Displaying 181 - 200 of 319

La Paz report - Just and inclusive communities

Representing the experiences, perspectives and visions of different excluded groups, a select group of 25 theologians from many parts of the world gathered in La Paz, Bolivia during May 2007, perhaps for the first time, to articulate their visions of the world and the church. Their attempt was to identify the possible thematic directions for the new programme - Just and Inclusive Communities - that brings together WCC's ongoing work in the areas of Overcoming racism, Ecumenical Disabilities Advocates Network, Indigenous Peoples and Dalit Solidarity.

WCC Programmes

Conference looks at how churches can respond to structural and institutional cruelty

"The cross calls us not to glorify, but to attend to the suffering in the world and to struggle for its elimination," said the participants of a theological consultation on cruelty organized by the Faith and Order Commission of the World Council of Churches (WCC) in partnership with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). The conference took place 5-8 December in Puidoux, Switzerland.

Theologians to discuss cruelty, the ugly face of violence

What does cruelty have to do with theology? Some 25 theologians from all over the world will gather on 5-8 December in Crêt-Bérard (near Lausanne, Switzerland), to discuss why and to what extent cruelty can be considered as a new theme for theological reflection.

Final report of the Special Commission on Orthodox Participation in the WCC

"Final report of the Special Commission on Orthodox participation in the WCC" : The 60-member Special Commission was created by the WCC's eighth assembly in 1998 in response to mainly Orthodox concerns about participation in the Council. Composed of an equal number of representatives from Orthodox churches and from the other churches belonging to the WCC, the Commission submitted its final report to the central committee in September 2002.

Assembly

Religious plurality and Christian self-understanding

"Religious plurality and Christian self-understanding" : The question of the theological approach to religious plurality had been on the agenda of the WCC many times, reaching a certain consensus in 1989 and 1990.1 In recent years, it was felt that this difficult and controversial issue needed to be revisited. The present document is the result of a study process in response to suggestions made in 2002 at the WCC central committee to the three staff teams on Faith and Order, Inter-religious Relations, and Mission and Evangelism, and their respective commissions or advisory bodies.

Assembly

Participating in God's Mission of Reconciliation - A Resource for Churches in Situations of Conflict

This text (Faith and Order Paper no. 201) results from the study on Ethnic Identity, National Identity, and the Search for the Unity of the Church done by Faith and Order with the collaboration of the WCC's Justice, Peace and Creation team. It offers resources for churches in situations of tension or conflict, especially where ethnic and national tensions are major factors, and suggests how Christian unity can further the churches' witness for reconciliation and justice.

Commission on Faith and Order

The Nature and Mission of the Church - A Stage on the Way to a Common Statement

This extended text (about 18,000 words) was published in December 2005 and is the latest result from Faith and Order's study on Ecclesiology. It seeks to express common convictions about the church, its nature and mission, and to identify the ecclesiological issues which continue to divide the churches today. The text has been sent officially to the churches for evaluation and response; study groups and individuals are also invited to offer comments and reactions. This text replaces the previous study document The Nature and Purpose of the Church (Faith and Order Paper no. 181, issued in 1998).

Commission on Faith and Order

Report of team visit to Zimbabwe

An ecumenical team sponsored by the World Council of Churches (WCC) visited Zimbabwe, 25 September - 1 October 2005. This visit was a continuation of a long journey of accompaniment by the international ecumenical community. As such it sought to build on a number of previous visits and meetings by such ecumenical bodies as the WCC, the All African Conference of Churches (AACC) , and the Fellowship of Christian Councils in Southern Africa (FOCCISA) which have dealt with issues confronting Zimbabwe and other countries in the region.

Ecumenical movement