Receptive Ecumenism and Discerning the Sensus Fidelium : Expanding the Categories for a Catholic Reception of Revelation

Abstract

The benefits of the approach of “receptive ecumenism” are becoming increasingly appreciated within ecumenical circles. A primary focus is the way a particular Christian tradition can learn from another and, in a mutual exchange of gifts, receive gifts that have not been part of one’s own tradition. This essay views this dynamic in terms of recognizing differing “senses of the faith” that the Holy Spirit has brought forth within the baptized of different churches. It proposes that Catholic discernment of the sensus fidelium, as presupposed in Lumen Gentium 12, should also include the sensus fidei of other Christians, and that ecumenical dialogues play a crucial role in that ecclesial discernment.