Sawatsky edits Prague Consultation proceedings

Walter Sawatsky, professor of church history and mission at Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary, has edited proceedings of two ecumenical consultations in Prague in a newly released book, Prophetic and Renewal Movements: The Prague Consultations, published by the World Alliance of Reformed Churches.

This volume includes the proceedings of two most recent consultations, Prague VI in Strasbourg in 2000 and Prague VII in Prague in 2003. The series of consultations, which began in 1985, offered for the first time a place for voices from minority reformation traditions to be heard within the larger context of ecumenical conversations. They started with participants who represented European reform movements nearly 500 years ago—the First (Hussite) Reformation and the Radical Reformation. Through sponsorship by the Lutheran World Federation, World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC), and Mennonite World Conference, the consultations expanded to include participants from a broader sweep of Reformation churches.

John Rempel, associate director of the Institute of Mennonite Studies at AMBS, explained, “The conversations began with minority churches, and the integrity of the discussions gradually attracted Lutherans and other groups.” Because the marginalized churches had been participants from the beginning, “they remained on equal footing in the discussions.” Sawatsky, in his work of editing and facilitating publication of the proceedings, “has carried them forward to an audience that would not otherwise know about it,” Rempel concluded.

Sawatsky explained that the consultations gave participants opportunities to consider how they have lived with their histories. “What failed? What got tested and proved worthwhile?” were questions the reformation groups asked themselves and each other. His emphasis, he said, “was to notice how we talked with each other, and how ecumenical fellowship and dialogue changed us.

“Change processes that matter develop slowly,” he continued, “but some transformations happen when more of us learn to think differently.” Sawatsky and Rempel both noted that this volume can be helpful as the different reformation traditions prepare to celebrate their 500th anniversaries in the future.

Prophetic and Renewal Movements contains proceedings of the. The book is available from the Web site (warc@warc.ch) and may be ordered through the bookstore at AMBS: bookstore@ambs.edu.

Mary E. Klassen / February 2010