Feature stories Healing and reconciliation theme: a first for WCC
For the first time since world mission conferences began in 1910, the trilogy of the Holy Spirit, healing and reconciliation will be at the core of the 2005 Conference on World Mission and Evangelism (CWME) to take place in Athens, 9-16 May, with the theme "Come, Holy Spirit, heal and reconcile - Called in Christ to be reconciling and healing communities".
Decade to Overcome Violence continues to gain momentum
Nearing its midpoint, the Decade to Overcome Violence is being embraced around the globe. The WCC-sponsored movement has gone on to spotlight a different part of the world each year: In 2004, the focus was the United States. This year, it is Asia.
Can refusal stop the occupation?
The refusal movement in Israel has grown rapidly over the last few years. It has become more accepted in Israeli society to refuse military service in the occupied territories and become what is known as a "refusenik". A member of the Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel (EAPPI) gives an account of this new phenomenon.
Churches and the challenge of healing in a sick world
Faith healing and spiritual cures have always been part of the church's ministry. But to many, they smack of magic, of mystical claims of "impossible cures", deeply foreign to "Western" patterns of religion. Conversely, those patterns are sometimes seen as dry fruits of aging churches which have lost contact with the living source of healing power. In the midst of this tension, the world's greatest modern pandemic,...
Healing, reconciliation and the Holy Spirit: Young theologians discuss the future of Christian mission
Young theologians on future issues of mission: Is there miraculous healing in today's churches? How can people be reconciled in a society torn apart like post-apartheid South Africa? How can the Holy Spirit help to find a new understanding of mission?
Immediate relief, sustainable reconstruction: Ecumenical leaders reflect on the tsunami catastrophe
Nearly two months ago, a tremendous earthquake off the coast of Sumatra caused powerful tsunamis to hit coastal stretches of South East Asia and East Africa. The trail of devastation left over 200,000 people dead and more than half a million injured, and emergency relief was provided almost immediately by governments and organizations around the world. Looking back at the weeks just after the tsunami, we can attempt a first assessment of the...
Reconciliation and forgiveness: Looking afresh at an ever-present challenge
Is reconciliation possible? What does forgiveness mean, and what is needed for it to happen when the offence was a frightful one and the pain seems insurmountable? These and other fundamental questions will be part of the themes treated at the next Conference on World Mission and Evangelism (CWME).
Towards an ethics of solidarity Religion, conflict and peace discussed at WSF
"What is the magma within religions that can erupt so suddenly and brutally?" This is one of the questions raised at a panel discussion on "International ethics, religious conflicts and peace" at the fifth World Social Forum (WSF) in Porto Alegre, Brazil. Organized by a global ecumenical coalition that includes the WCC, the panel explores the role of religion in conflicts, and seeks to identify resources within religion for...
Spiritual Rebellion: Interview with Leonardo Boff
"Is it possible to live calmly and happily when you know that two-thirds of human beings are suffering, hungry and poor?" The Brazilian theologian Leonardo Boff, one of the founders of liberation theology, believes that the cry of the poor and the cry of the earth are real offences for any theology which struggles to bring about more justice. Boff was one of the guests at the World Forum for Theology and Liberation (21-25 January,...
Ecumenical youth show energy and commitment
In a joyous procession of hope after the opening worship service of an ecumenical youth event preceding the World Social Forum (WSF), some 50 young people dance, clap and sing Por isso vem (God calls us for a new moment, so come and join the circle!) - a Brazilian song of hope for a better world.