‘Discerning the Obedience of Faith’: A Short History of the World Evangelical Alliance Theological Commission

The Theological Commission of the World Evangelical Alliance (formerly World Evangelical Fellowship) was established in 1974, but its origins go back to 1968 when the inspiration of Scripture was under intense discussion in a meeting of the WEF in Lausanne, Switzerland. This book tells the story of how at that meeting, New Zealand missionary theologian, Bruce J Nicholls (then working in India), gave a stimulating paper on theological issues involved in the growth of Christian witness in Asia, which resulted in the recognition of a need for organised efforts to promote theological reflection. After a pilot program, the TC was formed and went on to harness the best evangelical theological life around the world to develop higher standards of theological education, provide direction on key issues through many conferences, books and journals, and to help the WEA present the evangelical voice on important platforms. This volume marks forty years of activity and shows how the Theological Commission, under its vision of ‘discerning the obedience of faith’, makes a unique contribution to evangelical life and witness around the world.