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The Vocation of the Laity in Church and World: Towards an Inclusive Community on Different Levels" - a response by by Joan Patricia Back to the paper "Baptism, Ecclesiology and Vocation"

Response by Guzman Carriquiry to the paper "On Being Christian in the World" by Hans-Ruedi Weber at the May 1997 international consultation on the theme: "Towards a Common Understanding of the Theological Concepts of Laity/Laos: The People of God."

World Council of Churches / Middle East Council of Churches Consultation

Aleppo, Syria

March 5 - 10, 1997

This text is the fruit of the joint study programme on Ecclesiology and Ethics conducted by Faith and Order and the WCC's Justice, Peace and Creation team. The results of meetings in Rønde, Denmark; Jerusalem, Israel; and Johannesburg, South Africa, they explore how the churches are called to be a community of ethical reflection - and engagement - in today's world.

Metropolitan John (Zizioulas) of Pergamon sets out the context of Faith and Order and proposes some particular challenges emanating from his perspective as a modern Orthodox scholar of church history and theology.

David K. Yemba, current moderator of the Faith and Order Commission and Dean of the Africa University in Mutare, Zimbabwe, discusses the content and reception of Faith and Order work in Africa, and the effect of African churches on the ecumenical movement in general.

Rev. Fr Jean-Marie Tillard outlines with clarity and élan the history of, and the evolution of perspectives within, the Roman Catholic involvement in ecumenism.

To explore his theme, the author combines a number of elements related to the history, purpose, methodology and content of the Faith and Order Movement and its organizational expression, the Faith and Order Commission of the World Council of Churches,

The "Letter to the Churches" and report from the first consultation (held at Ditchingham, England) in Faith and Order's current study programme on worship in relation to Christian unity. Drawing on the resources of the liturgical renewal movement, and produced together with leading liturgists, this text focuses on the common structure of Christian worship, on issues of inculturation in worship, and on how, through worship, churches are already expressing their unity in Christ.

In 1979 the WCC produced a document entitled "Guidelines on Dialogue with People of Living Faiths" which sought to identify and discuss the major practical and theological issues in interfaith relations. While it addressed some of the overall aspects, it recognized the need for more specific "guidelines" or ecumenical considerations on Christian relations with each of the major faith communities in the world. This document results from the attempt to follow this up in the area of Christian-Muslim relations. It draws on the experience gained from the considerable work carried out over the years. All the meetings between Christians and Muslims organized by the sub-unit on Dialogue during the past twenty years have been documented in the WCC publication "Meeting in Faith". These meetings, however, are only a small part of a much richer history of relations and numerous dialogue encounters in many places. The document that follows is itself based on five regional meetings between Christians and Muslims organized in different parts of the world. These meetings helped to identify some of the important issues which Christians and Muslims need to reflect on and continue to consider together in the years ahead. Many qualified persons in the field of Christian-Muslim relations were consulted in the process.

Reading this sixth report will in itself show the extent to which the productive relations between the WCC and the Roman Catholic Church have multiplied and developed.