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Perspectie 38 Viorel Coman MA the Center for Catholic Studies of Duhram University. 9 According to the coiner of the notion of ‘receptive ecumenism’, the basic principle of this approach is “that considerable further ecumenical progress is indeed possible but only if each tradition, both singly and jointly, makes a clear, programmatic shift from prioritising the question ‘what do our various others first need to learn from us?’ to asking instead ’what do we need to learn and what can we learn – or receive –with integrity from our others?’” 10 In other words, the question “how might they become more like us so that divisions might be eased?” needs to be replaced with the following one: “How might we become more like them in diverse particular ways so that specific difficulties we experience in our own thought and practice might be eased?” 11 That being so, the project of receptive ecumenism encourages each tradition to develop even more the sense of self-criticism and to show increased gratitude for the gifts of God shown in the other. The key assumption at issue in receptive ecumenism is that the old strategy in ecumenism which struggled to achieve unity among different Churches through a clarification of the doctrinal misunderstandings and conflicts of the past proved to be unfortunately unrealistic and without significant positive results so far. For this reason, a new strategy which addresses creatively the disagreements between traditions in light of learning from one’s ecumenical other is extremely needed. Unlike the old form of ecumenism, the primary strategy of receptive ecumenism is to promote growth within each of the traditions rather than directly between them. 12 As a matter of fact, the conviction of receptive ecumenism is that if each tradition reimagines itself in light of the principle of learning and receiving from other traditions, even independently from one another, then changes will take place on many levels and even a common mind on disputed doctrinal matters would be perhaps achieved easier. If all traditions were asked to implement the receptive ecumenism’s methodology seriously and act upon it, then all 9 See: Paul Murray (ed.), Receptive Ecumenism and the Call to Catholic Learning: Exploring a Way for Contemporary Ecumenism (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008). 10 Paul Murray, “Receptive Ecumenism and Ecclesial Learning: Receiving Gifts for our Needs,” Louvain Studies 33:1-2 (2008), 32. 11 Paul Murray, “Receptive Ecumenism and Ecclesial Learning”, 32. 12 Paul Murray, “Receptive Ecumenism and Ecclesial Learning”, 39.