The Archbishop of Canterbury called the first series of Anglican-Orthodox conversations a ‘spiritual summer’, and the Moscow Agreed Statement of 1976 ‘it’s first-fruits’. Since then the Anglican-Orthodox Joint Doctrinal Commission has met regularly to explore each other’s faith and to seek co-operation in mission and service. Despite major setback, especially over the unresolved question of the ordination of women to the priesthood in some Anglican provinces, the conversations have continued with a greater freshness and liveliness in recent years, focusing on the central importance of rarer and its consequences for Christian Life.
The Dublin Agreed Statement, the result of eight years of discussions, reflects this emphasis on prayer and spirituality. There are important agreements on the mystery of the Church, on faith in the Trinity, on prayer and holiness, and on worship and tradition. The controversial filioque clause is examined further, and ways of reconciling age-old differences in approach are suggested. In a quite different area, the Commission asks for clarification of statements about universal primacy made in the ARCIC Final Report. The concluding epilogue summarizes the progress made since 1973 and notes the points of agreement and disagreement that have emerged.
