Christians with non-Christians

A five-page document focuses on shared Christian recommendations on Gospel proclamation by missionaries, evangelizers and Christian witnesses notwithstanding the respect for other religious confessions. The document Christian Witness in a Multi-Religious World Recommendations for Conduct is the result of five years of work. The preamble states, “Mission belongs to the very being of the church. Proclaiming the word of God and witnessing to the world is essential for every Christian. At the same time, it is necessary to do so according to gospel principles, with full respect and love for all human beings”. The document was jointly drawn up by the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue (PCID), the World Council of Churches (WCC) and the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) which rather than producing a theological statement on mission, “aware of the tensions between people and communities of different religious convictions and the varied interpretations of Christian witness” convened to address “practical issues associated with Christian witness in a multi-religious world” to encourage Churches “to reflect on their current practices to prepare, where appropriate, their own guidelines for their witness and mission”.The foundations of Christian witness. In seven key-chapters with references to the New Testament, the document focuses on the fact that “Christian witness is always a sharing of the witness of Jesus Christ”, that “the teaching of Jesus Christ and of the early Church must be the guides” for Christian mission. Today’s context “includes engaging in dialogue with people of different religions and cultures” while in some contexts, “living and proclaiming the Gospel is difficult, hindered or even prohibited”. However, “engaging in inappropriate methods” such as deception and coercive means, means to “betray the Gospel and may cause suffering to others”. When it happens “conversion is ultimately the work of the Holy Spirit”, although it is “Christians’ responsibility to witness to Christ”.The principles. The document invites Christians to adhere to twelve principles, in their Christian life and as they seek to fulfil the evangelizing mission. These are: Acting in God’s love; imitating Jesus Christ; living Christian virtues; living acts of service and justice; carrying out discernment in ministries of healing; rejecting violence; defending freedom of religion and belief; working with mutual respect and solidarity; renouncing false witness; ensuring personal discernment; building inter-religious relationships.Recommendations. Follow six recommendations that the participants gathered in Bangkok past January, in the third consultation that produced the document, address to Churches and ecumenical bodies, namely, to study and where appropriate formulate guidelines for conduct regarding Christian witness; build relationships of respect and trust with people of all religions, “in particular at institutional level between churches and other religious communities”; “encourage Christians to strengthen their own religious identity and faith while deepening their knowledge and understanding of different religions”; “cooperate” with other religious communities engaging in interreligious advocacy towards justice and the common good; “calling on their governments” to ensure that freedom of religion is properly and comprehensively respected; and to “pray” for their neighbours. An important goal. The document was presented in a meeting that took place in Geneva on June 28, at the seat of the WCC, attended by cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran (PCID), by the Rev. Olav Fykse Tveit (WCC) and Pastor Geoff Tunnicliffe (WEA). In the communiqué released at the end of the meeting are quoted the words by pastor Tunnicliffe: “In the past five years we have been building a new bridge”. “The document is a major achievement, in that it represents formal agreement on the essence of Christian mission while also demonstrating that diverse Christian bodies are able to work together and to speak together. “We send this document to each of our constituencies”, said the Rev. Tveit, “with the hope that they will see these recommendations as an inspiration to design their own codes of conduct, relevant to their own particular contexts”. Card. Jean-Louis Tauran, observed that leaders in the churches today “have a duty to proclaim the faith” and also “to propose a greater vision of dialogue”, according to the principle of Catholic teaching, “Reject nothing that is true and holy in each religion”.