Emily Thomey's Nov. 30 column "A House Divided" brings up crucial issues in understanding Pope Benedict XVI, Christian ecumenism and Christian-Muslim interfaith dialogue. I worry, however, that Professor Güven Güzuldere has mischaracterized the pope. Güzeldere is correct that the pope cares deeply about ecumenical relations with Orthodoxy, but he then implies that the pope does not care deeply about ecumenical relations with Protestants.
Perhaps a better Duke Professor to speak on Pope Benedict XVI would be Geoffrey Wainwright, who worked with Benedict (as Cardinal Ratzinger) on Methodist-Catholic ecumenism for many years. According to Wainwright, "the new pope is committed to the cause of Christian unity in the truth of the Gospel." That unity does not extend solely to the Orthodox, but to Protestants, as well. I was fortunate to be present at the incorporation of the World Methodist Council into the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification this summer in Seoul, South Korea. Ecumenism between Protestantism and Catholicism is, in the eyes of many, at an all-time high.
I also suspect that Benedict is sharp enough to recognize the oversimplification of pitting Protestantism against science. Undoubtedly, there are many Protestants who have "waged war" against science, but the majority of Protestants recognize that if God truly did create the world, science is an exploration into his creation. In science, Protestants, Catholics and Orthodox Christians all see the beauty of God, and that's something I believe Benedict fully recognizes.
Nathan Jones
Trinity '09
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