ECUMENICAL REVIEW最新文献

This article examines the ecumenical context and in particular the development of the conciliar process for Justice, Peace and the Integrity of Creation (JPIC) that began at the World Council of Churches (WCC) assembly in 1983 in Vancouver and culminated at the World Convocation on Justice, Peace and the Integrity of Creation in 1990 in Seoul, Korea. It underlines that JPIC was intended not simply as another study and action programme, like other programmes within the social and ethical tradition of the WCC, but was oriented toward the centre of the faith and very being of the church, and thus also an ecclesiological issue. The article traces the JPIC process, the central ecclesiological and socio-ethical questions it raised, and the difficulties and barriers it encountered. It also discusses the interest of the Orthodox in the process and focuses on the contribution and perspectives of the Orthodox Church in the conciliar process for JPIC. Finally, the article refers to the possibilities that are opening up to address the challenges of globalization.

This article examines the relationship between the two ecumenical conferences in Stockholm in 1925 and Lausanne in 1927, which led to the creation of the movements on Life and Work and on Faith and Order, and which merged in 1948 to form the World Council of Churches (WCC). The conferences took place following the First World War amid fears of a new outbreak of war, and in this situation, fellowship was an important aim of those who met in the two cities. The article examines the search for the fellowship that characterized Stockholm and Lausanne, using the vision of an “ecumenism of the heart,” developed in connection with the WCC's 11th Assembly in 2022. The roots of such a search for unity inspired by deep mutual relationships can be found in the two movements that were inspired by the conferences in Stockholm and Lausanne.

This article discusses the history of ecumenical social ethics and action since the Universal Christian Council on Life and Work in Stockholm in 1925, and especially the work of the Church and Society programme of the World Council of Churches following its founding in 1948. It recounts how in the 1960s, perspectives on ecumenical social ethics were challenged by voices from Africa, Asia, and Latin America. The article examines especially the role played by women in the search for just structures in church and society and in seeking to respond to the challenges of globalization. It concludes with a discussion of the Theology of Life programme in the 1990s and the process to find Alternatives to Globalization Addressing People and the Earth (AGAPE).

Taking as its starting point the 1966 World Conference on Church and Society in Geneva, which marked the beginnings of a fundamental change in the understanding of ecumenical social ethics within the World Council of Churches (WCC), this article discusses the role of the conference in this shift in perspective from the idea of the “responsible society” to the emergence of a form of postcolonial ecumenism. It traces the emergence of the responsible society as a guiding principle for the WCC and, in particular, the role in this of the US social ethicist Paul Abrecht, as well as how a focus on rapid social change helped strengthen and consolidate churches in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. These churches would then articulate the beginnings of a postcolonial understanding of ecumenical social ethics at the Geneva conference, which would in turn lead to the development of new programmes on social justice after the WCC's 4th Assembly in Uppsala in 1968. The article concludes by discussing the tension between the two guiding principles in the decade that followed the Uppsala assembly.

This article considers the legacy of the Universal Christian Conference on Life and Work, which met in Stockholm in 1925, for the contemporary ecumenical movement. It asks whether the World Council of Churches and the wider ecumenical movement can reconnect with the spirit of the Life and Work movement, especially that of its first decade or so, to inspire a comprehensive understanding of ecumenical social thought and action in response to contemporary challenges and opportunities. It argues that responses to today's global challenges can build on four foundational principles inspired by the Life and Work movement: creatively reimagining the spirits of the time; embodying an incarnational presence; mobilizing ecumenical efforts for meaningful and empowered action; and recommitting to the principles of life, peace, and justice that were central to the Life and Work movement.

The themes of justice, participation, and sustainability emerged from the 5th Assembly of the World Council of Churches in Nairobi in 1975 in the context of addressing global inequalities and promoting a more equitable society, and were brought together in the search for a “Just, Participatory and Sustainable Society.” While underlining the need for theological reflection on justice, particularly in the context of historical injustices and contemporary global divides, this article questions whether “sustainability” still expresses an appropriate vision. With the shift to the Anthropocene, it proposes instead the concept of “habitability.” With habitability, the focus is on the flourishing of the habitat itself. Categories such as civilization, excellence, economic growth, sustainable development, mitigation and adaptation, human flourishing, sustainability as such, and even justice can no longer suffice, at least not on their own. What is required is a comprehensive transformation.

This article examines the participation of Orthodox representatives in the Universal Christian Conference on Life and Work held in Stockholm in 1925. It highlights the contributions of Orthodox hierarchs and theologians to key themes such as social ethics, international relations, and cooperative efforts among Christian communions. Despite their active involvement, the Orthodox presence at the conference has so far been underresearched. The article emphasizes the significance of the Orthodox Church, particularly the Patriarchate of Constantinople, in shaping the conference's agenda and fostering ecumenical dialogue. It also discusses the urgent call for Christian unity in addressing contemporary societal challenges and underlines the importance of Orthodox participation in advancing the goals of the ecumenical movement during a critical period in world history.

A concept of “Oxford Responsibility” shaped ecumenical social ethics at the Oxford Conference on Church, Community, and State of 1937. Organized by the Life and Work movement, the conference drew on the thought of Christian realism. Its social method comprised a unifying ecclesiology encompassing political and missional concern; an understanding of human freedom and dignity rooted in divine creation over against the modern project; and the dialogical social method of the middle axiom, providing provisional guidelines for action within particular historical and cultural contexts. This article uses the term “Oxford Responsibility” to refer to a society whose members and institutions act in accordance with human value and freedom, in obedience to the will of God, toward the achievement of justice within the limits and contingencies of human finitude, culture, and history. Having emerged in the global crises of the 1930s, the conference's method offers resources for the church in contemporary society.