The Sacramentality of the Word of God  by Jack D. Kilcrease in an Ecumenical Discussion with Roman Catholic Theology

In the spirit of the Reformation Lutheran tradition, Jack D. Kilcrease reduces the gospel and thus the sacrament of God’s word to the word absolution. With this reduction, however, he also opens up the “Catholic breadth” of the sacrament of the word, This is a word not connected to a clearly visible sign, but one which stands on the border between the word and the sacraments. It can also be the key to understanding the unity of both. God’s action in the word of absolution is a possible starting point for understanding God’s action in the word in general and God’s action in the sacraments. Roman Catholic authors approach this unity from the opposite side. From the concept of the sacraments, they conclude that the word of God, like the sacraments, is an effective sign and bearer of grace. It not only communicates something, but also truly makes it present and bestows it, indeed Christ himself is present. Although both theological traditions approach the problem of the sacramentality of God’s Word from opposite sides, the examples given demonstrate that both approaches lead to an ecumenical convergence of positions.

Keywords: Sacramentality; Ecumenism; Word of God; Baldovin J.; Figura M.; Herms E.