Christian Unity

Reviewed by: Christian Unity: How You Can Make a Difference by Thomas Ryan Larry Golemon Thomas Ryan, Christian Unity: How You Can Make a Difference. New York and Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 2015. Pp. 212. $22.95, paper. Ryan’s new book brings the challenge and promise of contemporary ecumenism to every local parish and church leader. He has the unique gift of blending ecumenical history, church dialogues, personal interviews, and his own rich experience to convince us that ecumenism is far from dead but lives in a myriad of locales and levels: from local churches and interchurch couples to social- action networks and theological schools. In this readable and practical book, Ryan brings his experience as a seminarian, ecumenical program director, and now ecumenical officer for the Paulists to mine the riches of ecumenism for local clergy, laity, and their churches. Ryan defines Christian unity (chaps. 1–2) in fairly traditional but personal terms. Simply put, it is Jesus’ “desire and prayer” for all his followers, which is echoed by St. Paul, deepened by the ecumenical movement, and energized by the Roman Catholic Church, as guided by Vatican II. He applauds the recent emphasis on “unity in diversity” as a faithful witness to Jesus’ embrace of Jew and gentile and to a social view of the Trinity. He makes a compelling case for a church united in and through distinct traditions of Christian life and worship— from Protestant and Pentecostal to Catholic and Orthodox. This emphasis on unity in diversity allows Ryan to make some bold claims. For example (chaps. 3–4), he calls on interchurch couples to promote ecumenical hospitality in their local churches, including the sharing of the eucharist under certain conditions. He calls on parishes to extend that hospitality to other Christians by inviting them to common prayer, study, and witness. In short, he argues for a “grassroots” ecumenism, rooted in practical mission and spirituality, that any congregation, clergy council, or lay organization can take up. One of the most informative sections of the book (chaps. 5–7) highlights the ecumenical charisms and work of various communities dedicated to Christian [End Page 310] unity. Ryan offers cameos of the Catholic Focolare movement and the Franciscan friars at Graymoor, the Protestant order of Taizé in France and the New Monastics in North America, and the Eastern Orthodox Syndesmos youth fellowship, to name a few. He shares a stirring interview with leaders of a faith- based community-action group in Virginia, and he highlights centers of ecumenical learning in Geneva, Rome, Canterbury, and North America, all of which offer resources to local church leaders. They remind us that the first step toward greater unity is the “recognition of [other] Christians as Christians” (p. 106). While Ryan offers a distinctly Catholic voice, he reaches out to Christians of all traditions and contexts. In the end (chaps. 8–9), he calls on all of us to open ourselves “to the transformative power of the Holy Spirit” through a “spiritual ecumenism” defined by repentance, conversions, and a newfound holiness dedicated to greater unity. Only then can local churches, religious communities, and centers of mission and education be gathered into a Spirit-filled, kairos moment that gathers them into a churchwide movement once again. [End Page 311] Larry Golemon Washington Theological Consortium, Washington, DC Copyright © 2016 Journal of Ecumencial Studies

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