Included in this collection of documents from the twentieth-century ecumenical movement are passages from texts produced by assemblies, conferences, and studies of the World Council of Churches and similar bodies, covering three areas of historical concern within modern ecumenism: faith and order, life and work, and mission and evangelism.

Volume 2 (1948-1968) first appeared in 1970. It covers the history of the World Council of Churches from its first assembly at Amsterdam to its fourth assembly at Uppsala, Sweden; analyzes the development of regional ecumenical organizations; and recounts the impact of the Second Vatican Council on the ecumenical witness of the Roman Catholic Church.

With Courage and Compassion celebrates the contributions of women to nations, societies, churches, and the ecumenical movement. Through creative forms of resistance and daring theological exploration, women have enriched and advanced theological discourse and called for transformations in within human relationships with one another and with the earth. The World Council of Churches (WCC) has, since its inception in 1948, responded to the call of women for recognition of their leadership and theological gifts with efforts at affirmation and inclusion. However, all is not well. Structures and processes that permit many forms of exclusion and even violence against women in societies in the church and the ecumenical movement persist. This book analyses what lies at the heart of the struggle women go through and why the vulnerability of women continues to be exploited. It calls for a new theological vision and political imagination to transform unjust attitudes and systems that still exist, particularly in the ecumenical movement.

The essays in this book explore varieties of baptismal practice today, address the continuing problem of 're-baptism', offer fresh perspectives on the relation between baptism and Christian ethics, and call the churches to draw the full implications for Christian unity of their 'mutual recognition of baptism'. Baptism, the birthright common to all Christians, is a cornerstone of the ecumenical movement. Continuing the dialogue among liturgists, theologians, church musicians and pastors begun in So We Believe, So We Pray (WCC, 1995), this book focuses on baptism in relation the unity of the church. Exploring patterns of baptismal practice today, it includes striking examples of inculturation from around the world. It also insists on the link between liturgy and life. With contributions from Gordon Lathrop, Anscar Chupungco, OSB and Janet Crawford, this book is an important resource for everyone concerned with baptism, worship, the life of the church and the ecumenical movement today.

"The world needs people with Christian passion, spiritual commitment, theological competence and persistence to recapture and rearticulate a biblically well-grounded ecumenical vision and what it implies for the unity of the church in the context of world Christianity in the decades to come." -- Olav Fykse Tveit, General Secretary, World Council of Churches *** In an era when life itself is imperiled, Christians around the world are challenged to authentically bear witness to the God of life and to justice and peace. Ecumenical Visions for the 21st Century - prepared as a core resource for theological reflection - equips Christians to discern and develop relevant and responsible insights in many arenas of Christian engagement. The anthology includes 44 key documents from the last two decades of ecumenical work, most in full texts. It illuminates the changing face and features of world Christianity, with particular focus on Asian Christianity and Christianity in Korea, and it highlights important ecumenical convergences in Christian unity, mission, advocacy, and service. Additionally, the book presents the latest and best ecumenical thinking about Christian engagement on issues of justice and peace, poverty, the economy, education, gender, climate change, migration, HIV and AIDS, and interreligious encounter. A full bibliography and CD-ROM with 20 supplemental readings are also included.

Whenever an attempt has been made in recent years at a diagnosis of the ecumenical movement, an impression has emerged of stagnation or even resignation. Has the momentum been lost? Taking this question as his starting point, in this book Konrad Raiser undertakes a critical examination of the present-day problems areas in the ecumenical movement. What some see as a period of marking time and helplessness, he attempts to understand in terms of a paradigm shift which will lead to fresh approaches to contemporary problems.