23rd July, 2015
A new institute aimed at promoting collaboration between different church denominations in the Arab world and building bridges with people of other faiths will be officially launched in Lebanon later this month.
The Ecumenical Institute for the Middle East will see some 40 students attending this year from countries including Lebanon, Egypt, Sudan, Jordan, Syria, Palestine and Iraq, and representing a range of Christian traditions and denominations.
Subjects covered at the institute will include inter-church dialogue, the definition, history and vision of ecumenism, particularly in the Middle East, and church history as well as Biblical studies, human rights and interfaith dialogue.
The institute, which will be officially launched on 31st July, was initiated by the World Student Christian Federation which has been involved in training young people in inter-church dialogue for the past 43 years.
Visiting the institute this month, Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, general secretary of the World Council of Churches, said the initiative was "promising and inspiring" and would be of significant value to churches in the Middle East.
“With theologically well qualified teachers, the institute is introducing students to Biblical studies and the diversity of Christian traditions, training them to continue with the legacy of the ecumenical movement,” he said.
– DAVID ADAMS
