A pivotal figure in the ecumenical movement and in world Christi- anity during the last 50 years, Philip Potter brought charismatic personality, moral energy and prophetic insight to his leader- ship of the World Council of Churches in a time of religious and socio-political turmoil. An invaluable historical and theological resource, this anthol- ogy captures those qualities in the most complete collection of Potter’s writings to date, high- lighting his landmark speeches, preaching, and Bible studies.
Ranging across Potter’s core biblical and theological themes to his bracing cultural analysis and strong articulation of the imperatives of social justice, the twenty-four works reproduced here are not only religiously and prophetically rich. They also shed light on the rapid development of the ecumenical movement in the post-War period, the newly globalized and post-colonial reality facing the churches from the 1960s onward, and the steep challenges posed to the churches—then and now—by race consciousness, the legacy of colonialism, the gender revolution, the nuclear threat, and geopolitical change. Along with extensive biographical material and a photo gallery, the volume includes a helpful bibliography of primary and secondary resources.
