Ecumenical lessons of history : the Polish example

Kopiec, Piotr (author)

From its outset, the ecumenical movement struggled with a problem of memories, particularly concerning collective memories of nations. The first ecumenical gatherings had to bridge the wounds of remembrance of people who belonged to different and often hostile nations. Nevertheless, this early experience had helped elaborate teaching that later became a theological ‘vaccine ’ for the following decades of ecumenical strivings. Ecumenism needs this vaccine, since existential and spiritual clashes of fidelity to Jesus’s call to unity and loyalty to national identity still happen. The article aims to showcase the work of two Polish ecumenists who advocated for Christian unity and, at the same time, for reconciliation between Poland and its neighbours during the communist epoch. An extensive outline of the ecumenical theory on nationalism, nation, relationships between nations and the Church, and reconciliation among nations precedes the presentation.

• Language: English
• Keywords: ecumenism, history, remembrance, reconciliation
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: TEOF - Theological Faculty
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Publication date: 01.01.2025
• Year: 2025
• Number of pages: Str. 75-96
• Numbering: Letn. 80, št. 2
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-177633
• UDC: 27-675(438)
• ISSN on article: 2335-4127
• DOI: 10.34291/Edinost/80/02/Kopiec
• COBISS.SI-ID: 262144771
• Publication date in RUL: 30.12.2025

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Edinost in dialog : revija za ekumensko teologijo in medreligijski dialog = Unity and dialogue : journal for ecumenical theology and interreligious dialogue
• Publisher: Založba Univerze v Ljubljani, Teološka fakulteta Univerze v Ljubljani, Enota v Mariboru in Inštitut Stanka Janežiča za dogmatično, osnovno in ekumensko teologijo ter religiologijo in dialog
• ISSN: 2335-4127
• COBISS.SI-ID: 268194560

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Title: Ekumenske izkušnje iz zgodovine : poljski primer

Abstract

Od svojega začetka se je ekumensko gibanje soočalo s problemom spominov, zlasti kolektivnih spominov narodov. Prva ekumenska srečanja so morala premostiti spominske rane ljudi, ki so pripadali različnim in pogosto sovražnim narodom. Kljub temu je ta zgodnja izkušnja pomagala oblikovati nauk, ki je pozneje postal teološko »cepivo« za naslednja desetletja ekumenskih prizadevanj. Ekumenizem to cepivo potrebuje, saj se eksistencialna in duhovna trenja med zvestobo Jezusovemu klicu k edinosti in zvestobo narodni identiteti še vedno pojavljajo. Članek želi predstaviti delo dveh poljskih ekumenistov, ki sta si prizadevala za krščansko edinost in hkrati za spravo med Poljsko in njenimi sosedami v času komunistične dobe. Predstavitvi sledi obsežen oris ekumenske teorije o nacionalizmu, narodu, odnosih med narodi in Cerkvijo ter o spravi med narodi.

• Keywords: ekumenizem, zgodovina, spomin, sprava