Asia And The Ecumenical Movement 1895 1961

Ecumenism in postwar Asia, institutionalized in the Christian Conference of Asia, displayed a remarkable this-worldliness from its inception in the 1940s. This tendency was in contrast to the tension between the church-centric and world-centric approaches to Christian mission that marked conciliar mission thinking in the West This work examines the development of such this-worldly holiness in Asian ecumenism, focusing on M. M. Thomas of India and C. S. Song from Taiwan. Special attention is drawn to the idea of "God`s this-worldly presence" that considers God as redemptively at work in world history apart from the church. The study first compares the development of this-worldly holiness in the West and Asia and then examines the thinking of Thomas and Song. The chapters on these two theologians discuss their backgrounds, the basic concerns motivating their intellectual searches, and responses to the questions arising from such concerns. These chapters also try to understand how these theologians view the relationship between God and the world. In so doing, the study highlights the significance of the idea of God`s this-worldly presence shared by Thomas and Song in spite of differences in their backgrounds, approaches, and theological formulations. Having compared Thomas and Song, the study concludes that the idea of God`s this-worldly presence became central to Asian ecumenism because it offered a common unifying vision to Asian Christians who come from a region characterized by tremendous diversity. The idea helped them to see the diverse peoples, cultures, and religions in Asia under one God who transcends the diversity and still takes it seriously.

This publication of Sasse's RTR articles marks yet another milestone in the continued publication of the works of one of the great Lutheran theologians of the twentieth century. The RTR and Springfielder articles and the many book reviews presented in this volume have been all but inaccessible for decades. All of them bear witness to Sasse's deep knowledge of Church history, the New Testament, Luther, the Reformation, the Eastern Church, and Rome. Though writing as a very convinced confessional Lutheran, Sasse nevertheless affirms the breadth and scope of the Una Sancta. He dispels myths such as the "ancient undivided church" and untangles the riddles of Roman Catholicism with deepest respect and truth.

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.

The SCM -- The "whys" of SCM's women leaders -- SCM committee women -- SCM general and assistant general secretaries -- Introducing the traveling secretary -- The ministry of the traveling secretary -- SCM short and long term pioneers -- SCM targeted student group pioneers -- Scm "warp and woof" pioneers -- SCM conference speakers -- SCM ecumenical pioneers -- SCM intellectual pioneers (biblical criticism and the social sciences) -- SCM social gospel pioneers -- SCM woman's movement pioneers (definition and causes) -- SCM woman's movement pioneers (benefits) -- Final thoughts

In cooperation with Roland Spliesgart The map of world Christianity has changed dramatically in just the last century. Today the majority of Christians live in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, making Christianity a world religion as never before in history. Given that global reality, Klaus Koschorke, Frieder Ludwig, and Mariano Delgado have created the first comparative documentary history of Christianity for these regions covering the period 1450–1990. Taking the changing ecumenical conditions into account, this volume enlarges the horizon of classical church historiography. In contrast to the prevailing Western perspectives on the history of Christianity in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, voice is given here to the multitude of local initiatives, specific experiences, and varieties of Christianity in very diverse cultural contexts -- addressing such questions as the colonial conquest, slavery, and the demand for ecclesiastical independence.

Motivated by a desire for meaningful work and a life of adventure, women college graduates in North America and Western Europe became student secretaries for the World Student Christian Federation (WSCF). In their role as student secretaries, women worked to create student movements where none had existed, to support fledgling movements, and to embed themselves in movements that already existed. Women thus played an important role in the first decades of the WSCF, when the organization was involved with affiliating national Christian student groups across the globe. Women secretaries extended to students around the world the fellowship and hospitality they had discovered during their times in higher education. The simple fellowship led to creative programs of self-help, refugee relief, and small-group work that formed the basis for outreach in the post-World War I era. As the Federation adapted to a changing student culture, the movement itself became more ecumenical and focused on social issues. The resilience of the Federation can be attributed in large measure to the work of women secretaries in the field who created networks and friendships that persisted during peace and war. The presence of student organizations, such as the WSCF and others, on university campuses today can be traced to the work of women secretaries in the early decades of the WSCF. This book explores some of their stories.