Many students in the field of Christian theology during their studies will engage with fellow students who belong to other denominations. Others study at a seminary of their own denomination and will not have many interdenominational encounters. Kinnamon states that if the United States is an example for the rest of the world, most seminaries do not emphasize ecumenism within their academic curricula.11 Michael Kinnamon, “New Contours of Ecumenism: Challenges to the Next Generation,” Ecumenical Review 66:1 (2014), 17. Although many students will have interdenominational encounters during their studies, there is little emphasis on how to engage constructively in ecumenism.

In his addressing of the Kirchentag in 2003, Konrad Raiser, former general secretary of the World Council of Churches (WCC), stated, “Ecumenism – the fellowship of Christian churches as a sign of hope for the world – is not a building project whose state we can describe in a neutral and objective way, but a living process with which we must engage if we want to understand and appreciate it.”22 Konrad Raiser, “The Way of Ecumenism: Gratitude and Commitment,” Ecumenical Review 70:1 (2018), 36. In this line of reasoning, one should not aim to teach students primarily theoretical knowledge about the ecumenical movement, but rather have them engaged in the movement, in order to make students understand ecumenism.

Although institutionalized teaching is still the dominant paradigm of education, other forms of teaching and learning have become more accepted. Already in 1957, the WCC ordered that ecumenical education should include practical involvement.33 Dietrich Werner, “Magna Charta on Ecumenical Formation in Theological Education in the 21st Century: 10 Key Convictions,” International Review of Mission 98:1 (2009), 163. One way practical involvement could work for teaching ecumenism is through the concept of a community of learners. Within this concept, learning does not stop when students leave the classroom, but they continue learning in interaction with their fellow students. This implicit form of learning helps them to explore their own opinions and viewpoints. They learn from each other and teach each other in an informal way.44 Anton Havnes, “Peer‐Mediated Learning beyond the Curriculum,” Studies in Higher Education, 33:2 (2008), 193–94. Exchange programmes, especially those in which students live together for a longer period of time, can provide these circumstances for a community of learners.

Learning about ecumenism in community and praxis in the form of an exchange programme can be approached in many ways. Several institutes offer short‐term training programmes on ecumenical leadership; and universities and seminaries offer opportunities to study abroad and organize summer and winter schools on ecumenical and interreligious dialogue, for example at the Catholic Centro Pro Unione in Rome.55 See the Centro Pro Unione website, https://www.prounione.it/en/formation/summer-school-rome. There, a three‐week course is organized in which students learn about ecumenism from a Catholic perspective. Students start with daily morning prayer, after which they attend lectures. In the afternoons, participants go on field visits or attend more lectures. The lectures in the programme provide the students with a historical overview of ecumenism, while the field visits and the group process as a community of learners provide practical ecumenical experience.

The Ecumenical Institute in Bossey is an example of such an exchange programme, providing an opportunity for students to become engaged ecumenists by living and learning. At this institute, students and researchers from different denominations meet and study together. During their studies, students attend classes on theories of ecumenism, missiology, and social ethics. Furthermore, they encounter the praxis of ecumenism through field visits, but also through living and sharing together with students from other denominations. Students are encouraged to work for a better world and toward the visible unity of churches.66 “Study at Bossey,” Ecumenical Institute at Château de Bossey, https://www.institute.oikoumene.org/en/study-at-bossey.

Such examples of exchange programmes that seek to integrate both theory and praxis can be found at other institutes as well. It is through these experiences that students can overcome “the tension between institution and movement,” as brought up by Raiser.77 Raiser, “Way of Ecumenism,” 36. Although many articles discuss the tension or gap between theory and praxis, few discuss how this gap can be bridged and how, for instance, ecumenical and intercultural exchange programmes can contribute to this. Therefore, this article will discuss the experiences of students in such an ecumenical exchange programme, called Bridging Gaps, on contextual theology.

Characteristic of the Bridging Gaps programme is its focus on contextual theology, as one of the crucial aspects for ecumenical theological education in the 21st century.88 Werner, “Magna Charta,” 161–62. Contextual theology was identified by the Magna Charta on Ecumenical Formation in Theological Education in the 21st century – introduced by the WCC in 2008 as guidelines for ecumenical theological education. In focusing on contextual theology, the Bridging Gaps programme aims to facilitate a space in which participants can conduct societally relevant theological research on challenges in their own contexts, can learn about each other’s contexts, and are exposed to the Dutch context. The unique aspect of Bridging Gaps is that it aims to create awareness of how culture and context shape theology, and, in this way, to bridge the gaps between contexts of participants and the Dutch context(s). Participants in the Bridging Gaps programme form an intercultural and interdenominational community of learners in the city of Amsterdam. Furthermore, the programme aims to equip the participants to become leaders in their society and churches to work toward a more humane world. This article seeks to portray how participation in such a programme influences the students’ attitudes toward believers of different denominations or faiths during the programme and in the long term.

在学习基督教神学领域的许多学生时，他们将与其他教派的同学交流。其他人则在自己教派的神学院学习，不会有很多教派间的相遇。金纳蒙（Kinnamon）指出，如果美国成为世界其他地区的榜样，那么大多数神学院在其学术课程中就不会强调普世主义。11 Michael Kinnamon，“普遍主义的新轮廓：对下一代的挑战”，《普遍评论》 66：1（2014），第17页。 尽管许多学生在学习期间会遇到宗派间的相遇，但很少强调如何建设性地参与普世主义。

世界教会联合会（WCC）前秘书长科拉德·雷泽（Konrad Raiser）在2003年发表的基尔兴塔格讲话中说：“普世主义–基督教会的团契表示对世界的希望–不是一项建筑工程，陈述我们可以用中立和客观的方式来描述，但是如果我们想理解和欣赏它，就必须参与其中的生活过程。” 22康拉德·雷泽（Konrad Raiser），“普世主义的方式：感恩与承诺”，《普世评论》 70：1（2018），36。 用这种推理方式，不应旨在主要向学生传授普世运动的理论知识，而应让他们参与该运动，以使学生理解普世主义。

尽管制度化的教学仍然是教育的主要范式，但其他形式的教与学已被越来越多地接受。早在1957年，世界基督教协进会就下令，普遍教育应包括实际参与。33 Dietrich Werner，“《 21世纪神学教育中普遍形成的大宪章：十个主要信念》”，《国际使命》 98：1（2009），163。实际参与对普世主义教学的一种工作方式是通过学习者社区的概念。在这个概念内，当学生离开教室时学习不会停止，而是在与同学互动的过程中继续学习。这种隐性的学习形式有助于他们探索自己的观点和观点。他们互相学习，并以非正式的方式互相学习。44 Anton Havnes，“课程之外的同伴中介学习”，《高等教育研究》，33：2（2008），193–94。 交流计划，特别是那些学生在一起生活时间更长的计划，可以为学习者群体提供这些条件。

以交流计划的形式了解社区和实践中的普世主义的方法很多。一些机构提供了关于普遍领导力的短期培训计划；大学和神学院也提供了出国留学的机会，并组织了夏季和冬季学校进行普世性和宗教间对话，例如在罗马的天主教职业联合会。55请访问Centro Pro Unione网站，https：//www.prounione.it/en/formation/summer-school-rome。在那里，组织了一个为期三周的课程，学生从天主教的角度学习普世主义。学生从每天早晨祈祷开始，然后参加讲座。下午，参与者进行实地考察或参加更多的讲座。该计划的讲座为学生提供了普遍主义的历史概述，而作为学习者社区的实地考察和小组活动则提供了实际的普遍经验。

博西大学普世学院就是这种交流计划的一个例子，它为学生提供了一个通过生活和学习成为从事普世主义者的机会。在这所学院，来自不同教派的学生和研究人员汇聚在一起学习。在学习期间，学生参加有关普世主义，通病学和社会伦理学的课程。此外，他们通过实地考察，以及与其他教派的学生一起生活和分享，遇到了普遍主义的实践。鼓励学生为更美好的世界而努力，并朝着教堂可见的统一方向迈进。66 “博西研究”，博西城堡普世学院，https：//www.institute.oikoumene.org/en/study-at-bossey。

试图将理论与实践融为一体的交换程序的此类示例也可以在其他机构中找到。通过这些经验，学生可以克服Raiser提出的“机构与运动之间的紧张关系”。77 Raiser，“普世主义之道”，36。尽管许多文章讨论了理论与实践之间的张力或差距，但很少讨论如何弥合这种差距以及例如普世和跨文化的交流计划如何有助于实现这一目标。因此，本文将讨论有关上下文神学的这种普遍交流计划中的学生体验，称为“弥合鸿沟”。

弥合鸿沟计划的特点是它专注于情境神学，这是21世纪普世神学教育的关键方面之一。88 Werner，“麦格纳·查塔”，161-62。上下文神学被《 21世纪神学教育中的普遍形成的麦格纳宪章》所确定。–由WCC于2008年引入，作为普世神学教育的指南。在关注语境神学的过程中，弥合鸿沟计划旨在营造一个空间，让参与者可以在自己的语境中对挑战进行社会相关的神学研究，可以了解彼此的语境，并可以接触荷兰语境。弥合差距的独特之处在于，它旨在唤起人们对文化和情境如何塑造神学的认识，并以此弥合参与者情境与荷兰情境之间的鸿沟。缩小差距计划的参与者在阿姆斯特丹市内形成了一个跨文化和跨派别的学习者社区。此外，该计划旨在使参与者有能力成为其社会和教会的领导人，以朝着更加人道的世界努力。