Issued also as thesis, Münster, 1967.

The post-colonial quest to reorganise and restructure missions became focused on the question of how the International Missionary Council (IMC) should relate to the World Council of Churches (WCC), as international symbols of a recovered relationship between mission and church. The desire to rehabilitate missions led to the more fundamental questioning of how mission should be redefined. This thesis demonstrates, through a study of Newbigin‘s involvement in the integration of the IMC with the WCC, how, after Tambaram (1938), church-centric missiology was redefined. The thesis seeks to ascertain what Newbigin contributed to integration; and secondly, how the process of integration affected Newbigin‘s theological reflection on the nature of mission. The study takes seriously the fact that Newbigin was a task theologian, and, through the use of extensive archives, seeks to bridge the gap between Newbigin‘s theological construction and the organisational embodiment of his convictions in integration. The thesis demonstrates how Newbigin‘s early experiences, in the Student Christian Movement, and as a missionary in south India, imbued him with convictions on the missionary nature of the church, which influenced his leadership of integration. The theological foundation for integration that Newbigin provided at Rolle (1951) and Willingen (1952) is assessed, as is Newbigin‘s tenure as general secretary of the IMC. The relationship between mission and church in Newbigin‘s theologizing is examined. The thesis demonstrates the process of how Newbigin made the significant shift from addressing the structures of mission to exploring the substance of mission, constructing a trinitarian foundation. Newbigin‘s emphasis, to facilitate integration between mission and church at the level of the local congregation, is evaluated, as is his response to the challenges posed by secularization. The outcome of integration is considered, in particular the role of mission within the WCC and the ongoing dichotomy between ecumenicals and evangelicals.

Thesis (M. Div.)--St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary, 1964. / Includes bibliographical references (leaf 45).

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Boston University / The purpose of this research has been to examine recent expressions about the Church, especially literature prepared for and issuing from the first assembly of the World Council of Churches, in order to discover a doctrine of the Church which may be offered to all Christians for the furtherance of unity. A growing sense of the importance of the doctrine of the Church has resulted from emphasis on the social nature of religious knowledge, the modern missionary movement, and the twentieth-century ecumenical movement. [TRUNCATED]

This study will investigate the WCC concept of &bdquo / Dialogue between Christianity and other Living Faiths‟, and its contributions in Asia, more specifically its impact on the relationship between Christians and Muslims in Indonesia. The study will focus on an Indian theologian, Stanley J Samartha, one of the most influential figures in the promotion of this concept within the WCC. The research will entail an analysis of Samartha‟s views on Christian dialogue with other faiths, and a critical assessment of his work in the field of &bdquo / mission‟, through his publications and various WCC documents. The contextual relevance of the study is highlighted by several spheres of tensions and conflicts: a) in the global context: the clash of cultures / b) in the ecumenical world: the divide between evangelicals and ecumenical / c) in the Asian context: the tension between dialogue and mission, between gospel and context / and d) in the Indonesian context: the ongoing tension between Muslims and Christians, and the tension between &bdquo / local gospel‟ and the Biblical gospel.

This study will investigate the WCC concept of &bdquo / Dialogue between Christianity and other Living Faiths‟, and its contributions in Asia, more specifically its impact on the relationship between Christians and Muslims in Indonesia. The study will focus on an Indian theologian, Stanley J Samartha, one of the most influential figures in the promotion of this concept within the WCC. The research will entail an analysis of Samartha‟s views on Christian dialogue with other faiths, and a critical assessment of his work in the field of &bdquo / mission‟, through his publications and various WCC documents. The contextual relevance of the study is highlighted by several spheres of tensions and conflicts: a) in the global context: the clash of cultures / b) in the ecumenical world: the divide between evangelicals and ecumenical / c) in the Asian context: the tension between dialogue and mission, between gospel and context / and d) in the Indonesian context: the ongoing tension between Muslims and Christians, and the tension between &bdquo / local gospel‟ and the Biblical gospel.

Diss. Uppsala : Uppsala universitet, 2006.

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / This study will investigate the WCC concept of 'Dialogue between Christianity and other Living Faith', and its contributions in Asia, more specifically its impact on the relationship between Christians and Muslims in Indonesia. The study will focus on an Indian theologian, Stanley J Samartha, one of the most influential figures in the promotion of this concept within the WCC. The research will entail an analysis of Samartha's views on Christian dialogue with other faiths, and a critical assessment of his work in the field of 'mission', through his publications and various WCC documents. The contextual relevance of the study is highlighted by several spheres of tensions and conflicts: a) in the global context: the clash of cultures; b) in the ecumenical world: the divide between evangelicals and ecumenical; c) in the Asian context: the tension between dialogue and mission, between gospel and context; and d) in the Indonesian context: the ongoing tension between Muslims and Christians, and the tension between 'local gospel' and the Biblical gospel. / South Africa

The thesis explores the manner and extent of World Council of Churches activities that reflect the obligation in its original constitution to develop ecumenical consciousness among the members of the churches. The study explores the possible original meaning of ecumenical consciousness and the implications of widening understandings of ecumenism and develops a working definition of ecumenical consciousness. That definition is seen as having particular significance not only for the structures and activities of the WCC but for the ecumenical movement as a whole. Social movement analysis is used to seek to understand better the nature of the ecumenical movement and its relationship to the World Council. Whilst not completely identifying the ecumenical movement as a social movement, it is suggested that an understanding of participation, the framing of issues of contention and the purposes of social movement organisations can all contribute fruitfully to understanding the ecumenical movement. This perspective leads to questions about whose ecumenical consciousness needs to be addressed and about cognitive and emotional mobilisation. These questions provide a framework for engaging with the stated understandings of the educational and formational activity of the World Council from its foundation to the Porto Alegre Assembly in 2006. From the Library and Archives of the World Council, the research draws on the official documents of Assemblies and Central Committee meetings and perhaps, more significantly, on reports of less high profile consultations and papers of staff discussions. Because of the way in which the World Council operates, this historical analysis is divided into the periods between Assemblies. The conclusion reached is that periods of creative thinking about people’s involvement and participation which might lead to the formation of ecumenical consciousness have alternated with reversions to more formal processes of teaching about the ecumenical movement. The expectations of the member churches of the World Council have been directed more towards being supported in their separateness than being challenged ecumenically. The demands of particular issues (ecclesiological and justice/peace) have led to a greater concentration on content rather than process. The value of ecumenical experience has been recognised but not always the necessity of learning through reflection on that experience. It is suggested that these and other tensions have resulted in the World Council being unable to benefit from the potential of an ecumenically conscientised constituency. The thesis concludes with a chapter considering the implications of these conclusions for the future work of the World Council, arguing that, both for its own good and that of the ecumenical movement, it needs to work to develop an ecumenical consciousness in the people of its whole constituency as well as in the institutional churches and their leaders.

Die wese van Christelike sending is nie die oorwegende faktor in die waarneming van die histories-diakrone nie. Christelike sending, maar ook die ontstaande transkontinentale inheemse sending-onafhanklike Kerke – die begin van die Christelike geloof en om uit dié geloof te lewe –, behels die uitbreiding en begrensdheid in die Sendingteologie van die 20ste eeu. Die globale fenomeen van Christelike sending is omvangryk, vertoon diversiteit en werk met lang tydsverlope in sending-historiese navorsing. Die verhouding en uitdaging tussen Christelike sending en die Kerk in die 20ste eeu berus op twee vlakke, naamlik die institusionele integrasie van Kerke, Sendingkerke en Sendinggenootskappe in die Christenraad van Suid-Afrika – as ‘n voorbeeld – en die integrasie van die Internasionale Sendingraad in die Ekumeniese Raad van Kerke. Christelike sending word uitgedaag om op verskillende kontekste, konfessionele, nasionale en kontinentale perspektiewe te reageer, maar word ook gekonfronteer met verskillende sendingteologiese modelle of insigte. Enersyds substitueer die bewussyn en opkoms van kultuurprotestantisme die ouer paradigmas van kerkvestiging en Christelike godsdiens met missionêre handelinge van die kulturele en die sosiale. Andersyds gee die teleurstelling in die eerste ontwikkelingsdekade tot die besef aanleiding dat die geskiedenis nie evolusionêr, maar konfliktief verloop. Die ontwikkelingsmodel is met ‘n bevrydingsmodel vervang, terwyl nieteologiese faktore of kontekstuele sake ‘n bepalende invloed op ekumeniese prosesse en teologie uitoefen. Wanneer die Christelike sendingbeweging tot die ontstaan van die aanvanklike Ekumeniese beweging bydra, fokus die strewe van die moderne Ekumeniese beweging – met haar drie groot formasies, naamlik die Wêreldsendingkonferensies, die “Beweging vir Geloof en Kerkkonstitusie” en die “Beweging vir die Praktiese Christendom” – op die eenheid van die Kerk, in terme van organisatoriese eenheid en die teologiese begronding van eenheid. Hierdie ekklesiologies-ekumeniese strewe na eenheid bly steeds ‘n onherkenbaar gesig, ondanks die ouer program van “versoende verskeidenheid” en die nuwe konvergensie studie: The Church: Towards a common Vision. Die breë doelstelling van hierdie studie is om komplekse, uiteenlopende en teologieshermeneutiese insigte, handelinge en kontekstuele perspektiewe in die sending en die ekumene uit te lig. Die volgende temas kry o.a. aandag: historiese aktualiteit, sendingteologiese program en model, Sendingwetenskap, Konvivenz, die Evangelikale beweging, Evangelisasie, bekering, barmhartigheid, geloof, heil, vryheid, lewe, getuienis, (sosiale / on) geregtigheid en verantwoordelikheid, etiek, menswaardigheid, nie-teologiese faktore soos byvoorbeeld taal, Swart Teologie, kulturele en religieuse pluralisme, dialoog, entologie, identiteit, opvoeding, skepping, ontwikkelingshulp, sang, vreemdheid, armoede, interkulturele samehange, Christenraad van Suid-Afrika, Internasionale Sendingraad, Wêreld Sendingkonferensie, Afrika Onafhanklike Kerke, die Berlynse Sendinggenootskap, die Suid- Afrikaanse Raad van Kerke, Ekumeniese beweging, die Ekumeniese Raad van Kerke, Kommissie vir Wêreldsending en Evangelisasie, die ERK voltallige vergadering en die PCRprogram. Hierdie studie probeer om ‘n bydrae tot die kennisontsluiting in verstaande Christelike sending, Sendinggeskiedenis en Interkulturele Teologie, asook die Suid-Afrikaanse Kerkgeskiedenis te lewer. / English: The nature of Christian mission is not the predominant constituent when observing the historical diachronic approach. Not only Christian mission but also the genesis of the transcontinental missionary enterprise in die fortification of indigenous Mission independent Churches – the acceptance of Christian faith and living by faith –, imply both expansion and limitation in the Theology of Mission in the 20th century. The extensive global phenomenon of Christian mission is diverse and encompasses long periods of time in the historical research of mission. The relationship between and challenge for Christian mission and the Church in the 20th century have two different levels of requirements, namely the institutional integration of, for example Churches, Church Missions and Missionary Society’s into the Christian Council of South Africa and the integration of the International Missionary Council with the World Council of Churches. The challenge for Christian Mission is to react to the result of different contextual, confessional, national and continental perspectives, besides various models and insights in the Theology of Mission. On the one hand, consciousness and the rising of cultural Protestantism substitutes the older paradigms regarding the establishment of Churches and Christian religion with missionary actions, in a socio-cultural framework, while on the other hand sensing the disappointment in the first decade of development, the realization ignites the idea that the course of history was not an evolutionary progression, but elapsed in a conflictual manner. The liberation model was called on to substitute the model of development. Non-theological factors or contextual issues had an determining influence on ecumenical processes and theology. While the Christian missionary movement contributed to the initial Ecumenical movement, the focus was on the pursuit of the modern Ecumenical movement with her three main formations, namely the World Mission Conference, Faith and Order and Life and Work of which the focus point is the unity of the Church in terms of the organizational unity and the theological justification for unity. This ecclesiastic, ecumenical pursuit towards unity, still remains unrecognizable, notwithstanding the older program, Reconciled Diversity and the new convergence study, The Church: Towards a common Vision. The broad objective in this study is to highlight the complexity, the diverse and theological hermeneutical insight, as well as the action and contextual perspectives in mission and ecumenism. It was necessary to study the following themes, among others historical actuality, program and model on the Theology of Mission, Missiology, Konvivenz, the Evangelical movement, Evangelism, conversion, mercy, faith, salvation, liberty / freedom, life, witness, (social / in) justice and responsibility, ethics, human dignity, non-theological factors for example language, Black Theology, cultural and religious pluralism, dialogue, ethnology, identity, education, creation, development aid, choral music, foreignness, poverty, intercultural coherences, the Christian Council of South Africa, International Mission Council, World Missionary Conference, African Independent Churches, the Berlin Missionary Society, the South African Council of Churches, Ecumenical Movement, the World Council of Churches, Commission in World Mission and Evangelism, the Assembly of the World Council of Churches and the PCR-programme. This research seeks to contribute towards knowledge production, within the framework in the understanding of Christian Mission, Mission History and Intercultural Theology, in addition to South African Church History. / Dissertation (MTh)--University of Pretoria, 2020. / Science of Religion and Missiology / MTh / Unrestricted