Toward an Ecumenical Theology of Companionship

Following the launch of the Pilgrimage of Justice and Peace at the 10th Assembly of the World Council of Churches in Busan, South Korea, in 2013, the Pilgrimage has offered a programmatic perspective for the whole of the global ecumenical fellowship. This article explores the experiences gained in the Pilgrimage in which four common themes emerged: (1) truth and trauma, (2) land and displacement, (3) gender justice, and (4) racial justice. The article goes on to explore theological reflections emerging from these experiences and proposes an ecumenical theology of companionship as a response. The development of such an ecumenical theology of companionship can help to give expression and orientation to the ethos, as well as the responsibility and mission, of those who go on pilgrimage.