WCC NEWS: Bishop Olav Fykse Tveit reflects on new book “Visions of Christian Unity” in video from WCC 11th Assembly

A video session of the launch of Bishop Olav Fykse Tveit’s book, “Visions of Christian Unity,” has been newly released by the World Council of Churches (WCC). 6 September 2022, Karlsruhe, Germany: Bishop Olav Fykse Tveit (left) discusses his new book, “Visions of Christian Unity,” with Anam Gill and Rev. Dag Tuvelius during a televised event at the World Council of Churches' 11th Assembly in Karlsruhe, Germany. The assembly takes place August 31 to September 8 under the theme "Christ's Love Moves the World to Reconciliation and Unity." Photo: Mike DuBose/WCC 13 September 2022 The book launch was held during the WCC 11th Assembly in Karlsruhe, Germany. Tveit, presiding bishop of the Church of Norway and former WCC general secretary, reflects on a volume that sketches an ecumenical movement, reveals a horizon of hope, and illumines many of our most pressing global challenges. In the video, Tveit explains how, as he became WCC general secretary, one of his challenges was to make churches more aware that the WCC was, in fact, working for them. “Why was this a challenge?” Tveit asked. “Sometimes the churches are very much involved and very busy with their own agendas,” he says. “I think they also felt, some of them, that the council has a very strong agenda to work for justice and peace in the world—and an ongoing agenda to work for unity. Some of the churches were asking how these agendas related to one another.” Tveit also speaks to the concept of a pilgrimage. “This recommendation from Busan opened up what was already there, in a way,” he says. “That became much more clear but also much more challenging.”  He describes the pilgrimage as how we move together as people of faith in a world in urgent need of justice and peace. “A pilgrimage is not only something we should construct for them but that they are longing for and able to make,” he says. The dynamic pilgrimage, he adds, opened up new involvement in the WCC’s work, “not only for specialists but for anybody.”  He also comments on the early thinking behind the theme of the WCC 11th Assembly, “Christ’s love moves the world to reconciliation and unity.”  The theme, he says, makes it clear why we are Christians—and why we are Christian churches together. “I think there was an understanding that the theme should help people see why we as believe in Christ,” he says. “What does that mean in the time we live in now?” Book "Visions of Christian Unity" by Olav Fykse Tveit Bishop Olav Fykse Tveit publishes “Visions of Christian Unity” (WCC news, 25 August 2022) Video of the Book launch: Visions of Christian Unity See more

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 352 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 580 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC acting general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca, from the Orthodox Church in Romania.  Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press Our visiting address is: World Council of Churches 150 route de Ferney Geneve 2 1211 Switzerland