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A brief yet lively history of the Ecumenical Institute at Bossey, The Story of Bossey: A Laboratory for Ecumenical Life, will be released by the World Council of Churches (WCC) Publications at a book launch 1 October on the grounds of the institute.
The book release is part of a weekend of activities celebrating the 70th anniversary of the Ecumenical Institute.
The Story of Bossey, originally authored by Rev. Dr Hans-Ruedi Weber, has been updated by Rev. Dr Robert K. Welsh. Both will be present at the launch, along with Bossey alumni/ae, neighbours and guests celebrating seven decades of ecumenical formation.
The book delves into the roots and evolution of Bossey and its programmes, its place in the ecumenical movement, and the people who have invested creative energy into its growth and flourishing. The Story of Bossey reveals not only a life-changing venue for Christian encounter but a lens on the rapidly-changing landscape of the larger church and the ecumenical movement.
The Ecumenical Institute was inaugurated in 1946 at the Château de Bossey, Switzerland.
The updated book augments Bossey’s ongoing story, covering developments since 1996. In updating the book, Welsh said he first went back through 30 years of his own direct involvement with the board of Bossey.
“The most rewarding aspect of this work has been to discover the growing impact that Bossey has had in serving as the avant-garde of the whole ecumenical movement. It has moved from being a quiet, isolated academic community on Lac Léman to becoming a meeting place for the world's agenda in addressing issues of peace and globalization, of interfaith encounter, and of the care for God's creation and eco-justice.”
Welsh, who was a graduate student in Bossey from 1969-70, expressed excitement at returning to the institute for the anniversary celebration. “I am most looking forward to reconnecting with friends and colleagues who share the experience and vision of Bossey as a special place that has served as a unique laboratory for educating and training leadership for the whole of the ecumenical movement throughout the world,” he said. “And, personally, I am looking forward to being with Hans-Ruedi Weber, who was an associate director of the Ecumenical Institute when I attended the graduate school. It will be a joy to be with him as together we celebrate these past 70 years and look to an even greater future.”
Copies of The Story of Bossey will be available for purchase at the book launch.
The launch is part of open house on 1 October. Later that same day, a presentation on the theme “Peace-building and the Role of Religious Leaders” will be offered by Prof. Dr Ahmed al-Tayyeb, Grand Imam and Shaykh of al-Azhar al-Sharif.
The occasion will also feature a presentation on Bossey’s interfaith work, informing dialoque and peacemaking, by Rev. Dr Ioan Sauca, director of Bossey and associate general secretary of the WCC.
Learn more about the Ecumenical Institute at Bossey
See more information and ordering information about The Story of Bossey
