World Council of Churches – serie

At the heart of the ecumenical fellowship stands a moral imperative, a kind of pledge by the churches to hold themselves and one another accountable in their faithfulness. Olav Fykse Tveit argues that this commitment binds each of the churches in fidelity to the larger communion, to the great Tradition, to scripture and the apostolic faith, as well as to the people they serve in the contemporary world.An underappreciated dimension of the perennial quest for unity, mutual accountability functions as a key criterion for the quality of relations within the Christian fellowship. It defines the attitude of active responsibility and openness that churches bring to their fellowship and to their ecclesial self-understanding and renewal. It is a benchmark of their authenticity as churches in the ecumenical age.Tveit’s rich study of the evolving concept of mutual accountability, especially as it figures in the work of Faith and Order over a fifty-year period, traces the growing conviction that ecumenism entails churches’ not simply being together and working together but also holding each other accountable for their genuineness as members of the body of Christ. “Attitudes of openness, constructive critical and self-critical approaches, repentance, reliability, commitment to the common calling and tasks, faithfulness, sharing, and indeed hope—these are all genuine and necessary attitudes in a fellowship that follows the crucified and risen Christ. The truth we owe one another lies in both our insights and our true life in community. . . .” The Truth We Owe Each Other offers a theological underpinning to the work of church renewal and to the continued relevance for the churches’ work in the world.

Focusing on ten influential streams of historic Christianity, the experts in this volume showcase the distinctive ways in which encountering the Bible--in all its power and perplexity--has profoundly inspired, informed, and shaped each tradition.

This devotional guide is the work of the Bridge Working Group of the Commission on World Mission and Evangelism of the World Council of Churches as a follow-up to the Conference on World Mission and Evangelism, which took place in Arusha, Tanzania, on 8-13 March 2018.

A collection of reflections by the late Archbishop Anastasios Yannoulatos of Albania, this book suggests that coexistence has always been an essential component of human life. It shows how violence has taken new uncontrollable forms which culminate in polymorphous terrorism. Human aggression expands to exploitation and even to the contempt of creation, with painful consequences for both the natural environment and for human life itself.The author views, from a theological and religious point of view, peace in ecumenical dimensions as well as in a specific country; the human being and the environment; poverty; terrorism; and universal moral values.This edition, translated into English by John Chryssavgis, was published in 2022. The original Greek edition was awarded the 2016 Free Thought Essay Award in memory of Panagiotis Foteas in Greece. It has also been published in Italian, French and Albanian translations.

This second publication of biblical reflections on statelessness presents new perspectives, including indigenous voices and reflections on the meaning of land. These texts can be valuable tools for discussion and reflection during Bible studies in congregations and communities around the world.

What is so important in the International Missionary Council (IMC) and its historical successor, the World Council of Churches' (WCC) Commission on World Mission and Evangelism, that they will have their own centennial volume? By reading this book, the reader will gain a better understanding of how important and crucial they have been in the development of the ecumenical movement and of what today is often called World Christianity. This volume aims to highlight how, in the course of the past century, structured efforts to foster unity in mission cooperation have shaped not only Christianity but even the world.

With its sister volume, this book is a must for anyone, academic, pastor, or mission practitioner, interested in knowing how Christianity was considerably expanded in the 20th century, through churches' mission and missionary work, and was transformed into World (or Global) Christianity. The book is divided into two parts. The first part contains the introduction-background reading for the reports of the study process produced by the IMC Centenary Study process. The second part of the book includes 13 regional reports. Contributions from all over the world analyse and evaluate the impact-or the absence thereof-of the IMC and the CWME from 1921 until today.

A joint publication of the World Council of Churches (WCC) and the ACT Alliance, this study document aims to clarify the understanding of ecumenical diakonia (the care that Christians offer to their fellow humanity, modeled on Christ's compassion, example and teachings). It provides a common platform for acting and reflecting together for churches and ecumenical partners worldwide. This major publication outlines the theological components of diakonia and offers practical content for those engaged in the service of diakonia. The study document is intended to be used for formation and training in ecumenical diakonia, to strengthen the institutional capacity of those involved in diakonia, and to foster dialogue and cooperation between churches, ecumenical partners, ACT Alliance and the WCC.

As a part of the reception process of the convergence document The Church: Towards a Common Vision (TCTCV), the ecclesiology study group of the WCC Commission on Faith and Order undertook a wide range of conversations on global Christianity and ecclesiology. This included perspectives from various regions (especially Asia, Africa, and Latin America), denominational families (such as evangelical, Pentecostal, Charismatic, and independent churches), and forms of being church (such as ecclesial movements, new forms of monasticism, and online churches) which have not always been clearly or strongly represented in the discussions on the way to TCTCV. This first of two volumes offers a taste of the insights, contributions, lively dialogue, diverse perspectives, and mutual exchange of ecumenical gifts between the members of the commission and theologians from around the world, which took place through a series of international consultations between 2015-22. The fruit of this work is offered with the hope that it will contribute towards a clearer, global vision of the Church in the 21st century.

This is the second of the two-volume set Towards a Global Vision of the Church, which forms part of the work done by the ecclesiology study group of the World Council of Churches (WCC) Commission on Faith and Order between 2015 and 2022 to broadening the table of ecclesiological dialogue by going into more and wider conversations with ecclesiological perspectives from various regions (especially Asia, Africa, and Latin America), denominational families (such as Evangelical, Pentecostal, Charismatic, and independent churches), and forms of being church (such as ecclesial movements, new forms of monasticism, and online churches), "which have not always been clearly or strongly part of discussions on the way to TCTCV, and whose understandings of ecclesiology we want to discover and to enter into dialogue with." The first volume in this set included 24 chapters written from the perspectives of theologians from the global South. In this second volume, nearly all of the chapters have come from commissioners who have worked on ecclesiological issues during this past term.

This publication is part of the Ecumenical Disability Advocates Network's (EDAN's) work under the Advocacy for the Rights and Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities project. Although good work has been done on disability inclusion in churches, EDAN also identified gaps in that the voices of persons with disabilities within the church are not heard. The editors emphasize that "it is no longer valid for other Christians to speak about persons with disabilities as if we weren't already present in the church to speak up for ourselves." The first part of this publication highlights the voices of persons with disabilities who are currently serving their churches in various roles and capacities and of those who had to leave a church due to the discriminatory behaviour and attitudes that they experienced. The second part of this publication shares the WCC statement "A Gift of Being: Called to be a Church of All and for All."

This text is a platform for the clear, urgent and much-needed voices of Indigenous peoples to expose the climate catastrophe through which we are living. These voices can inspire and challenge a common witness to bring change and transformation.The contributors are uniquely and all too painfully placed to speak to the realities of the onslaught of climate change; the systemic violence of land loss, racism, poverty, and human rights violations; and the continuing legacies of colonization. These issues continue to disproportionately affect Indigenous peoples amongst all peoples.The messages shared in this volume continue the tradition of Indigenous peoples in the ecumenical movement. They remind churches of our vital role in bringing change, and also of our responsibilities for the sins and structures that our unity must dismantle if it is to be a credible witness against the legacies and practices of colonialism today.