The Joint Declaration on The Doctrine Of Justification And Its Pastoral Relevance in Africa With A Special Reference to the Context of The Democratic Republic of Congo
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Date
2002-02
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Tangaza University College
Abstract
A retrospective reflection in the history of the Church testifies to decades of divisions
and conflicts, the causes of this conflict are diverse. Among them, the reformation doctrine of
justification.
Understood and defined in different theological languages, this doctrine led to mutual
condemnations on both sides; the Roman Catholic Church on one side and the Lutheran
Church on the other.
In recent years, the two communions have shown a great desire for unity through
ecumenical dialogues intending to sort out differences and to overcome the mutual
condemnations. It is in this context that the Joint Declaration on Justification is to be located
besides many previous writings.
We really felt concerned and challenged by the call of the signatories who stated "We
recommend these texts for careftil study in seminaries and in parishes, and we encourage a
thorough reading of them by individual Christians. We request that common and deepening
ecumenical reflection be continued on the biblical message of justification and its meaning for
the churches, for the life of individual persons, and for human society." Our interest in this
theme is an attempt to contribute to the call of the signatories of this declaration.
Following a retrospective and analytical method, our essay is made up of three
different chapters. Each one of them deals with a specific problem but in view of one
objective. Hence, the first chapter, a bit longer than the two others, is an investigation on the
biblico-historical background of the topic.
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Keywords
Doctrine, Pastoral Relevance