"How many important things unite us! If we really believe in the abundantly free working of the Holy Spirit, we can learn so much from one another!" (Pope Francis, Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, n. 246).

Inspired by these words, the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity and the General Secretariat of the Synod agreed to hold a series of conferences on synodality in the different Christian traditions, as an ecumenical contribution to the Synod on Synodality of the Catholic Church (2021-2024).

The Conference entitled Listening to the West was held in January 2023 at the Pontifical University St Thomas Aquinas in Rome, organised by the Angelicum's Institute for Ecumenical Studies. More than thirty scholars and Church leaders from different Western Mainline and Free Churches were invited to present the synodal experiences of their respective traditions (Anglican, Lutheran, Reformed, Methodist, Old Catholic, Baptist, Disciples of Christ and Pentecostal), from a theological, historical, canonical and pastoral point of view.

This volume Listening to the West. Synodality in Western Ecclesial Traditions (see Table of Content), brings together the proceedings of the conference, offering a description of synodality according to these eight different Western ecclesial traditions, with possible Catholic learnings.

Together with the book Listening to the East (2023), it offers a comprehensive vision of the different approaches to synodality for all those engaged in the ecumenical movement.”