The ecumenical vision of the apostle Paul and its relevance for contemporary search for full unity of all Christians

The current study seeks to examine the contribution of the apostle Paul to the search for the unity of all Christians. The study aims at addressing the following set of questions: what is Paul's vision for Christian unity? What is his precise contribution to the unity of the early Christian community? In which ways is Paul's vision of, and his contribution to Christian unity still relevant, and even necessary for the contemporary quest for the full visible unity of the church? The main thesis that lurks in the background of this study is that Paul's vision of Christian unity is deeply Christocentric and that even if the Pauline Churches experienced unity in their diversity, such unity was a dynamic process leading up to full communion. The study proceeds in four moments: In the first place, the study explores Paul's view of Christian unity. Secondly, the study investigates the central aspects of Paul's ecumenical legacy in view of establishing his contribution towards the unity of Christians. Thirdly, the research investigates the significance of Paul's vision of Christian unity for contemporary search for full and visible unity. Finally, the study concludes with some remarks and challenging insights for those engaged in ecumenical dialogues. © 2011 Brill