The European Society for Ecumenical Research - Societas Oecumenica - was founded in 1978 at a meeting in Driebergen, the Netherlands, at the suggestion of the Librarian of the World Council of Church, the Revd Dr Ans van der Bent. He was keen to find ways by which the considerable number of academic institutes working in the field of ecumenical studies that had been founded since World War II in Europe, especially at the time of the Second Vatican Council, could actively contribute to the effectiveness and progress of the total ecumenical movement.

The later 1970s were also a favourable time for institutes in this field in the countries of East and Central Europe, who greatly welcomed any opportunity to make and strengthen international contacts and exchanges. So from the outset Societas Oecumenica has been in practice a valued meeting place for the whole of Europe (politically both East and West, ecclesiastically for Catholics, Protestants and Orthodox to meet on an equal footing). Since 1990 the favourable conditions for the countries of East and Central Europe have to some extent fallen away, while the new freedoms are allowing a yet wider range of academic bodies to participate - for example from the Baltic States. In recent years the Societas has welcomed personal members also from India, Africa and North America.

The main activity of Societas Oecumenica is to hold every second summer an 'academic consultation' to which all member bodies and individual members are invited (at their own expense). The papers of each meeting are published in book form or appropriate journals in German, and where possible also in English or French. Details of publication will be notified when available.

In August 2002 this meeting took place for the first time in the UK, at Sarum College. The theme, 'Conversion and Identity in Multi-Cultural Europe' took up the debate from within the Christian ecumenical movement promoted by the Parekh Report on 'The Future of Multi-Ethnic Britain' (Runnymede Trust 2000), which has become of the highest possible relevance for the entire UK in the wake of the rioting in Burnley, Bradford and Oldham in September 2001. But click here to read Michael Ipgrave's paper, 'Reflections on Conversions in Interfaith Contexts'.