No less than two decades were needed for the composition of the ecumenical convergence document
The Church: Towards a Common Vision (TCTCV) which was published by the World Council of
Churches in 2013. The document was intended to reflect a common vision of churches and
ecumenical stakeholders on a myriad of ecclesiological themes. The book investigates whether
the convergence document TCTCV delivers on its promises. The book focuses on the formation and
the reception of TCTCV along with the two draft versions The Nature and Purpose of the Church
(1998) and The Nature and Mission of the Church (2005) and uncovers whether the responses by
the churches to TCTCV hold an affirmation of the convergences registered in the document.
Furthermore it seeks to establish whether the responses point towards a common vision
concerning various ecclesiological themes that are still contested by the churches today. The
book also explores whether the responses to TCTCV reveal an advancement in the conversation
surrounding several debated issues and examines to what extent the churches are willing to
creatively engage with the ecclesial other.Stanley Jayakumar Yesudass SDB holds a doctorate in
Systematic Theology from the Catholic University of Louvain Belgium with summa cum laude. He
teaches theology at the Don Bosco Theological Centre in Chennai India.
