This study guide does not deal with the history of the ecumenical movement, nor does it deal with the history of the World Council of Churches Commission on Faith and Order. It deals with an assessment of the scope of the ecumenical agreement which has been reached around a great many central themes within world Christianity during the past fifty years. Within the World Council of Churches, Faith and Order is more or less the point of crystalization of this agreement, which is the reason why this study is also rather strongly focused on the work of this commission.