About the Book

This book tells the story of Charles C. West, one of the architects of the modern ecumenical movement. He details his life in China as a Presbyterian missionary in the 1940s and narrates the origins of the ecumenical movement in Europe and the emergence of the World Council of Churches. He also discusses the theological encounter with Communism and the work of organizations like the Christians Associated for Relationships with Eastern Europe (CAREE). In these pages he presents a new ecumenical way of relating biblical faith to the realities of the world, not least in matters of peace, racial justice, combating poverty and promoting justice amid rapid social and technological change.