The Cross at the Heart of the Church: Study in Ecumenical Recognition

by Petre Maican

Overview

Can Eastern Orthodoxy apply the term “church” to other Christian communities?

Emerging from the 2016 Pan-Orthodox Council, this issue sparked one of the most heated ebated in contemporary Eastern Orthodoxy. According to Maican, grappling with this question within the current framework of Eastern Orthodox ecclesiology presents significant challenges. In this unifying work, he argues that neither the emphasis on the Eucharist nor the adherence to the Tradition of the Fathers is capable of accommodating legitimate Christian otherness. Instead, Maican proposes a cruciform ecclesiology, positing the cross as not only foundational to doctrines and sacraments but also as the primary criterion for discerning the ecclesial nature of a community. Through dialogue with Dumitru Staniloae, Hans Urs von Balthasar and Paul Tillich, this book employs a conversationalist approach to this intricate problem. Ultimately, Maican provides a nuanced examination of the cross in ecclesiology, yielding bold propositions for recognizing the ecclesial status of other Christian communities.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780567720283
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	10/16/2025
Pages:	160
Product dimensions:	6.14(w) x 9.21(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Petre Maican is a Research Fellow in the Institute for Eastern Christian Studies at Radboud University, The Netherlands.

Table of Contents

Introduction

1. Form and Diversity in Ecclesial Context

2. The Form of Christ Crucified as the Centre of the Cosmic Church
Section 1: Form as God's Ecstasy
Section 2: The Form of Human Ecstasy

3 The Form of Christ Crucified as the Centre of the Universal Church

4 The Form of Christ Crucified as the Centre of the Church at Denominational Level

5 Unity, Diversity and Ecclesial Recognition

General Conclusion

Bibliography
Index

Editorial Reviews

Maican provides a fascinating Orthodox engagement with Catholic and Protestant ecclesiologies, resulting in a dynamic understanding of ecclesiality as transparency to the form of Christ crucified, interpreted differently in the words and actions of each denomination. The author provides a meaningful way of recognizing the ecclesial character of the other, safeguarding intra-Christian diversity as the entire world moves towards deification – an eschatological unity in which creation becomes a cosmic church. Maican's cruciform ecclesiology will surely have a resounding ecumenical impact.” —Radu Bordeianu, Duquesne University, USA

“In an age of polarization and when ecumenism is on the defensive, this book could not be more timely. Maican moves the conversation around ecclesiology and ecumenism forward by providing a model for real recognition among the churches based on the form of Christ crucified. This theotic approach to understanding "church" will especially appeal to those tired of strict borders, enclave thinking, and mutual exclusivities.” —Aristotle Papanikolaou, Professor of Theology, Archbishop Demetrios Chair in Orthodox Theology and Culture, Co-founding Director, Orthodox Christian Studies Center, Fordham University, USA

“Petre Maican's monograph on ecclesiology provides a fresh ecumenical approach to the doctrine of the Church, with special focus on Christ's self-sacrificial act on the Cross. It brings the best out of the Orthodox Christian tradition through a constructive conversation with Roman Catholic and Protestant theologies, arguing that the ecclesial character of a community is related to the way in which the community renders transparent the form of the crucified Christ found in its midst. The result is a marvellous read that will inform and inspire its readers for the years to come.” —Viorel Coman, Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Orthodox Theology, University of Bucharest, Romania

From the Publisher