ecumenism
The movement or principle aimed at promoting unity, cooperation, and understanding among different Christian denominations or broader religious groups.
Specifically associated with Christian inter-denominational unity, though sometimes broadened to general interreligious harmony.
Word relationships
- ecumenicism: An alternative variant with identical meaning, though 'ecumenism' is far more widely used.
- unity: Unity is a general term for oneness, whereas ecumenism specifically targets corporate unity among divided religious bodies.
- sectarianism: Sectarianism involves rigid division between factions, opposing ecumenical cooperation.
Commonly confused with
- interfaith: Interfaith connects completely different religions (e.g., Islam and Buddhism), whereas ecumenism traditionally focuses on unity among branches within the same religion (such as Christian denominations).
Word family
- ecumenical (adjective): Promoting or relating to unity among different Christian churches or religions.
- ecumenist (noun): An advocate of ecumenism.
Collocations
- ecumenism movement
- promote ecumenism
- christian ecumenism
- spirit of ecumenism
Example sentences
- "The Christian council endorsed ecumenism by holding joint prayer services among Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant leaders." Theological Discourse
Memory hook
Think of 'eco' (home/world) + 'men' (people): ecumenism brings all people in the inhabited world's faith home together. Oikoumene = whole world coming together in faith.
When not to use
Do not use for general secular political alliances; it is strictly a theological and religious term.
Fun facts
- The World Council of Churches, founded in 1948, is the largest international organization dedicated explicitly to ecumenism.
Related words
Explore more words
ecumenical, syncretism, multicultural, reformation, reconciliation, consensus
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