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s2smodern

There is nothing new about divisions in the Church, and all of us could tell stories of Christians faced with interdenominational tensions.That is the message of a new book by a leading Jesuit scripture scholar that would be an appropriate read during this Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (18 - 25 January).

In The Scandal of Christian Disunity, Fr Nick King SJ argues that the Church has an absolute duty to proclaim the gospel - especially today; however, it is always vital that we check that it is indeed the gospel that we are trying to preach, since we are fallible and sinful and can get it wrong.

The first chapter of Fr King’s book (The mystery of anti-ecumenism) considers the scandal of Christian disunion, and in particular the mystery whereby perfectly good people seem content to live with the scandal. He then looks at each of the 27 documents that constitute the New Testament and demonstrates that the writers were well aware of the possibility of divisions in the Church.

In additon to detailed analysis of the Gospels, he looks at how Paul and his supporters attended to divisions, especially in his correspondence with the Christians in Corinth and Rome; and how conflicts were dealt with in the Acts of the Apostles.The early Christian had a way of coping with the divisions, he concludes, by keeping their eyes on God and on Jesus.

Marian devotion

The final part of the book considers one particular issue that divides Christians of the Roman Catholic Church from other Christians: Marian devotion - the role given to Mary the mother of Jesus, and in particular to the two teachings about her Immaculate Conception and her Assumption. The chapter contemplates whether the Catholic position represents an unbridgeable gap for Christians from other traditions.

Fr Nick King SJ currently teaches Biblical Studies at Heythrop College University of London. Prior to that, he taught for many years in South Africa, and then at Oxford University. After a sabbatical year as a Visiting Professor at the School of Theology and Ministry at Boston College, he was Academic Director of Theology at St Mary’s University, Twickenham. He is renowned for his translations and commentaries on the Scriptures, including the Psalms and the Gospels. The Scandal of Christian Disunity is published by Kevin Mayhew at £17.99.

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s2smodern