Catholicity and the Church

"Catholicity" - the whole truth, the fulness of life and the universality of salvation in Christ within the Church is the author's point of reference as he discusses the nature of the Church in its inner life, in its ecumenical relationships and in its relations with the world at large. By placing the words catholicity and Church side by side, Fr Meyendorff focuses attention on the problems created by their opposition to each other while affirming that, There is no way in which one can claim to be a Christian except through concrete membership in the Catholic Church and through a continuous effort at manifesting in the Catholic Church and through a continuous effort at manifesting the catholicity of the Church.

From this perspective, Meyendorff deals with creation and revelation, the nature and role of Christian history and tradition, ecumenical issues as seen against Protestant and Roman tendencies, and Orthodox ecclesiology and mission. Each subject is treated concretely as the author relates the catholic tradition to issues, practices and thought patterns of our contemporary age. This excellent volume is an important contribution to Christian witness and dialogue in an ecumenical context.

Fr John Meyendorff was Professor of Church History and Patristics at St Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary, and professor of History at Fordham University, NY.John Meyendorff