Moving into the Ecumenical Future

“As divisions define our age, consume our churches, and deplete our energies, Father Crossin challenges us to follow Jesus into God’s promised future. Prayer, communal discernment, attentiveness to relationships, and serving the common good mark our way. May we heed his call to develop an ecumenical, ethical paradigm for our Spirit-led journey.”


—Mark S. Hanson, presiding bishop emeritus, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America





“With uncommon clarity and warmth, Fr. John Crossin provides a panorama of the ecumenical movement for both novice and seasoned ecumenists. This experienced psychologist, spiritual director, and ‘ecumenical enthusiast’ shows us how to participate in the work of the Spirit in bringing Christians together today. Crossin invites us to engage in dialogue, collaboration, and the development of ecumenical ethical paradigms. He does this in that same gentle, respectful, ecumenical style of St. Francis de Sales.”


—Denis J. Madden, auxiliary bishop emeritus, Archdiocese of Baltimore





“Personal and readable, Crossin offers a map of the ecumenical journey that forms an ecumenical ethic and spirituality for the divided global world. This is a gift to ecumenists engaged in ecumenical dialogue, to those teaching and studying in seminaries, and, of course, to church leaders.”


—Timothy F. Sedgwick, Virginia Theological Seminary, emeritus





“This is a book of hope and summons. Where many despair that differences on moral teaching must inhibit ecumenical growth, John Crossin musters multidisciplinary hosts of resources to root dialogical openness at the heart of mature Christian life. Then, as a moral theologian, he proposes steps forward on the way toward unifying (while appropriately diverse) witness on the unavoidable matters of how to live—all with humility, love, and trust in the Spirit of God.”


—Kathryn Johnson, former director for ecumenical & inter-religious relations, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America





Overall, Crossin has provided a helpful resource for those who are engaged or wish to engage in ecumenical dialogue. His sketching out of a moral paradigm around


which many traditions might gather and enter into


dialogue is an important contribution to the ecumenical movement. The deeply spiritual nature of his approach positions ecumenical engagement as an important element of the journey of faith we are called to and as a part of what it means to love God and one another. This also serves effectively as an invitation to readers to participate. Additionally, Crossin models the approach to dialogue he calls for, especially in his use of a wide range of Christian sources, his intentionally interdisciplinary engagement with the various topics he addresses, and in his willingness to consider room for growth in his own Catholic tradition. This book is likely to be beneficial to Christians interested in engaging in ecumenical dialogue, especially ministers. It will also be a productive text for seminary classrooms, as the ministers of the future will need to be prepared for robust ecumenical engagement


—Ecumenical Trends