The Institute of Middle East Studies (IMES) is honored to be hosting a discussion on the Arabic language version of the landmark document Christian Witness in a Multi-Religious World: Recommendations for Conduct [Arabic/English]. The event is to be held on Tuesday, February 11^th at 7pm in the Elias Salibi Hall at the Arab Baptist Theological Seminary (ABTS) in Beirut, Lebanon. 

Published initially in Geneva in 2011, the document is the result of a collaboration between the World Council of Churches (WCC), the Vatican’s Pontifical Council on Inter-religious Dialogue (PCID), and the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA). Together these organizations represent up to 90% of the global Christian community and represent hundreds of Christian denominations, including Orthodox, Catholic, Anglican, Protestant, Evangelical, Pentecostal, and independent churches.

The document outlines 12 principles intended to address practical issues associated with Christian witness in a multi-religious world, coming under the following headings:

1. Acting in God’s Love
2. Imitating Jesus Christ
3. Christian Virtues
4. Acts of Service and Justice
5. Discernment in Ministries of Healing
6. Rejection of Violence
7. Freedom of Religion and Belief
8. Mutual Respect and Solidarity
9. Respect for all People
10. Renouncing False Witness
11. Ensuring Personal Discernment
12. Building Interreligious Relationships

Two of the key contributors to the document, John Baxter-Brown, former consultant on evangelism to the World Council of Churches, and Rosalee Velloso Ewell, executive director of the WEA Theological Commission, will present on the Christian Witness in a Multi-Religious World: Recommendations for Conduct document. This will be followed by multiple cross-denominational and multi-faith respondents. (John Baxter-Brown and Rosalee Velloso Ewell will be co-teaching a course at ABTS during the week of the event.)

This is a positive document which is hoped will have a significant impact upon the way in which Christian witness is understood and practiced within our multi-faith world. In anticipation of the event, IMESLebanon.wordpress.com will be focusing on various principles outlined in the document over the coming weeks.