THE CHALLENGES OF THEOLOGICAL EDUCATION IN THE MIDDLE EAST

and a Master of Divinity student at the

Germany is one of the Western countries where undergraduate and graduate education is given at the university level in the field of Islamic Theology. Germany deserves special attention because of the more than five million Muslim population it hosts and because it has a well-established tradition in orientalist studies of Islam. In addition, the Muslim population of Turkish origin due to business immigration from Turkey that started in the 1960s, the recommendation of the Science Council in 2010, and the Islamic Theology Centers opened with the financial support of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, highlight the example of Germany in our paper. It is possible to talk about an Islamic theological education in Germany that is structured in three ways. The first is the Oriental Institute, which was established as a sub-discipline of the Christian teleology department at the Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen as early as 1477. In addition to the Orientalist departments working with an orientalist perspective, the “Islamic Sciences/Islamwissenschaft” departments exist in more than 20 universities today and the “Islamic Theology Institutes/Centers,” which started to be opened in the early 2000s, are the third structure. In our paper, we will focus on Islamic Sciences departments instead of Orientalist departments, which are shaped with an orientalist perspective, and Islamic Theology, which was established primarily to train Islamic religion teachers and religious officials. There are Bachelor’s and Master's Degrees in different universities and colleges named Islamic Sciences, Islamic Religious Education, Islamic Studies, Islamic-Religious Studies, Islamic Oriental Studies, Asian Studies, Arabic Studies, Iranian Studies, Turkish History Studies, Languages and Cultures of the Islamic World, Religious Sciences. In addition, there are master's degree programs in the names of the Modern Islamic World, the Islamic World in the Modern Era, Arab-Islamic-Semitic Studies, and the Diversity of the Islamic World. It should be accepted that these faculties will have different contributions to Islamic Theology in accordance with their founding goals, mission, and curricula and that they should have mutual relations with the Faculties of Theology / Islamic Sciences in Turkey. Our communique aims to discuss the contribution of Theological education in Germany to Theological education in Turkey, taking into account the differences between the Faculties of Islamic Sciences and Theology. Despite the Islamic Sciences Departments, where academics and students do not have to be Muslim, Islamic Theology Centers take into account the views of religious communities in Germany while forming their academic staff in accordance with the aims of training religious officials/imams. In addition, while a “denominational” education is emphasized in the departments that provide teacher education, a “supra-sectarian” education emphasis in Islamic Theology departments draws attention to their programs. Again, in Islamic Theology, different from Islamic Sciences departments, tafsir, Systematic theology (basic theology, dogmatics, ethics/ethics, Islamic ecumenism), Historical theology (sunnah, kalam, mysticism, philosophy, etc.), Islamic law and legal methodology, Practical 'theology' and Religious Education fields exist based on Science Council recommendation.

List of Tables Acknowledgements Note on Transliteration Introduction Chapter 1. The Origins of the Armenian Presence in Lebanon and Syria: a Brief Historical Account Introduction The Armenian Homeland Armenian Migration to and within the Middle East: The Pre-Ottoman Era The Armenians and the Ottoman Empire The Era of Massacres: The End of the Empire and the Armenian Genocide Chapter 2. (Re)constructing Armenia: The Armenians in Lebanon and Syria during the Mandate Introduction Religious Policy under the Mandate and the Re-establishment of the Armenian Churches Armenian Politics and Public Participation under the Mandate Armenian Associations during the Mandate Armenian Culture and Media during the Mandate Armenian Education during the Mandate The Socio-Economic Position of the Armenians during the Mandate Chapter 3. Coping with Political Change: The Armenians in Lebanon and Syria during the First Two Decades of Independence (1946-1967) Introduction: The Armenians and the Post-Mandate States of the Levant Armenian Politics and Armenian Public Participation in Lebanon and Syria (1946-1967) Religious Policy and the Armenians in Independent Lebanon and Syria (1946-1967) Armenian Education in Independent Lebanon and Syria (1946-1967) Armenian Cultural Production between Flourishing and Decline: The 1950s and the 1960s Armenian Associations and the State in Lebanon and Syria from Independence to the 1960s Political Economy and the Social Position of the Armenians in Lebanon and Syria from Independence to the end of the 1960s Chapter 4. War, Migration, and Strategies of Survival: The Armenians between the Collapse of the Lebanese State and the Construction of Asad's Syria (1967-1989) Introduction Armenian Politics in the Levant From the Mid 1960s to the End of the Lebanese War The Armenian Churches in Lebanon and Syria in the 1970s and 1980s Armenian Education in Lebanon and Syria: The 1970s and 1980s Armenian Associations and the State in Lebanon and Syria: The 1970s and 1980s Armenian Culture and Media in Lebanon and Syria during the 1970s and 1980s The Armenian Communities and the Lebanese and Syrian Economy in the 1970s and 1980s Chapter 5. Difficult Recovery and Uncertain Future: The Armenians in Lebanon and Syria in the 1990s and Beyond Introduction Armenian Political Participation in Contemporary Lebanon and Syria Armenian Churches and the State in Contemporary Lebanon and Syria Coping with Economic Crisis: The Socio-Economic Position of the Armenians in Contemporary Lebanon and Syria Armenian Associations and the State in Contemporary Lebanon and Syria Armenian Education in Lebanon and Syria during the 1990s and Early 2000s Armenian Cultural Production and the State in Contemporary Lebanon and Syria Conclusion Bibliography Index

This paper questions the very subject of social change. It is proposed that we need to rethink the whole concept of change in sociological studies considering –the logic of God’s design on all creation as well as the context of time. This paper is a philosophical approach which assumed that man and society are not really change rather they simply grows like a circle of seeds spring up from mother’s womb. Man start from circle of sperm which gradually develops to form society and nation but finally dying to make a complete circle as he born out of mother earth and go back to where he came from. We hardly say that trees are changing rather we see them growing. In the same way man and society are also simply growing especially considering the context of time. Whenever we compared traditional and modern society we simply used ‘modern eyes’ to judge and observe and finally look down upon traditional society. This paper tries to make a holistic approach to understand the context of time’s self contain. We often generalized that traditional society are very simple, primitive and poor in all aspects but they may not think the way we think. The criteria we used are merely modern world view. We better try to understand the time frame. They had what they need, they lived simple life and they had simple problem. Can we claim that we are changing so fast, lots of development and now we are free from problem? Can we claim that we have comparatively higher moral standard of life? Instead, we live a complex life and problems are also complex. We eradicate diseases and other diseases arise. Relatively we have far better defending tools and weapons for security but can we proudly advocate that we are more saved and secured? To my understanding there is no change at all; rather we simple grow, enhance and enrich upon the existing structure. The underlying principles are same. We merely remodel the existing frame to meet the requirement of increasing complexities and problems which we create. Similarly new born baby gradually grows and his demand also increasing. Things which persist in both traditional and modern society areproblems, sorrow and joy, good and bad, man and women, left and right, day and night which ultimately form circle. Moreover, the unsatisfactory life and desires drives us to grow bigger and bigger to fulfilled the purpose of God of eternal circle.

Recently, traditional plays that show a combination pattern with online games and exist in a new field and a new way are breaking away from the way of scriptural plays. How should we recognize the crossover game and traditional crossover trend, which is sometimes considered a provocation against the “dignity of tradition”? Through this paper, I specifically tried to review how classical and modern, drama and game elements were fused, and to explore their achievements, problems, and future directions in terms of the modern succession of traditional plays. In this paper, the main research target is the 『Honor of Kings(王者荣耀)』 released game in 2015, which has recently been very popular among the game fields enjoyed by the younger generation in China. Game is a new play culture popular in modern digital society, and it seems to have nothing to do with ‘tradition’. Nevertheless, most of the hero characters in the 『Honor of Kings(王者荣耀)』 game are related to Chinese historical legends, myths or literature, and traditional Chinese culture and values are often projected on them. I believes that the combination of the hero shape character in the game and traditional Chinese characters is the most important cause of the popularity of 『Honor of Kings(王者荣耀)』, and especially focused on the connection with the play characters. Currently, 『Honor of Kings(王者荣耀)』 has officially uploaded the appearance of the hero's skin in conjunction with four plays: Beijing Opera(京劇), Kunqu Opera(崑曲), Sichuan opera(川劇), and Yue opera(越劇). First, as a combination of Peking opera(京劇) and game, it is the skin of Xiangyu(項羽) and Yuji(虞姬) in Peking opera 『Farewell My Concubine(霸王別嬉)』. Second, in the Kunqu Opera(崑曲) 『Jingmeng(惊梦)』, the figure of Duliniang(杜丽娘), which crosses life and death due to love, was transformed into one of the skin sculptures of the beautiful hero Zhenji(甄姬). Although it is not a traditional character, the Mengqi(梦奇), original hero character, in 『Honor of Kings(王者荣耀)』 was also given the skin appearance of Pangdarongrong(胖达荣荣) made by linking Sichuan opera(川劇) plays among traditional Local opera(地方戲). Finally, it is the shape of the game hero Nuxiaosheng(女小生) of Shangguanwaner(上官婉儿), which was introduced with traditional Yue opera(越劇) elements. Looking at these four aspects of game character formation related to Chinese plays, it can be seen that the original symbols and themes of the play characters are maintained as much as possible and the traditional play characteristics are never missed. Now that games have become a major play culture of the new generation, traditional Chinese plays are standing in front of the audience in a lively form of play, breaking away from the history of scripture and art. This shows confidence in traditional Chinese culture and at the same time gives a glimpse of the possibility of various methods and paths of traditional culture succession. Based on the review of this paper, its achievements and meanings were summarized in the following several ways. First, it was confirmed that traditional culture can give special vitality and competitiveness to games, which are modern plays. Second, it was found that online games equipped with traditions are a good platform for promoting history and traditional culture and a new channel for the spread of traditional culture. Finally, while seeking a sense of balance between art and the market, it is necessary to avoid the conservative view that traditional culture hesitates to compromise with the market of modern society. As mentioned above, it was confirmed that the convergence development of traditional culture and Internet games is a new method and opportunity for symbiosis and prosperity.

The obstacles encountered by women in the field of theological education extend beyond their historical underrepresentation and encompass the definition, formation, and structure of theological education. This is because existing theological education is biased toward men and is founded on androcentric theology, with a patriarchal culture that is dominant in African history. To effectively incorporate women’s concerns into theological education, a paradigm shift is necessary. While gender equality is acknowledged as a fundamental concept in higher education, steps have not been taken to change the way accredited theological institutions are set up to achieve this goal. This article outlines some options for institutional transformation to centre gender issues in Protestant theological education, including gender-sensitive perspectives in curriculum design, content, pedagogy, and the necessary institutional support.

The concept of privacy has always existed since the dawn of time. As a result of multiple interpretations, this term, which has different connotations depending on society, period, and culture, has different definitions. Privacy in traditional societies meant guarding one's personal space, confidentiality, and private life. However, as the digital era has progressed, so has the meaning and understanding of privacy. The subject of this study is the change in individuals' sense of privacy in modern society in terms of sociology of religion. We can now continually exchange data via smartphones, social media platforms, and other online services. This data may contain a variety of personal information, such as online buying habits, search engine query records, geographical location, and so on. Social media platforms have evolved into a great tool for people to share their lives and communicate with people who are both relevant and irrelevant to them. However, these platforms have the potential to essentially erase privacy borders. While perusing social media, many of us do not hesitate to post our meals, excursions, relationships, and even emotional states. These social media posts expose private lives to the public. This necessitates redefining the boundaries of privacy. Privacy is a fundamental virtue that, as in the past, must be safeguarded in the era of technology. The purpose of this research is to discover theological and sociological changes in the idea of privacy, as well as the variables that influence it. In terms of the methodology of this study, I shall compare the phenomenon and understanding of privacy in traditional society types and today's society from the perspective of sociology of religion. It can be clearly observed that the understanding of privacy in the modern period has changed especially with the development of technology. Data privacy concerns and social media sharing require individuals to be more conscious about protecting their privacy. Individuals must understand how their personal data is utilized, strengthen their security measures, and take deliberate actions to preserve their privacy in the digital environment. Making people aware of this development highlights the significance of the study. As a result, there are theological and societal variances in the idea of privacy between traditional and modern societies. In terms of privacy, traditional societies were more community-oriented, but modern societies are more individual-oriented. Because technology was not as prevalent in old communities as it is today, invasions of religious privacy were largely carried out through verbal communication. However, because of the widespread use of technology in today's culture, abuses of religious privacy are largely manifested visually through the sharing of images, films, voice recordings, and so on via social media and the internet. * This study is based on my master's thesis entitled "Muhafazakâr Moda Dergilerinde Mahremiyet Anlayışının Değişimi: Modanisa Örneği (The Change of the Understanding of Privacy in Conservative Fashion Magazines: The Example of Modanisa", which was completed in 2023 under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Celaleddin Çelik (Kayseri: Erciyes University, Institute of Social Sciences, Master's Degree, 2023).

In modern societies, there is a decreased usage of traditional weapons to settle interpersonal or inter-group disputes compared to usage in traditional societies, possibly affecting the frequency-dependent selection on the handedness polymorphism. Another societal difference is the extensive automation of hard manual labour (including agriculture) in industrialized societies, relaxing the selection for hand specialization. Thus, selection of handedness is likely to differ between traditional and modern societies. As heritability determines the relative speed of evolutionary dynamics, handedness heritability was compared between industrialized and non-industrialized societies. First, individuals were sampled from a non-industrialized area in Indonesia, where violent conflicts are relatively frequent and tribal wars have been prevalent recently. Handedness was recorded directly or indirectly for 11,490 individuals belonging to 650 independent pedigrees, and handedness heritability was estimated using a pedigree-based animal model. Second, estimates of handedness heritability derived from published sources were collected to compare heritability estimates, accounting for various confounding variables. Non-industrialized countries displayed a significantly higher heritability value (h2 = 0.56) than that of industrialized countries (h2 = 0.20). Heritability decreased with time along the twentieth century in industrialized countries, independently of the frequency of left-handedness, and independently of the method used to measure handedness. In conclusion, the data are consistent with a decrease in handedness heritability following the industrialization process and/or the associated decrease in violence using traditional weapons. The difference in heritability between industrialized and non-industrialized countries suggests that selection of handedness is thus likely to differ between traditional and modern societies.

This paper investigates theology students’ goals with respect to their career motivation and career decisions during theological studies. The aim is to investigate the career motivation of Finnish theology students, focusing especially on students aiming at general theological education. Faculties of Theology in Finnish universities provide general theological and teacher education and qualifications for students who want to become pastors for the Evangelical-Lutheran church. In study 1, the reasons given for the curriculum choices were investigated and classified. According to the results, students on different curriculum paths gave different kinds of reasons for their choices. It was especially interesting that students following the general theological curriculum path most often explained their curriculum choice by avoiding the other curricula. The aim of study 2 was to investigate further the perspectives of avoidance, so we focused on the students aiming at a general theological degree. In study 2, the narratives of career choice were analysed. The narratives were classified into four groups: students struggling with adversity (n = 26), searchers (n = 32), rejecting and rejected (n = 29), and general theological degree as a possibility (n = 44). When the studies were taken together, a picture of heterogeneity of student profiles in the general theological curriculum emerged along with the wide range of challenges these students face. These results are discussed in the light of theoretical viewpoints of personal worldview, career choice, and avoidance goals, and some implications for developing theological education are presented.

PurposeThe aim of the paper is to argue that accounting practices in colonial systems of government can help to construct the identity and “competency” of colonised communities.Design/methodology/approachThe approach was a historical analysis of the colonial political and economic policies of the USA in the Philippines from 1898 to 1924. The role of accounting practices was demonstrated by focusing on the case of the Philippine National Bank from 1916 to 1924. The bank was created by a wholly‐Filipino Legislature when Americans were actively promoting “home rule” by the Filipinos as a prelude to independence. Using Weber's theoretical distinction between modern and traditional societies, primary documents on the bank and secondary references of the policies of the USA during the period of study were examined.FindingsIt was found that the Americans used controls over government moneys to express their modernity, efficiency and goodness, while the Filipinos resisted them to perpetuate traditional social arrangements in the context of a “modern” Philippine state. The controls “failed” under the stress of such tensions. The Americans concluded that the Filipinos were unable to manage government moneys “properly”, thus denying them their independence.Research limitations/implicationsWeber's theorization of traditional and modern societies should be applied to understand interactions between coloniser and colonised in cases other than the Philippines.Originality/valueThis paper will be valuable to academics and policy makers because it shows that accounting need not be an active agent by colonisers/administrators to appropriate spoils from its colony.

1) Ecumenism as an urgent need in theological education basis of the WCC affirms: The World Council of Churches is a fellowship of churches which confess the Lord Jesus Christ as God and Saviour according to the scriptures and therefore seek to fulfil together their common calling to the glory of the one God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. In the constitution of the WCC the concern for ecumenical theological education therefore receives a high priority: it is defined as one of the primary purposes and functions of the WCC to nurture the growth of an ecumenical consciousness through processes of education and a vision of life in community rooted in each particular cultural context (WCC Constitution para. III). ecumenical movement from its very beginning and even before the founding of the WCC in 1948 (cf. history of World Council of Christian Education) had a profound impact on the understanding of Christian education in general and ministerial formation for future ministers and priests in particular. If the ecumenical movement as a whole is about strengthening common witness and promoting new forms of the visible unity between churches of different denominational and confessional traditions then the scandal of churches remaining in disunity and using distorted images of sister churches in one's own educational materials and publications needs to be overcome, with foremost priority in the area of theological education and ministerial formation. strengthening and pursuit of church unity in theological education is a gospel imperative for any church joining in the affirmation of the church as being one, holy, catholic and apostolic in its essence (The Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed [381]) (interdenominational or ecclesial dimension of ecumenical formation). emergence of interdenominational or non-denominational institutions of theological education in the '50s and '60s which was intentionally supported by the Theological Education Fund (TEF) of the IMC as well as the introduction of distinct courses and curriculum models on ecumenism and the ecumenical movement was a consequence of this ecclesiological insight. emphasis on interdenominational cooperation in theological education as well as the development of proper teaching materials on ecumenism remains an indispensable and in many places still lacking component of the theological education of pastors and ministers. There is no future for the ecumenical movement as a whole if there is no commitment to ecumenical formation processes in formal and non-formal theological education programmes of WCC member churches. If theological education fails to be guided by an ecumenical vision of a church renewed in mission and service to the whole of humankind there will be a serious shortage in terms of a new generation of Christian leaders, pastors and theological teachers carrying on the ecumenical vision and commitment into the 21 st century and a widening gap and estrangement between the majority clergy and ever fewer experts on the ecumenical movement and ecumenical theological discourse which can already be observed in a number of member churches. 2) Contextualization of theological education Ecumenical formation in theological education is guided by the vision of the church truly united and serving the renewal of the human community. Therefore, ecumenical formation reaches beyond the realm of issues of inner church unity in addressing fundamental questions of the human family and the survival of the whole earth. Being inspired by the ecumenical vision of God as the owner of the whole earth (oikumene) as well as the eschatological vision of a new heaven and a new earth, theological education in ecumenical understanding will always try to respond to the pressing needs of social contexts and to be related to issues of human survival both in global and in local environments. Relating theological education to the realities of particular social and cultural contexts, liberating theological education from any captivity of certain social milieus, cultural one-sidedness and spiritual blindness to religious values existing in certain indigenous traditions has been a major emphasis of the WCC in the programme on theological education (PTE) since the sixties (social or contextual dimension in ecumenical formation of theological education). …

The aim of the research is to conduct a comparative analysis of the dominance of the political sphere in traditional and modern societies, thus revealing common and specific features of the two types of societal functioning. The article examines the despotic regime in traditional society using the example of the Chinese imperial monarchy, while the short-lived, but vivid and illustrative rule of the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia serves as a modern analogue. The scientific novelty lies in the discovery of a crucial distinguishing feature of modern society from traditional society, i.e., the notion of the subordination of society and nature to human will. According to the newly established concept of the late 18th century in Europe, the state system can change in accordance with societal demands, and the social structure should be malleable in line with the demands of individuals comprising the society. Consequently, there can be nothing immutable or permanently established in society. This approach is fundamentally alien to traditional society. As a result, the research has found that traditional society, in which political power claims absolute dominance, is more stable and diverse than modern political dictatorship, as it does not seek to eliminate any segments or spheres of public life.

In modern society, domestic consumption is constantly upgrading. After experiencing the climax of the development of foreign culture, national cultural self-confidence begins to awaken, and "national tide fever" comes into being. In this social environment, research on how major domestic beauty brands stand out in the tide of the "national trend". This article takes the domestic beauty brand Huaxizi as the research object and uses literature analysis to identify the main reasons for the success of Huaxizi brand. Huaxizi's brand's reference to traditional culture is not a mechanical collaboration. It simply replicates traditional culture and deeply explores the excellent traditional culture that gradually disappears from the public's perspective. Then, starting from the nature and function of its own products, using modern craftsmanship and production technology, it cleverly integrates traditional culture into its own products and creates its own cultural symbol. Hua Xizi chose a brand recommendation officer in marketing, launched brand songs, and created unique Chinese style makeup. Through various cross-border marketing, she ultimately became a leader in the domestic beauty industry. Huaxizi has not formed its own user pool, and its sales methods are only limited to online sales. In order to achieve greater benefits, it is recommended to create its own exclusive app, establish a physical portal, and choose a marketing method closer to traditional culture.

This paper examines the historical change in theology education in Azerbaijan after the modernization period, especially from the 19th century to the present. In the first half of the 19th century, with Russia's occupation of the region, the changes in theology education and the factors that were effective in this change are discussed. At the same time, the situation of theological education in Azerbaijan and its results are investigated during the Soviet period, which adopted atheist ideology after the tsarist Russia. Finally, the theological education policies in Azerbaijan during the independence period and the social, political, cultural, and ideological factors that shape these policies are examined. While the various scientific centers of the Islamic world had an indisputable authority in higher religious education before the Tsar's Russia invaded the region, the number of those who turned to these science centers gradually decreased with the policies implemented after the occupation. During the Soviet period, Azerbaijan's ties with the higher religious education centers in the Islamic world were completely severed, and only a very limited number of people were able to have higher religious education at the Tashkent Islamic Institute, which was under the control of the Soviet system. Since the first years of the independence period, Azerbaijan has struggled with the problems caused by the lack of a mechanism to train theologians to meet this interest, despite the increasing interest in Islam in the society. Although the Baku Islamic Institute was established under the Caucasus Muslims Spiritual Administration in the first years of independence, the Institute could not achieve success in educational activities that meet the needs. In the first years of independence, the theology faculty, which was established under the Baku State University with the support of the Turkiye Diyanet Foundation (TDF), was not accepted as an authoritative institution in the field of higher religious education by the majority of the society for some reasons. In this period, certain education centers in the Islamic world became intensely preferred for higher religious education. However, this situation brought along political, ideological, cultural, etc., problems, and the problems and contradictions of the Islamic world were imported to Azerbaijan by theologians who graduated from there. In 2018, by the Presidential decree, the Azerbaijan Theology Institute was established to realize higher religious education and training, taking into account the religious sectarian structure of the Azerbaijani society and aiming to operate in harmony with state policies. In the same year, the education and training activities of the Faculty of Theology which were established with the support of TRF and Baku Islamic University were terminated. Azerbaijan Institute of Theology continues its activities as the only higher religious education institution in the country that prepares religious officials. As a result, we can say that in the last two centuries, there have been serious changes and even breaks in theology education in Azerbaijan, and this process is closely related to the political and ideological processes taking place in the country.

"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit," (Matt. 28:19) was one of the early golden verses from the Bible I memorized when I was in elementary school at the Armenian Evangelical School in Lebanon. (1) Who was being addressed? I asked myself. The church, my missionary teachers or me as a girl? The question remained with me until I learned the theology of mission of my church and became involved in the ecumenical movement. Mission: An ecumenical journey While at the Evangelical School, I faced a dilemma: On Sunday I attended the liturgy in the Armenian Orthodox church with my family, and during the week, I attended Bible studies and memorized golden verses at school. My parents explained to me the missionary nature of our church as the eucharistic community where discipleship meant internal conversion, commitment to Christian values of love and justice, and serving the world. My parents' explanation of God's mission contrasted with the school's message of repentance and personal salvation. In my mind, I was a sinner during the week and God's child growing up to serve humanity on Sundays. This different understanding of mission made me question the theology of mission of my church. In our history classes we learned that Armenians were the first people to adopt Christianity as national religion in 301 CE. How could the founders of our faith, the apostles Thaddeus and Bartholomew, who evangelized Armenia, and our church fathers be wrong? How about our Muslim neighbours and friends? While my parents assured me that my neighbours and friends were not doomed to go to hell, yet I always feared for them. My role as a girl-child having received the message "go forth" was clarified later when I joined the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) and the World Council of Churches (WCC) respectively as staff. My ecumenical quest, which led to the creation of the European Project for Interreligious Learning (EPIL), began with my work at the Ecumenical Youth and Students Secretariat of the Middle East in Beirut (2) and as development secretary. The next step was my appointment as executive secretary for Inter-Church Aid and Development Programme, the only woman executive in the newly constituted Middle East Council of Churches in 1974. During the 1970s Paulo Freire was a staff member at the WCC and his pedagogy (3)--based on "conscientization"/"awareness building" and liberation of the poor and the oppressed through reflection and action in the liberational methodological rhythm of See, Judge, and Act-guided our work. As head of the development department, I was further inspired by the WCC Commission on Churches Participation in Development (CCPD) with its emphasis on development as a process to promote social justice, self-reliance, and economic growth. The 1980s brought a new understanding of mission to the ecumenical movement through the WCC central committee's approval in 1982 of the document "Mission and Evangelism: An Ecumenical Affirmation." (4) The document included the Orthodox pneumatology and showed the interrelationship between Christololgy and the Holy Spirit, as later explained by the current Catholicos of Cilicia, Aram I: The Triune God is the source of life. The Holy Spirit is the giver of life, the life-giving presence of the Triune God. Like breath, the Holy Spirit inspires and empowers life in human beings and in the whole creation. Without the presence of the Spirit all things in creation "die and return to dust" (Psalm 104:29). The Holy Spirit is not only the generator of life, but the one who sustains it. (5) The clarification that God is Trinity and the risen Christ is active in the Spirit as manifested through the Pentecost emphasized the cosmic nature of salvation and opened a new way of reflecting on creation, reconciliation, and healing. …