Tradition as Testimony

»Tradition als Zeugnis« befasst sich mit einem Thema, das für das Verständnis des deutschenevangelisch-katholischen Dialogs und der gegenwärtigen Ökumene im Allgemeinen wesentlich ist: die Bedeutung des Zeugnisses. Zum ersten Mal wird dieses Thema nun nachvollziehbar untersucht.1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background: Different Ecumenical Approaches to Witness
1.2 The Research Question
1.3 The Research Sources
1.4 The Research Methods and the Progress of Research
1.5 The Word Families of Witness in German and English
1.6 Witness in the New Testament
1.7 Theological Approaches to the Study on Witness
1.8 Who, What and to Whom? Witness from a Communication Theory Perspective

2. WITNESS IN CONTEMPORARY DIALOGUES OF THE WCC
2.1 Witness to the Whole Creation: A Missiological Perspective
2.2 Witness Within Communion: An Ecclesiological Perspective
2.3 Conclusions

3. WITNESS IN THE DOCTRINAL TRADITIONS OF THE GERMAN DIALOGUE PARTIES
3.1 The Roman Catholic Tradition
3.2 The Evangelical Tradition
3.3 Conclusions

4. WITNESS IN THE DIALOGUES OF THE ECUMENICAL STUDY GROUP OF PROTESTANT AND CATHOLIC THEOLOGIANS (ÖAK)
4.1 Opening up Gradually to the Public (1946-1983)
4.2 Moving Past the Condemnations of the Reformation Era (1981-1994)
4.3 Affirming the Binding Testimony of the Church (1986-1998)
4.4 Focusing on the Testimony of the Ecclesial Office (2002-2008)
4.5 Applying the Theology of Witness (2007-2022)
4.6 Conclusions

5. WITNESS IN THE DIALOGUES OF THE GERMAN BISHOPS' CONFERENCE AND THE UNITED EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH OF GERMANY
5.1 Connecting Witness with Revelation Theology (1976-1984)
5.2 Defining the Ecclesial Witnessing Authorities (1987-2000)
5.3 Taking Some Steps Back in the Theology of Witness (2009-2017)
5.4 Conclusions

6. CONCLUSIONS: THE MEANINGS OF WITNESS IN CONTEMPORARY GERMAN ECUMENISM
6.1 Tradition as Testimony to Revelation
6.2 The Theological Origins and Composition of Witness
6.3 Comparison with the Global Ecumenical Tradition of the WCC
6.4 Prospects for Continued Research