Vatican II, Ecumenism and a Parsonian Analysis of Change

This article provides an analysis ofthe setting for and the dynamics set in motion by the Second Vatican Council, with its keynotes of ecumenism, lay participation, and personal autonomy, within a Parsonian framework for understanding processes of and mechanisms for change. Vatican II is understood as an attempt to increase the adaptive capacity ofthe Roman Catholic Church. Central to the processes ofchange set in motion by the Council are ongoing processes of inclusion and value generalization which aim toward the establishment ofa broad community, including Catholic, Protestant, Jew, and all "men ofgood will. " Potential strains and conflicts, and "fundamentalist " responses to attempted transformations are discussed within this context. The capacity for varied elements of Parsonian theory to shed light on complex contemporary change is posited and, it is hoped, illustrated. The Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) has proved to be instrumental in shaping both the contours and the spirit of the Roman Catholic Church. While the thought emerging from the Council sessions was not totally discontinuous with what had gone before, especially since the '40s and '50s within that church and in Protestant circles, the Council provided a coheren