Page 300 - Orthodoxy Zizioulas

O r t h o d o x y
Church. Vatican II, in particular, opened the possibility of new
interpretations of traditional Western ecclesiology, many of
which stand closer to contemporary Orthodox developments
than before. Only by placing the controversial issues within
this wider setting can the dialogue advance fruitfully.
All this requires constant vigilance, so that the divisions of
the past may be overcome without new unilateral decisions
forcing the dialogue back onto purely legalistic ground. In this
respect, developments such as the Roman Catholic Lex Fun-
damentalis become highly relevant. Creative collaboration
between Orthodox and Roman Catholic theology in working
out the ecclesiological implications of Vatican II can greatly
stimulate progress, not only in this dialogue, but indirectly in
all the other dialogues in which Orthodoxy is engaged.
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