The World Council of Churches’ Relationships with Pentecostalism: A Brief Historical Survey and Some Recent Perspectives on Membership Matters

This article approaches the problematic of relationships between the World Council of Churches (WCC) and Pentecostalism, mainly from the perspective of membership of Pentecostal churches in the WCC. It contents a brief presentation of some prejudices regarding Pentecostals in the ecumenical movement and a historical survey of the relationships between the WCC and Pentecostals, as well as a more detailed analysis of the actual status of this relationship from the perspective of membership of Pentecostal churches in the WCC. The last section assesses possible future scenarios in this regard. It is underlined that the Pentecostal movement is already represented in the WCC by a few small Pentecostal churches and that all the debate on whether to accept new Pentecostal member churches in this ecumenical organization should have as its starting point the reality that Pentecostalism is already part of the WCC. After presenting in detail the last debate in the Permanent Committee on Consensus and Collaboration (PCCC) on the issue of the WCC opening the doors to Pentecostal churches, this article concludes that the WCC should follow its previous policy of analyzing individually each application for membership according to its criteria for accepting new members. While most Pentecostal churches would agree with the basis of the WCC and some might increase their ecumenical engagement at all levels, in the near future at least, Pentecostal churches may still have a long way to go to integrate themselves in a genuine ethos and desire for unity.     

Correlates of premarital relationships among unmarried youth in Pune district, Maharashtra, India

CONTEXT: Although premarital partnerships-whether or not they involve sex-are widely discouraged in India, some youth do form such partnerships. It is important to know more about the nature of and the factors associated with these relationships. METHODS: Data are drawn from a community-based study of 15-24-year-olds in urban slum and rural settings in Pune District, Maharashtra. Multivariate analyses were conducted to identify associations between youths' individual, peer and family factors and their experience of romantic relationships and physical intimacy, including intercourse. RESULTS: Among young men, 17-24% had had a romantic relationship, 20-26% had engaged in some form of physical intimacy and 16-18% had had sex; the proportions among young women were 5-8%, 4-6% and 1-2%, respectively. Exposure to alcohol, drugs or pornographic films and having more frequent interaction with peers were positively associated with romantic and sexual relationships for both young women and young men. Educational attainment was negatively associated with both types of relationships for young women, but only with sexual relationships for young men. Closeness to parents was negatively associated with relationships only for young women. Young women whose father beat their mother were more likely than other young women to form romantic partnerships, and those beaten by their family had an elevated risk of entering romantic and sexual partnerships. Youth who reported strict parental supervision were no less likely than others to enter relationships. CONCLUSIONS: Program interventions should ensure that youth are fully informed and equipped to make safe choices and negotiate wanted outcomes, while positively influencing their peer networks; encourage closer interaction between parents and children; and be tailored to the different circumstances and experiences of young women and men.     

Differential testosterone secretory capacity of the testes of aggressive and nonaggressive house mice during ontogeny

In this study, testosterone secretory capacity of testicular Leydig cells during ontogeny was determined in males of an aggressive and a nonaggressive genetic selection line of wild house mice. Neonates, 23-day-old prepubertals, and adult male mice were studied. A morphometric method was used to quantify 3β-hydroxy steroid dehydrogenase (3β-3HSD)-stained Leydig cells in testicular sections to determine testosterone secretory capacity. We consider this parameter to reflect circulating testosterone in the plasma. The results of this study show that the testosterone secretory capacity of Leydig cells in the testis changes differentially during development in males of the aggressive and nonaggressive selection lines. This capacity is highest in the aggressive selection line males at adulthood and at the prepubertal age of 23 days. Surprisingly, at birth, the highest T-secretory capacity was observed in the males of the nonaggressive selection line. The significance of an interaction between genetic factors and differences in perinatal testosterone for the individual variation in adult aggressive behavior is discussed.