[The author suggests that the reception of ecumenical consensus is related to an adequate appreciation of theological method. The functional approach outlined in Bernard Lonergan’s Method in Theology provides a framework for reflecting on the role of ecumenical consensus statements and their relation to diverse expressions of the apostolic faith in the past, present, and future. She then proposes that ecumenical dialogues not limit themselves to the elaboration of consensus but make explicit the implications in relation to past judgments and future articulations of faith.]