Jean-Jacques von Allmen

This article is the transcript of a conference paper presented by the Reformed theologian Jean-Jacques von Allmen at the Theological Academy of Sofia in 1964. The author sets out, in a personal capacity but with the concern of representing his tradition, what the Reformed Churches may legitimately expect from the Orthodox Churches within the framework of ecumenical dialogue. Rejecting the oversimplification that schematically opposes "Catholicism" and "Protestantism," von Allmen identifies five areas where the Orthodox contribution would be decisive: Mariology, the theology of the icon, the non-verbal witness of the Church, sacramental eschatology, and the question of the *Filioque*. He further articulates two specific expectations: that the Orthodox Churches help the Reformed Churches to recover a vivid awareness of their ecclesiality, and that they contribute to rebalancing Western ecumenical dialogue by inviting Rome to reconsider the ecclesial legitimacy of the Churches born of the Reformation.

This article by Reformed theologian Jean-Jacques von Allmen examines the theological significance of Christian worship from three complementary angles. Adopting a systematic approach grounded in New Testament exegesis, the author first establishes the christological foundation of worship, showing that the entire life of Jesus constitutes a fulfilled liturgy. He then addresses the presence of Christ in worship and the role of the epiclesis, emphasizing that this presence is real but not at our disposal, invoked rather than provoked. The article defends the Orthodox position of placing the epiclesis after the words of institution, seeing in this a theologically coherent expression of divine freedom and a robust pneumatology. The main contribution lies in the notion of recapitulation: worship summarizes and reactualizes the history of salvation in its past, present, and eschatological dimensions, through the work of the Holy Spirit.