联合基督教会
联合基督教会[1]（英语：United Church of Christ，缩写为UCC）是美国的主流新教（Oldline Protestant）教会之一，主要遵循改革宗的传统，但在历史上也深受信义宗的影响，教会体制主要是会众制又带有些许长老制的特点（Covenantal Polity）[2]，其总部在克里夫兰。
| 联合基督教会 United Church of Christ | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 宗派 | 新教 |
| 组织 | 普世教会协会 |
| 区域 | 美国 |
| 总部 | 俄亥俄州克里夫兰 |
| 起源 | 1957年 |
| 教堂 | 4794 |
| 信徒 | 773539人（2020） |
联合基督教会是一间神学思想上比较开放的教会，支持民权、女权、堕胎权和LGBT权利。在2009年，联合基督教会是少数公开支持同性婚姻的教会，并且为同性伴侣举行宗教祝福仪式的教会之一[3]。不过UCC采取会众制，各会堂在教义和会务上保有高度的独立自主权，不必然采取和总会决议一致的立场[4]。
UCC参与普世教会协会以及世界改革宗联会（World Communion of Reformed Churches），并和基督会（Disciples of Christ）、美国归正教会、美国长老教会、美国福音路德教会、Union of Evangelical Churches（德国）、加拿大联合教会达成共融[5]。UCC重视和不同信仰传统的对话[6]，以及参与普世教会合一运动。
在2017年，世界改革宗联会投票决定采纳《关于称义教义的联合声明》，该联合声明由世界信义宗联会和罗马天主教会在1999年发表，宣称双方教会对“通过对基督的信念，凭借神的恩典称义”这一观点的一致[7]。
历史
联合基督教会是由福音复初会(E&R)和公理基督教会(CC)在1957年联合而成的，这两个教都是由之前的一些小教会联合而成。UCC自我描述为“基督的、改革宗的、会众的、福音的”（Christian, Reformed, Congregational and Evangelical）[8]，其福音主义源自德国的敬虔主义运动[9]。社会福音运动和进步主义的早期代表人物之一华盛顿·格拉登，是UCC的代表人物。
联合基督教会共有5320个大小规模不同的教堂，并且宣称有一百一十万信众，这些信众主要集中在美国[10]。美国前总统巴拉克·欧巴马过去曾经是这个教会的成员。
信仰文件
UCC将历史上的信条、信仰声明等文件，视为“信仰告白”（testimonies of faith），而非要求教义标准答案的“信仰测验卷”（tests of faith）[11]。以下为该教会认为可表达其信仰的典籍与文书：
- 《使徒信经》
- 《尼西亚信经》
- 《海德堡要理问答》 (inherited from both the German Reformed and German Evangelical heritages),
- 《信义宗教理问答小册》 (inherited from the German Evangelical heritage),
- 《堪萨斯信仰宣言》(a 1913 statement in the Congregationalist tradition),
- The Evangelical Catechism (a 1927 catechism in the German Evangelical tradition), and
- 《联合基督教会信仰宣言》 (written at the founding of the denomination).
神学院
- 芝加哥神学院 (Chicago, Illinois)
- Eden Theological Seminary (Webster Groves, Missouri and St. Louis, MO)
- Lancaster Theological Seminary (Lancaster, Pennsylvania)
- Pacific School of Religion (Berkeley, California)
- United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities (New Brighton, Minnesota)
参考文献
- ^ 美国驻华大使馆将 United Church of Christ 翻译为联合基督教会，见此文：存档副本. [2010-05-30]. （原始内容存档于2009-01-06）.
- ^ United Church of Christ Constitution and Bylaws：“Within the United Church of Christ, the various expressions of the church relate to each other in a covenantal manner. Each expression of the church has responsibilities and rights in relation to the others, to the end that the whole church will seek God's will and be faithful to God's mission. Decisions are made in consultation and collaboration among the various parts of the structure. As members of the Body of Christ, each expression of the church is called to honor and respect the work and ministry of each other part. Each expression of the church listens, hears, and carefully considers the advise, counsel and requests of others. In this covenant, the various expressions of the United Church of Christ seek to walk together in all God's ways”
- ^ GOODSTEIN, LAURIE, Episcopal Bishops Give Ground on Gay Marriage, NY Times, 2009-07-15 [2010-01-22], （原始内容存档于2020-11-09）
- ^ Who are you calling liberal?. [2017-11-19]. （原始内容存档于2020-10-20）.
To be sure, many UCC members relish the denomination"s left-wing identity. A quick internet search reveals that a number of UCC churches use the words "liberal" or "progressive" to describe either their individual congregations or the denomination as a whole. But for the UCC"s more-conservative members and congregations, the L-word is akin to fingernails on a chalkboard. The 2001 International Congregational Life Survey, which included 21,000 UCC respondents from more than 800 congregations, found that UCC members were slightly more likely to self-identify as "conservative" rather than "liberal"—both theologically and politically.
- ^ Ecumenical partnerships and relationships of full communion. [2017-11-14]. （原始内容存档于2020-09-28）.
- ^ Interfaith relations. [2017-11-14]. （原始内容存档于2021-02-28）.
- ^ Lutherans, Catholics, Methodists, Reformed and Anglicans “drawn into deeper communion”. anglicannews. [2017-11-16]. （原始内容存档于2020-12-09）.
- ^ What is the United Church of Christ?. [2017-11-19]. （原始内容存档于2020-12-01）.
- ^ The German Evangelical Movement. [2017-11-19]. （原始内容存档于2021-03-14）.
- ^ 2008 Annual Report. [2009-01-23]. （原始内容存档于2014-07-02）.
- ^ Constitution and Bylaws. United Church of Christ. [2017-11-14]. （原始内容存档于2021-03-14）.