dangerous Ecumenism for a Divided World

Our contention was that ecumenism becomes stale when it becomes too safe—when it chooses to ponder the mechanics of institutional joinery between ecclesial bodies whose differences are nonthreatening rather than addressing the critical issues that often bitterly divide Christians today. Mainstream ecumenical work has moved from being a dangerous crossing of heated division and has become a tame, nonthreatening branch of theological and ecclesial practice—a means of achieving institutional proximity with Christians whom we basically already trust and recognize. If ecumenism becomes merely about working out corporate mergers or affiliations between different ecclesial entities that are themselves still undergoing bitter schisms, then it loses credibility.