Homily at the Opening Prayer of the 11th Assembly of the World Council of Churches

This is the text of the homily at the opening prayer of the 11th Assembly of the World Council of Churches on 31 August 2022. The homily was based on Jesus' encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well, a narrative in the fourth chapter of the Gospel of John. Despite wide gaps of religious belief, gender, culture, and lifestyle, Jesus took the woman seriously and spoke to her on a personal level.     

Message from the Ecumenical Disability Advocates Network Pre-Assembly Meeting

This is the message of the meeting of the Ecumenical Disability Advocates Network held before the 11th Assembly of the World Council of Churches in Karlsruhe, Germany, August–September 2022. The network recognized the God-given gifts of people with disabilities and the importance of making available those gifts for the body of Christ to function fully. It called on churches to continue to develop and encourage more people with disabilities to be involved in church leadership at local and denominational levels, and for wider representation in WCC assemblies and activities, especially for non-speaking people: people who communicate through alternative and augmentative devices and people who are neurodivergent, have learning disabilities, or have invisible disabilities.     

Message from the Indigenous Peoples Pre-Assembly Meeting

This is the message from the meeting of Indigenous Peoples held before the 11th Assembly of the World Council of Churches, which met in Karlsruhe, Germany, in August–September 2022. The Indigenous Peoples Pre-Assembly Meeting gathered participants from 40 different Indigenous nations who called on the WCC and its member churches to support them in their journeys to recover their God-given identities, stating in the message that “the road to reconciliation leads through restoration of justice, because without justice, we cannot stand as equals.”     

The Eastern Catholic Churches and the paradox of Vatican II

The author investigates the challenges to Catholic ecclesiology presented by two Eastern Catholic Churches – the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church and the Melkite Greek Catholic Church – as they assert prerogatives validated by the teachings of Vatican II. In their reception of the Council these Churches highlight the need to develop the Trinitarian and Eucharistic ecclesiology rediscovered by the Council. This practical development is mirrored in the progress of the International Roman Catholic–Orthodox Dialogue and the teachings of Pope John Paul II. Although a final resolution still awaits, it is evident in the treatment of the Eastern Catholics by the Vatican that reception of the Council demands a renewed understanding of the mutual interdependence of primacy and conciliarity. Such a development will only hasten Christian reunification.     

GREED AS VIOLENCE: Methodological Challenges in Interreligious Dialogue on the Ethics of the Global Financial Crisis

The current financial crisis is one rooted not in recent deregulation but in the breaking of ancient (religious) laws, and this crisis is one of many ethical problems today that have religious roots. The tone of this essay is informed by a document from the World Council of Churches, which affirms “greed as violence” and that Christians do not have all the answers to the problem of greed; therefore, Christians need to seek solutions with other religious communities. Furthermore, religious leaders, theologians, and ethicists, by their very station in life, are not able to effectively listen to the voices of the poor and marginalized people of the world. Self‐critically examining the mainstream traditions within Christianity for its allegiance to empires, the article calls for engaging the alternative, rather than the mainstream traditions within religions whose interpretations of Scripture have provided insights that are at variance with the mainstream. It calls those who engage in this work to be double‐headed: to examine others' beliefs from the perspective of the other—while continuing to be rooted in one's own center—and to recognize that the voices of those in poor or marginalized communities are inaccessible, unless those who are poor themselves become the mediators of dialogue.     

Rising in Witness: The Metropolitan Community Church in the Religious Press

This detailed article surveys the literature generated by and about the Metropolitan Community Church from its foundation in 1968 to contemporary times in the mainstream religious press and tracks its use as a research venue.     

Toward a Theology of Hospitality

This article considers the need for a repositioning from advocacy to the embodiment of a theology of hospitality in focusing on the issue of statelessness as an issue of gender discrimination. To address statelessness adequately, the churches should exercise the ministry of hospitality for “strangers” as the basis for their advocacy to protect stateless persons and defend their basic and fundamental rights with regard to nationality.     

Religion in the Treaty of Lisbon: Aspects and Evaluation

Religion is now firmly present in the Treaty of Lisbon. This article analyses whether the presence of religion in this Treaty is a reflection of the religious component of European identity and the successful campaign of the Christian churches. I compare the initial objectives of the churches with the results achieved and pay attention to the identity-related debates which took place when the provision for religion was elaborated and discussed. Although one cannot claim that the churches fully achieved their initial goals, it should be taken into account that they acted in a situation of strong secular resistance. Therefore, the text of the Treaty of Lisbon reflects the struggle between religious and secular actors; however, generally speaking, it provided better opportunities for the churches to exercise their influence on the supra-national European level and confirmed the strong presence of the religious component in European identity.     

Samuel Kobia: Ecumenical,Passionate, Peacemaker

This article discusses the role played by Samuel Kobia in the ecumenical movement and the World Council of Churches, of which he was general secretary from 2004 to 2009, and his involvement in peacemaking and mediation in Africa, especially in his home country of Kenya, in Sudan, and in South Sudan.     

A Review of Faith-Based HIV Prevention Programs

HIV disproportionately affects people of color, suggesting a need for innovative prevention programs and collaborations as part of prevention efforts. African Americans have close ties to the church and faith-based organizations. African American faith communities were slow to address HIV prevention, but in recent years, they have become more involved in such activities. This study reviews the empirical literature on faith-based HIV prevention programs among African American populations. Several successful faith-based/public health collaborations are identified, and the limitations and strengths of faith-based prevention programs are discussed. Recommendations are provided for developing effective faith-based/public health collaborations.