Theological and religious research project “Evangelische katholizit"at” in the history of the ecumenical movement

The article is devoted to historical and theological analysis of the project of “Evangelical Catholicism” (“Evangelische Katholizität”), a concept proposed in the 19th century by German- American Protestant theologian Philip Schaff under Mercersburg American movement. His ideas were borrowed by the Swedish theologian Nathan Soderblom and German religious scholar and theologian Friedrich Heiler, who used this term to name the Ecumenical movement of Christians who believe that their religion is at the same time Catholic and Evangelical (Protestant). Te very concept carries dialectic with itself: Catholicism with its rigid objectivism is opposed to Protestantism with its wide subjectivity, the task of Evangelical Catholicism was precisely to be able to combine both. Te Church founded on the principle of Evangelical Catholicism was called to combine the Catholic element of objectivism and unity and the Protestant element of subjectivity and freedom. In the writings of F. Heiler theology has been mixed with religious theory of R. Oto, which led to the creation within the High Church movement “Saint John Brotherhood” and the development of a special type of worship called “Heiler-mass”.