Prominent theologians are noting that the two of the most defining themes for the global Church in the twenty first century will be ecumenicalism and the theology of religions.
Ecumenicalism is the move of the global church to being one (Roman Catholics, Luterans, Eastern Orthodox, Protestants, etc..)
Theology of Religions is understanding how we relate to other religions in the context of living out the faith of Jesus of Christ.
I think that the rise of these two are by no accident, which is exactly my observation: As religious pluralism becomes more apparent in our world, it is natural that the pressures that it brings to the church of exclusive claims, will force the Church to come together. Just like for any individual Christian, it is the pressure which causes maturity within. In addition, just like the phenomenon of persecution, that pressure is directly related with identity, as in who is really Christian and who really isn’t will be determined by who comes out of the fire.
And as the global pressure mounts against the church, I believe we will begin witnessing a radical maturation process in the church in the way she understands herself and how we get along with other Christians.
