"Liturgy after the Liturgy": The Conciliar Process for Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation (JPIC) from the Perspective of Orthodox Theology

This article examines the ecumenical context and in particular the development of the conciliar process for Justice, Peace and the Integrity of Creation (JPIC) that began at the World Council of Churches (WCC) assembly in 1983 in Vancouver and culminated at the World Convocation on Justice, Peace and the Integrity of Creation in 1990 in Seoul, Korea. It underlines that JPIC was intended not simply as another study and action programme, like other programmes within the social and ethical tradition of the WCC, but was oriented toward the centre of the faith and very being of the church, and thus also an ecclesiological issue. The article traces the JPIC process, the central ecclesiological and socio-ethical questions it raised, and the difficulties and barriers it encountered. It also discusses the interest of the Orthodox in the process and focuses on the contribution and perspectives of the Orthodox Church in the conciliar process for JPIC. Finally, the article refers to the possibilities that are opening up to address the challenges of globalization.