Professional paper

Cullman's Model of Unity in Diversity

Milan Špehar ; Theology in Rijeka, Dislocated Studies of Catholic Faculty of Theology, University of Zagreb, Rijeka, Croatia

Abstract

French protestant exegete and theologian Oscar Cullman in seeking new paths to unity, more effective than those of present, seeks to find a new model which relies on theologians of all Christian provenances. His model is one of unity in diversity. In achieving unity, it is necessary that diversity be accepted so as not abolish unity, but that it remain. In other words, diversity is the element that leads to unity which cannot be unity in spite of diversity, but rather unification in diversity. Cullman sees unification as something possible even now. Hence, it is necessary that the image of the church be rethought of as a community of autonomous Churches, not to abolish but to rethink the role of the pope in relation to the papacy, not as ius divinum but as ius humanum. Inside Christ's Church it is possible that there be permitted different images of the Church, i.e. various concepts of her role and mission. These differences need to be viewed as charisms that lead to unification, and not as obstacles to unity.

Keywords

unity in diversity; exegesis; communion; community of Churches; charism

Hrčak ID:

25649

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/25649

Publication date:

16.3.2004.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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