THEOLOGICAL PRESENCE, ECUMENICAL RELATIONS AND INTERIOR UNITY OF ORTHODOXY

This article by Nikos Nissiotis examines the threefold articulation between theological presence, ecumenical engagement, and the internal cohesion of Orthodoxy. Belonging to the field of systematic theological study, it argues that all authentic Orthodox theology must simultaneously integrate the historical, universal, and missionary dimensions of the Church. The author analyzes the limitations of Western ecclesiologies — Roman juridism and Protestant functionalism — in order to propose an alternative grounded in a eucharistic, pneumatological, and trinitarian theology. He defends Orthodox participation in the World Council of Churches as the privileged framework for dialogue, distinct from bilateral negotiations with Rome. The principal contribution lies in a lucid self-critique of Orthodoxy itself: Nissiotis identifies ecclesial nationalism as a deviation symmetrical to Western sociologism, and formulates concrete proposals for renewing Orthodox internal unity with a view to a credible ecumenical contribution.