CHARLESTON — The interdenominational group LARCUM will host Cardinal Avery Dulles at the Casey Center at the Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary in Columbia. The Lutheran, Anglican, Roman Catholic, United Methodist alliance continually strives to seek unity within Christian churches. Cardinal Dulles will speak at 9 a.m. on Sept. 29 on the historic Roman Catholic-Lutheran “Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification.”
The cardinal, a Jesuit priest, is the Laurence J. McGinley Professor of Religion and Society at Fordham University. The son of the former U.S. Secretary of State John Foster Dulles and Janet Pomeroy Avery Dulles is an advisor to the Committee on Doctrine of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops and an associate fellow of the Woodstock Theological Center in Washington. He has written more than 650 articles on theological topics and 21 books including Models of the Church, A Testimony to Grace, and The New World of Faith.
Cardinal Dulles’ presentation will be followed by a response from the Lutheran perspective by Dr. David S. Yeago, professor of systematic theology at the seminary.
Cardinal Dulles’ presentation will be followed by a response from the Lutheran perspective by Dr. David S. Yeago, professor of systematic theology at the seminary. A question-and-answer session and a panel discussion with members of LARCUM affiliates will take place after Yeago’s response.
The “Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification” represents a groundbreaking agreement on an issue that had divided Lutherans and Roman Catholics since the Reformation. The declaration acknowledges a consensus in basic truths regarding the doctrine of justification and holds that the mutual doctrinal condemnations of the past do not apply to the teaching on justification set forth in the declaration.
Registration for the meeting is $15, and the deadline is Sept. 21. Checks should be made payable to LARCUM 2001 and sent, with registrant’s name, mailing address, telephone and denomination, to The Office of Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs, c/o Melissa Walker, P.O. Box 2048, Columbia, SC 29202-2048. For more information, contact Walker at (803) 779-1801.