RÜCKBLICK AUF DIE GESPRÄCHE ZWISCHEN DER EKD UND DEN ORIENTALISCH-ORTHODOXEN KIRCHEN 1983-1994
REVIEW OF THE TALKS BETWEEN THE EKD AND THE ORIENTAL ORTHODOX CHURCHES 1983-1994

Summary/Abstract: Since 1983, representatives of the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD) and the Oriental Orthodox Churches have met for theological consultations and other bilateral talks. While the attention of the participating commissions was initially on the Christological consensus that was emerging between the two Orthodox church families and finally achieved, the conversation soon shifted to bilateral topics of both church families such as coexistence with Islam or the challenge posed by secularization. For years, a standing committee has accompanied and coordinated the cooperation between the two church families in Germany, which meets at least once a year. Unfortunately, the so called "Nestorians" (the members of the Apostolic Assyrian Church of the East) have not been included in the talks to this day. On the other hand, a common Christological formula could be decided at the 3rd consultation in1991, a standing committee set up as a result of the 4th consultation in 1994and, in view of the Iraq war, a joint press statement against the war was published at the 5th consultation in 2003. However, these interim results cannot hide the fact that there is still a long way to go to further understanding of the content.

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