Tacit dewesternisation in the ecumenical movement: The example of the World Council of Churches

Abstract

Dewesternisation is a concept still undergoing conceptual clarification and refinement. It is used in different theoretical approaches, often differently meant and assessed. Irrespective of its still uncertain theoretical scope, it appears to be a valuable tool for denoting the phenomena and processes taking place in global Christianity, especially in the ecumenical movement, including the World Council of Churches (WCC). The article aims to identify the crucial field of the WCC’ teaching that demonstrates and highlights dewesternisation processes within the ecumenical movement. Before tackling the main problem of this study, it discusses the issues ‘internal’ for dewesternisation and ecumenism, such as evolutionism, postcolonial theory and postcolonial theology. They all set a historical deduction that helps better comprehend dewesternisation within the ecumenical movement, as exemplified by the WCC. Literary analysis is the primary method employed in this study.
Contribution: By identifying and exemplifying the term of dewesternisation within the WCC, the article contributes to its better comprehension, particularly in the Northern Hemisphere.