‘Covenanting for justice’? On the Accra document, reformed Theology and reformed ecclesiology

Abstract

The essay provides a brief summary of the main argument of the Accra Document drafted by the World Alliance of Reformed Churches and entitled ‘Covenanting for Justice in the Economy and the Earth’. The focus is on discovering and describing the internal structure, the logic and focus, and thereby some of the most important implicit and explicit theological and ecclesiological convictions, suppositions and claims of the document, as far as possible in its own terminology. It then offers a tentative theological assessment, pointing out four very typical Reformed characteristics of the
document, including its typical confessional nature and style. It fi nally suggests some ecclesiological implications arising from the document, again calling to mind four very specifi c characteristics of Reformed ecclesiology. On the whole, the essay serves as an invitation to further study, discussion and refl ection on the challenges and calling implied in the document.