Author: gws

First books in Bridgefolk Series published

Catholic and Mennonite theologians have been discussing two of the most difficult issues dividing their traditions—baptism and the ethics of warfare.  Now their discussions have been published in a new Bridgefolk series.

On BaptismThe first two volumes in the new Bridgefolk Series are now off the press. They are the results of the Mennonite Catholic Theological Colloquium, which was convened four years ago by Bridgefolk leaders Gerald Schlabach and Ivan Kauffman to stimulate conversation between Mennonite and Catholic theologians on the major issues then being discussed by the International Mennonite Catholic Dialogue.

Fifteen theologians were invited to participate in an email exchange of papers and comments over a period of months. About one third of the participants were Mennonites, a third were Catholics, and a third were persons like the conveners who had commitments to both traditions.

The first two volumes make available to the public the discussions on baptism, which took place in 2001, and the discussions of the concept of Just Policing which took place in 2002.

The lead paper in the volume on baptism is by the Catholic theologian, Frederick C. Bauerschmidt.  The Mennonite response is by Thomas Finger, and there are further comments by the Mennonite scholar Alan Kreider, and others. The lead paper in the volume on just policing is by Gerald Schlabach, with a response by the Catholic theologian Joseph Capizzi.  There is additional response from the Mennonite theologian J. Denny Weaver, and others.

The Bridgefolk Series is published by Pandora Press, whose director is Arnold Snyder.  Both volumes are available from Pandora via their website www.pandorapress.com.

Remembering the Cloud of Witnesses: 2nd Ecumenical Conference on 16th-century Martyrdom

PRESS RELEASE
Mennonite World Conference
August 12, 2004

COLLEGEVILLE, Minnesota — Mennonite and Catholic historians and theologians continued the study of 16th-century religious martyrdom that began last year. Discussions at Saint John’s Abbey, a Benedictine monastery in Minnesota, July 26-28, included plans to form an ecumenical institute for on-going scholarly research on this topic.

The conference was entitled, “Sixteenth century martyrdom in ecumenical perspective.” Ivan Kauffman, a Washington, D.C.-based writer and one of the conference organizers, provided this framework: “The church today stands between a past marred by extensive violence and a future committed to peacemaking. We must somehow connect our historical past to our very different future.”

Sixteenth-century martyrdom became a topic of ecumenical discussion when, in 1998, the Mennonite World Conference entered into a five-year dialogue with the Vatican’s Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity. Two major contributors to the international dialogue, Drew Christiansen, S.J., and Helmut Harder, spoke at this year’s martyrs conference.

Full story

World Needs “The Spirit of Assisi,” Peace, Not Violence

VATICAN CITY, SEP 8, 2004 (VIS) – Made public today was a Message from Pope John Paul to Cardinal Walter Kasper, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, asking him to greet the representatives of Churches, ecclesial communities and the great religions of the world who met in Milan from September 5 to 7 on the theme “Religions and Cultures: The Courage of a New Humanism.” The Pope also saluted the organizers of this meeting, including Cardinal Dionigi Tettamanzi, archbishop of Milan and the community of Sant’Egidio. Continue reading “World Needs “The Spirit of Assisi,” Peace, Not Violence” →

Marlene Kropf, new Bridgefolk co-chair

We are pleased to announce that Marlene Kropf, one of our co-founders, has accepted the invitation of the Bridgefolk board to become our new co-chair.

Abbot John Klassen continues as our other co-chair.

Marlene Kropf is Associate Professor of Spiritual Formation and Worship at Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary (Elkhart, Indiana) and Assistant Director of the Congregational and Ministerial Leadership Team for Mennonite Church USA.  As part of that assignment, she serves as Minister of Worship for the denomination.  She is an ordained minister in the Mennonite Church.

Marlene and her husband Stanley are members of Belmont Mennonite Church (Elkhart).

More coverage of Bridgefolk

In the last “Bridgefolk Brief” we promised to share a link to a article in the Mennonite Weekly Review on our recent gathering at Saint John’s Abbey, once it became available.  In fact, MWR editor Robert Rhodes has three articles in the new issue (or at least the on-line edition) plus a collection of photographs on the abbey.  Here are the links:

“Dialogue mirrors desire to seek more liturgical forms”
http://www.mennoweekly.org/AUGUST/08-23-04/LITURGY08-23.html

“Encounter with Mennonites changed abbot’s outlook on peace”
http://www.mennoweekly.org/AUGUST/08-23-04/TRAPPIST08-23.html

“Mennonites answer the call to become Benedictine oblates”
http://www.mennoweekly.org/AUGUST/08-23-04/OBLATES08-23.html

Photo gallery:”
A place apart: St. John’s Abbey offers help in building a bridge between traditions”
http://www.mennoweekly.org/AUGUST/08-23-04/SJUphotosA08-23.html

News reports on recent Mennonite-Catholic gatherings

Whether or not you were able to participate in the gatherings of Mennonites and Catholics in late July at Saint John’s Abbey, you may be interested in reading accounts of those events as they appear.  A news story on the Bridgefolk gathering is to appear next week in The Mennonite Weekly Review; I will send out a link to the story when it becomes available.  In the meantime here are two articles on the Martyrs Conference that took place in the days before, along with an editorial in the Mennonite Weekly Review that comments favorably on the state of Mennonite-Catholic dialogue.

“Mennonite, Catholic Scholars Consider Anabaptist Martyr Legacy,” by Robert Rhodes Mennonite Weekly Review,  16 August 2004
http://www.mennoweekly.org/AUGUST/08-16-04/MARTYRS08-16.html

“Remembering the Cloud of Witnesses: Second Ecumenical Conference on 16th-century Martyrdom”  — Mennonite World Conference release from a report by Marilyn Stahl and Dirk Giseburt
http://www.mwc-cmm.org/News/MWC/040812rls3.html

“Faith’s Common Ground,” editorial by Robert Rhodes Mennonite Weekly Review, 16 August 2004
http://www.mennoweekly.org/AUGUST/08-16-04/EDIT08-16.html

Confession and Forgiveness Mark Anabaptist-Reformed Conference

NEWS RELEASE
Mennonite World Conference

For Immediate Release
July 9, 2004

Zurich, Switzerland – Christians from the Zwinglian Reform tradition and the Anabaptist global church confessed sins that separated them 500 years ago and extended forgiveness to each other at an event called “remarkable and memorable.” Settings for the Reformed-Anabaptist Reconciliation Conference were the Grossmunster and nearby Limmat River in the city of Zurich on June 26.

Throughout the day, some 400 people, representing four continents and the two traditions, took steps toward new understanding of what drove them apart and new relationships as brothers and sisters with a common vision.

Full story

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