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COMMUNALITY AS A DIMENSION OF ECUMENICAL NEGATIVISM.

An analysis of the rejection of ecumenism suggests a higher correlation with the degree of communality felt within a religious group than with other qualities associated with sectarianism (e.g., economic or educational deprivation, provincialism, etc.). The advantage of communality as an index of ec...

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Published in:Review of Religious Research Vol. 12; no. 2; pp. 111 - 115
Main Author: Hiller, Harry H.
Format: Article
Published: Sage Publications Inc. Winter71
Subjects:
Christian union
Negativism
Religious groups
Sectarianism
Personality
Social history
Online Access:View this record in EBSCOhost
Summary:An analysis of the rejection of ecumenism suggests a higher correlation with the degree of communality felt within a religious group than with other qualities associated with sectarianism (e.g., economic or educational deprivation, provincialism, etc.). The advantage of communality as an index of ecumenical negativism is that it spans theological defenses and class differences. Two middle-class Baptist groups are analyzed which demonstrate a vigorous program coupled with a high degree of primary group activity. Despite theological and socio-economic similarities, the propensity to merge is minimal. The implication is that organizatonal ecumenism threatens meaningful relationships and traditions in a mass society.