Wishing you a blessed Christmas!

Transcription

1 Wishing you a blessed Christmas! December 2016

2 Editorial Dear Bossey alumni, friends and partners, It is already one year since the last issue of Beyond Boundaries. So, we want to give you some update on what was going on in Bossey during In the first place we have to mention the celebration of the 70th anniversary of the Ecumenical Institute at the beginning of October. It gave us the opportunity to highlight, for a wider public, the importance of Bossey as an academic platform of encounter and a safe space for formation for dialogue and peace-building. In the presence of many guests former staff, alumni, partners, neighbours, colleagues - a new and updated edition of the Story of Bossey was launched and the new developments during the last twenty years were presented and witnessed to by several alumni. The biggest attraction for the media was a lecture of the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, which demonstrated the interfaith component as a new element in the teaching offered by the Institute in more than ten years. Many alumni shared their joy with us by , and the present student group was very committed by helping with an ecumenical worship service broadcasted by the Swiss Radio. We also would like to keep you updated with the regular academic life, the graduations, and the changes in the faculty was an enriching year for the Ecumenical Institute with several student groups from Germany, Switzerland, and Sweden visiting us. Many visitors and alumni tell us how Contents Editorial 2 Bossey students on their way to future of ecumenism 3 Masters research at the Ecumenical Institute 3 Students celebrate first graduation from CAS in Interreligious Studies 4 Staff changes at Bossey 4 Bossey professor recognized as trust among religions grows 5 important the work of the Institute is for the churches in our more and more globalised and multicultural societies. This is only possible with your support. At the moment our scholarship fund is rather stable, but we need to work so that this continues also in the coming years. With best wishes for a blessed Christmas! Prof. Fr. Dr. Ioan Sauca Director of the Institute Visiting groups at Bossey 5 Fellowship in focus, as Ecumenical Institute in Bossey marks 70 years 6 Bossey: forming ambassadors of reconciliation 6 Bossey alums praise its 70 years of ecumenical formation 7 The Story of Bossey launched at the 70-year anniversary 7 Bossey students on their way to future of ecumenism On 27 January twenty-two students from 16 countries finished their studies with a farewell service and ceremony. They represented Oriental Orthodox, Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Anglican, Methodist, Presbyterian, Lutheran, United and Pentecostal churches. Throughout the semester, the students learned about the different issues at stake in the ecumenical movement. They learned about the World Council of Churches, its purpose, its history and its achievements. At the same time they practised ecumenical life by discovering and discussing their differences and by praying together. As the students time at Bossey had come to an end, the director of the In the Bossey chapel. Marianne Ejdersten/WCC Ecumenical Institute, Fr Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca sent them on their way quoting Paul s words to the Ephesians 4.1-4: As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one Master s research at the Ecumenical Institute In June 2016 a new generation of Master students defended their theses successfully and were granted a Master s degree by the University of Geneva. Their works cover a wide range of themes related to the research areas of the Institute. Milana Ivkovic from the Serbian Orthodox Church defended a thesis on Common Prayer in the Ecumenical Movement Discussed in the Perspective of Anthony Bloom s Understanding of Prayer. Irakli Jinjolava from the Georgian Orthodox Church defended a thesis on The Ecumenical Vocation of the Orthodox Church according to the Georgian Theologian and Saint Priest-Martyr Grigol Peradze. Julianna Koczogh from the Hungarian Reformed Church defended a thesis on Women in the Ordained Ministry: A Case for an Ecumenical Reflection on Gender Justice. Jovan-Deni Stojanovic from the Serbian Orthodox Church defended a thesis on Contemporary Mission in the Ecumenical Movement and Orthodox Church: Developments and Interactions. another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called The happy Master students. Dagmar Heller/WCC Ilie Tomoiaga from the Romanian Orthodox Church defended a thesis on The Role of Spirituality in Healing and Recovery from Alcohol and Drug Addiction. Gunta Ziemele from the Roman Catholic Church in Latvia defended a thesis on Pastoral Care of the Downhearted: An Opening for Ecumenical Collaboration in Latvia. 2 3

3 Students celebrate first graduation from CAS in Interreligious Studies On a sunny, hot August afternoon on the grounds of the 18th-century Château de Bossey, 17 young people from across the world gathered for their graduation ceremony in the Certificate of Advanced Studies in Interreligious Studies from the Ecumenical Institute at Bossey. The ceremony was the culmination of a six-week course aimed at an international audience of young people from the three so-called Abrahamic religions. Significantly, this was the first year that the course has been accredited by the University of Geneva under the Swiss Higher Education Programme for Continuing Education. The course, which evolved over the years as Building an Interfaith Dr Clare Amos speaking at the graduation ceremony. Robert Bartram/WCC Community, is now organized in close collaboration with the World Council of Churches programme on interreligious dialogue and the Geneva-based Muslim and Jewish partners, Fondation de l Entre-connaissance and Fondation Racines et Sources. Janne Hauger from Norway spoke on behalf of all the students and thanked the staff for their generous support and help, citing the incredible atmosphere of the Ecumenical Institute. She said that the course had been above and beyond students expectations and that the learning could not have taken place without the hard work of everyone, students and staff alike. Bossey professor recognized as trust among religions grows The date 11 August 2016 marked an important day in the history of the Ecumenical Institute, as it saw the first students receive their Certificate in Advanced Studies (CAS) in Interreligious Studies diplomas. In connection with that same ceremony, Bossey professor Rev. Fr Dr Lawrence Iwuamadi was awarded the annual Inter-knowing Prize by the Muslim non-profit organization the Interknowing Foundation. Behind the award is Lawrence s positive and sincere commitment to interreligious and interhuman dialogue. Iwuamadi, who joined the Ecumenical Institute in 2012 on secondment from the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity, Vatican, and holds the position of professor of Ecumenical Rev. Fr Dr Lawrence Iwuamadi. Biblical Hermeneutics, said: It was a big surprise. I was not expecting anything of the sort. To me, as a Roman Catholic priest, receiving this award is a reminder that in our little worlds and in little ways, there are opportunities to realize the goals of the Second Vatican Council. Seeing how we have just completed this first CAS in Interreligious Studies, this award further strengthens our belief that it is essential to build bridges, strengthen trust and explore respectful collaborations, not only among Christians but also with people of other faiths, Iwuamadi added. Staff changes at Bossey Visiting groups at Bossey 4 After some 30 years of service as cook at Bossey, Ginetta Carulli retired in early October Her long-standing service has been a treasure to Bossey guests and students, and her presence will be missed by many. Starting in September 2016, the Ecumenical Institute welcomes Rev. Dr Benjamin Simon as new Professor of Ecumenical Missiology. Simon has previously worked as Secretary for Mission and Ecumenism at the Protestant Church in Baden, Germany. He has also lectured at Makumira University College, Tanzania, and the University of Heidelberg, Germany, from where he got his Dr. theol. The Ecumenical Institute also has the pleasure to welcome a new librarian, Valérie Kim. A former free-lance translator, Kim recently graduated from the Haute école de gestion of Geneva. She has work experience from Bibliothèque de Genève, département des imprimés anciens et précieux, and the Bibliothèque des conservatoire et jardin botaniques de Genève. She works 50% for the WCC. Luc Hegetschweiler/WCC Top: Farewell party for Ginetta Carulli. Bottom: Rev. Dr Benjamin Simon speaking in the Bossey chapel. Throughout the year a growing number of student groups come and visit the Ecumenical Institute. Some of them have a few lectures together with the Bossey students. All of them ask for lectures from the Bossey professors. In May 2016 a group of doctoral and Master students from the Missionsakademie in Hamburg had an exchange with the Master students at Bossey. In October, Proff. Sallmann and Heuser from Bern and Basel brought their students for four days to Bossey for an intensive seminar, and in early November the Church of Sweden came with a group of ordinands, who were introduced to ecumenism. Visitors from the Missionsakademie in Hamburg. Dagmar Heller/WCC 5

4 Fellowship in focus, as Ecumenical Institute in Bossey marks 70 years Bossey alums praise its 70 years of ecumenical formation As the Bossey Ecumenical Institute marks 70 years of ecumenical formation, hundreds of current and former students, professors, partners and friends gathered at the Château in late September, for days highlighting the work of the institute and its role in the ecumenical movement. This weekend, in many ways, is an occasion to mark 70 years of work for reconciliation, not only among churches but also among peoples, and at the same time it is an occasion to look forward, to see that we are also taking new steps in ecumenical education, said Rev. Dr Dagmar Heller, dean of the Ecumenical Institute. Bossey: forming ambassadors of reconciliation Current and former students gathered in the Bossey chapel. Rev. Margarithe Veen, who studied at Bossey in 98/99, said, It is simply the case that Bossey has been a lifechanging experience for me. If there is one place in this world where the ecumenical spirit can truly be seen, then for me that place is Bossey. I want to praise God, to thank God, for this is opportunity to meet people from all over the world, from different countries and denominations, and to have fellowship with them, said Khaing Moh Moh from Myanmar, a current student of the institute s Certificate of Advanced Studies in Ecumenical Studies. Rev. Kokou Pere from Togo, another current Bossey student, reflected, Gathering here in Bossey, we find unity in our diversities. Here, we can both learn about and see unity, as we live together despite our differences. The sound of a bell calling across fields and cities, re-assembling the community that celebrates the new creation opened a Sunday service prepared to commemorate 70 years of the Ecumenical Institute at Bossey, on 2 October. The celebration closed the three-day programme of activities around the anniversary. The service, broadcast live by the Radio Télévision Suisse Romande (RTS), had been prepared by Rev. Dr Dagmar Heller, Rev. Terry MacArthur and Rev. Ester Widiasih and was celebrated with musical and liturgical participation of Bossey students and teachers. Prof. Dr Elisabeth Gangloff-Parmentier, who gave a sermon on 2 Corinthians 5:14-21, said, We see today how the ecumenical orientation is imperative. It is no longer time to lament the loss of our identities or the subtleties of our respective traditions, she said. Bossey students experience both how it is difficult to learn to accept differences and to live together, added Parmentier. For Heller, as dean of the Ecumenical Institute, the service was a very good opportunity to experience the richness of the ecumenical movement both for our students and for the guests participating in the event, she said and concluded, The service picked up one of the core messages of the work we do in Bossey, which is reconciliation. Bossey s story is both old and new but it s younger than ever, says one of its graduates, Rev. Dr Robert K. Welsh, a renowned ecumenical scholar who opened was a student at the Bossey Institute in The Ecumenical Institute has moved from being a quiet, isolated academic community on Lac Léman to becoming a meeting place for the world s agenda in addressing issues of peace and globalization, of interfaith encounter, and of the care for God s creation and eco-justice. The message of Bossey is finally borne out in the lives of persons who have been touched and marked and shaped by this place and its programmes - persons scattered across the whole world: proclaiming a vision of what it means to be God s people beyond the boundaries of nation, class, race, gender, and denominational or confessional identity, says Welsh. Rev. Margarithe Veen, a Protestant pastor from The Netherlands who studied at the institute in , reflects on Bossey s small, but beautiful chapel and the powerful spiritual impact it has on those who pray there. Thanks to Bossev s chapel, I experienced a way of worshipping where we were united with all our stories, backgrounds and traditions, whether or not we wished to be. This ecumenical spirituality helps me in a positive and inspiring way for myself and my parish work today. In 2016 the Ecumenical Institute turns 70 years old, says Rev. Dr Dagmar Heller. And unlike a man or woman of that age, Bossey looks younger today than it did 20 years ago. The Story of Bossey launched at the 70-year anniversary A brief yet lively history of the Ecumenical Institute at Bossey, The Story of Bossey: A Laboratory for Ecumenical Life, was released by the World Council of Churches Publications at a book launch 1 October on the grounds of the institute. The Story of Bossey, originally authored by Rev. Dr Hans-Ruedi Weber, professor at Bossey in the 1960s, has been updated by Rev. Dr Robert K. Welsh, a former Bossey student and member of the Bossey Board for several years. The book delves into the roots and evolution of Bossey and its programmes, its place in the ecumenical movement, and the people who have invested creative energy into its growth and flourishing. The Story of Bossey reveals not only a life-changing venue for Christian encounter but a lens on the rapidly-changing landscape of the larger church and the ecumenical movement. The most rewarding aspect of this work has been to discover the growing impact that Bossey has had in serving as the avant-garde of the whole ecumenical movement. It has moved from being a quiet, isolated academic community on Lac Léman to becoming a meeting place for the world s agenda in addressing issues of peace and globalization, of interfaith encounter, and of the care for God s creation and eco-justice, said Welsh. 6 7

5 BEYOND BOUNDARIES is a periodic newsletter of the Ecumenical Institute at Château de Bossey. Editorial Team Dagmar Heller Albin Hillert Printed at the Ecumenical Institute December 2016 The Ecumenical Institute shall not be under any liability to any person in respect of any damage, however caused, which may be incurred or which arises directly or indirectly from reliance on information in this publication. Cover photos by Albin Hillert/WCC Support the work of the Ecumenical Institute! Online giving Bank transfer Banque Cantonale Vaudoise (BCV) Case postale 300, CH-1001 Lausanne, Switzerland Account holder: The Ecumenical Institute of Bossey IBAN: CH U Swift code: BCVLCH2LXXX Postal account (in Switzerland only) Account holder: The Ecumenical Institute of Bossey CCP: Thank You for Your Gifts! Ecumenical Institute Château de Bossey Chemin Chenevière 2, 1279 Bogis-Bossey, Switzerland Tel: Fax: bossey@wcc-coe.org