Fundamental Teachings
This book is a landmark in inter-church efforts to draw closer together. It was written by a commission delegated by leaders of all of the major churches of Turkey. This commission, which met at regular intervals, decided to publish a basic book containing the doctrines of faith held in common by all Christian churches. This joint publication, which will help every Christian in Turkey to understand their own faith doctrines, bears significance not only for its contents, but also for the striking and seminal advance in mutual respect and affection that it represents. The faith doctrines summarized in this book can already be found in each church’s books on faith and doctrine. Yet for churches that have ostracized each other for centuries leaving a legacy of deep divisions and resentments to sign their names to such a work is no small step toward church unity. Through this book the churches that have maintained their presence in Istanbul express in lasting words how few points of difference they have in their beliefs and how many of the same values and teachings they share on the essentials of their faith.
Bibliography
- The Joint Commission of Churches in Turkey and Thomas Schirrmacher (eds.). Christianity: Fundamental Teachings. The Churches of the World, Vol. 4. Culture and Science Publishing: Bonn, 2026. 88 pp. ISBN 978-3-86269-333-7.