Areas of Agreement in the Three World Conferences on Faith and Order

The purpose of this thesis is to investigate the areas of agreement which have been achieved by the three World Conferences on Faith and Order. Interest in this problem stems from two existential situations. The first lies in the fact that the church body with which the writer is affiliated, the Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod, is not an active participant in the so-called ecumenical movement, as that movement finds its expression in the World Council of Churches. The reasons for this position which are most frequently cited fall under the broad category of doctrine.” This Lutheran body, along with the other three member bodies in the Evangelical Lutheran Synodical Conference of North America, considers it unionism to engage in church-fellowship with the adherents of false doctrine.” The second situation which has promoted interest in this subject is the writer\u27s attendance at the recent North American Conference on Faith and Order, held at Oberlin, Ohio. At this Conference many basic Christian doctrines were discussed, such as, Baptism and the Lord\u27s Supper, and significant agreements (and disagreements) were registered in the final Report. In the light of these facts, plus the additional fact that the Faith and Order Commission is dedicated to a non-compromising study of divisive theological issues, thorough historical research in this field seems well-warranted. It is the goal of this thesis, then, to trace the development of the Faith and Order Movement, to examine its methods and approach, and to compare its agreements at the World Conference level