New initiatives explore relationships between ecumenical and inter-religious dialogue

 — May 16, 201416 mai 2014

from the WCC News

Addressing the urgency of witnessing to the gospel in current ecumenical and multi-religious situations, the World Council of Churches (WCC) will develop materials to assist churches engaged in both ecumenical dialogue and inter-religious dialogue.

Ecumenical dialogue is about conversations between different Christian churches while inter-religious dialogue is concerned with the conversations between different world religions.

The agreement to produce these materials were an outcome of vigorous conversations in a recent meeting, organized by the WCC’s Commission on Faith and Order and the WCC’s programme for inter-religious dialogue and cooperation, from 12 to14 May at the Ecumenical Institute, Bossey, Switzerland.

Questions related to the relationship between ecumenical and inter-religious dialogues, their commonalities and distinctive features, were in focus at the meeting.

The meeting discussed different geographical and structural contexts in which questions of ecumenical and inter-religious relationships arise. The conversations showed that sometimes groups or individuals may find themselves with responsibility for both ecumenical and inter-religious concerns, and would welcome assistance about the different goals and methods appropriate to each context. On other occasions, it was said, expertise in one field could lead to a devaluing of the insights and importance of the other.

Participants of the meeting coming from Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Europe and North American region included people responsible for ecumenical and inter-religious relations in WCC member churches, as well as Christian academics and researchers.

“This meeting is a timely first step towards a constructive dialogue that will mutually enrich the churches’ work globally in inter-Christian dialogue, and dialogue with other world religions,” said Dr Clare Amos, WCC programme executive for inter-religious dialogue and cooperation.

“With the WCC, there is a long history of expressions of both ecumenical and inter-religious dialogue. Both expressions of dialogue have much to contribute to the other,” said Canon John Gibaut, director of the WCC’s Commission on Faith and Order.

Cooperation between the WCC’s Commission on Faith and Order and the WCC’s programme for Inter-religious dialogue and cooperation, in working on these themes, is in response to the new way of working adopted by the WCC 10th Assembly in South Korea last year.

• WCC programme for inter-religious dialogue and cooperation
• WCC Commission on Faith and Order

 

Communiqué: Called to Dialogue

Ecumenical and inter-religious dialogue in conversation

What is the relationship between ecumenical and inter-religious dialogue, what are their commonalities and what are their distinctive features? These were some of the questions being considered in a brief exploratory meeting organized jointly by the staff leadership of the WCC’s Commission on Faith and Order and its programme on inter-religious dialogue and cooperation 12-14 May, at the Ecumenical Institute, Bossey, Switzerland. The meeting gathered together a group of those responsible for ecumenical and/or inter-religious concerns in churches and other Christian bodies, along with those for whom this is a field of specialized study and research. This cooperation between these two WCC areas is an example of the new transversal way of working which the WCC has adopted after the Busan Assembly in 2013.

The meeting listened to discussion of the different geographical and practical contexts in which questions of ecumenical/inter-religious relationships arose. Sometimes groups or individuals found themselves with responsibility for both ecumenical and inter-religious concerns, and would welcome assistance and guidance about the different goals and methods appropriate to each. On other occasions, expertise in one field could lead to a devaluing of the insights and importance of the other. The meeting also heard that the contexts of the Middle East, Asia, Africa, Europe and North America were each quite varied and different from one another.

After a creative and stimulating conversation, the meeting agreed to work towards the production of practical guidelines for the churches. The meeting believe that the issues they are seeking to address are vital for those wanting to wrestle with the urgency of witnessing to the gospel in current ecumenical and multi-religious contexts.

Posted: May 16, 2014 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=7565
Categories: Communiqué, WCC News • In this article: dialogue, ecumenism, interfaith, WCC, WCC Commission on Faith and Order Transmis : 16 mai 2014 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=7565
Catégorie : Communiqué, WCC News • Dans cet article : dialogue, ecumenism, interfaith, WCC, WCC Commission on Faith and Order