A group of students at the Institute for Ecumenical Research in Strasbourg. Photo: Institute for Ecumenical Research in Strasbourg
Strasbourg Institute offers online training to build on LWF’s ecumenical commitments
(LWI) - The Institute for Ecumenical Research in Strasbourg welcomes applications for an online training course which will build on the ecumenically oriented resolutions from the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) Thirteenth Assembly. That global gathering, which took place in Kraków, Poland, last September, called on the LWF Communion Office “to engage in strengthening the reception process of ecumenical study documents” and to facilitate “a global network of ecumenical experts.”
The study course, which will be held from 7 to 11 October 2024, is focused on the theme: “To be Lutheran is to be ecumenical.” It offers pastors and advanced students of theology the opportunity to learn more about the historic achievements in overcoming divisions between Lutherans and other Christian churches, while also developing tools for analyzing and furthering dialogue in different local contexts.
The five-day course, which will include a maximum of 20 participants, also aims to strengthen communion between different parts of the global communion of churches. LWF Assistant General Secretary for Ecumenical Relations, Prof. Dr Dirk Lange stressed the importance nurturing a new generation of ecumenists, noting that “developing a network of young ecumenists who engage in God’s continual act of reconciliation by breaking down the barriers, is at the heart of what the LWF is about."
15 September deadline for applications
The deadline for applications is 15 September 2024 and all participants must have the endorsement of their church leadership. The course will be held in English and participants are expected to attend all the daily webinars. Five lectures in video and written form will be distributed for study before the sessions and participants will receive a certificate at the conclusion of the course.
Prof. Lange, who is also acting director of the Institute, said: “Ecumenism is at the heart of Christian witness: to be one in the Body of Christ so that the world may believe. The Institute for Ecumenical Research has continually promoted and furthered this gospel reality through the highest quality research and scholarship. This course offers insights into the multiple dynamics, challenges, and joys of this work.”
The cost of the course is 150 Euros. Further details and the application form can be found below.
The Institute for Ecumenical Research in Strasbourg has been working since 1965 to provide theological analysis and advice to service the world’s Lutheran churches as they seek to resolve differences with other Christians and make visible the unity of the one Church of Christ.
