 | Unity as Prophetic Witness Visser 't Hooft and the Shaping of Ecumenical Theology Visser 't Hooft is, perhaps, the most distinguished figure in the modern ecumenical movement, emerging in the postwar decades as a pivotal figure. Under his leadership, the World Council of Churches was officially constituted in 1948 by 147 Protestant and Orthodox Catholic denominations, and the organization grew to include nearly 300 denominations in the following decades. Visser 't Hooft played a major role in the inclusion of churches from communist countries in the World Council, and he also sought to enlarge the role played by African, Asian, and Orthodox churches in the organization. He served as editor of the Ecumenical Review from 1948 to 1966. He was also the author of numerous books on the ecumenical movement and the nature and functions of the church. Michael Kinnamon , a seminary and university professor for thirty years, is the author or editor of numerous volumes in ecumenical studies, including The Ecumenical Movement: An Anthology of Key Texts and Voices. He formerly served as an Executive Secretary of the WCC's Faith and Order Commission and as General Secretary of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. |
