These texts are the reports from the three meetings in the World Council of Churches' study programme on Ecclesiology and Ethics. The study was conducted jointly by Faith and Order and programme unit III (Justice, Peace and Creation), and ran from 1992 to 1996. As its name indicates, the study explored the relationship between what the church is and what the church does in the world, how the church's ethical reflection and witness is related to its faith, worship, and life as a whole.

What is the Christian responsibility in light of today's pressing personal and social ethical questions? How can the churches work more effectively together in facing difficult ethical issues? What are the limits of reponsible Christian ethical witness? What is distinctive about Christian ethical engagement? How can the churches work more effectively with those outside the church who nevertheless share many of its values and goals? These are some of the questions which this study addressed.

The status of these texts
These reports are not "official statements" of the World Council of Churches or any of its member churches. Each report was produced at a meeting of experts - theologians, ethicists, church leaders, persons active in Christian witness - coming from a wide diversity of Christian traditions, churches, and regions of the world. The purpose of the meetings, and of these texts, was not to develop a "common" position or to produce a unanimously-agreed statement on specific ethical issues. The goals were rather to explore the issues; to provide a "space" for the churches to share their positions, look for common ground, and clarify points on which they disagree; to suggest some approaches to the issues which the churches might find helpful in their own reflection, to stimulate further discussion, and to provide material for such discussion.

Click here for the following texts: Costly Unity Costly Commitment Costly Obedience Click on the image to order.

The texts have been published in book form under the title Ecclesiology and Ethics: Ecumenical Ethical Engagement, Moral Formation and the Nature of the Church, Thomas F. Best and Martin Robra, eds., Geneva, WCC Publications, ©1997. ISBN 2-8254-1216-3.

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