Ministry Of Reconciliation Research Articles

Biblical reconciliation: Preaching unity in the face of Christian nationalism and political schism

The post-Obama era in the United States has been marked by a deepening political divide, particularly within the Christian community, influenced by Christian nationalism and its entanglement with evangelical theology. This article examines the roots of this divide, tracing its origins to the fusion of White evangelical identity with national identity and the politicization of evangelical beliefs. Drawing on 2 Cor 5:10-20, the article explores the apostle Paul’s emphasis on Christ’s reconciling love and the believer’s role as ambassador of reconciliation. Analyzing the impact of divisive identity politics and ideological polarization on the unity of the Christian community, the article proposes a return to preaching the transformative power of Christ’s love to disentangle believers from political schisms while nurturing unity. The ministry of reconciliation is not merely a theoretical concept but a practical imperative for actively bridging divides and sharing the message of unity in Christ. Through a radical shift in perspective, focusing on Christ’s love rather than ideological positions, a Gospel-centered approach enables navigating political tensions and fosters unity within the body of Christ. Ultimately, preaching unity amid political schisms is not only a theological mandate but essential for embodying the transformative message of the Gospel in a divided world.

Embodied interreligious engagement: Female gendered bodies, reconciliation, and sport in Djibouti

Foreign Christian women in Muslim-majority countries may experience gendered culture shock and various forms of insidious trauma. This is rarely addressed by organizations or individuals yet has a significant impact on women, their communities, and their work by causing a rupture in their concept of self, community, and God. This article argues that participation in sports as intentional embodied interreligious engagement offers potential for Christian and Muslim women to mutually discover valuable resources for reconciling what trauma ruptures, namely their relationship with their own bodies and their communities. The article first establishes the experience of gendered culture shock, sexual harassment, and insidious trauma, and reasons Christians may downplay their impact. It then develops the concept of an incarnational ministry of reconciliation. This is followed by looking at how intentional interreligious engagement must begin on neutral ground and identifies sports as one possibility for embodiment in interreligious engagement. The article concludes with suggestions for further research and ideas for further embodied interaction, moving toward deeper and more intentional interreligious engagement.

Beyond Religion: A Bonhoefferian Discussion of Ecclesial Repentance in the Aftermath of Abuse

Abuse, when committed by spiritual authority figures, can have far-reaching consequences for church communities well after perpetrators have been removed and held accountable. In attending to survivors, a host of issues may come to light, including but not limited to, organizational complicity in abuse, institutional marginalization of the vulnerable, and the revelation that worship spaces can be traumatically triggering. The work of scholars like Michelle Panchuk, Elaine Heath, and Katharina von Kellenbach all point to the challenging reality that ecclesial repentance­ may demand dramatic changes to restore a safe environment and righteous expressions of worship that honour God's intentions for all. Glen Kinoshita's ‘ministry of reconciliation’ and Dietrich Bonhoeffer's ‘preparing the way’ and ‘religionless Christianity’ are texts that on the surface address this type of process; however, it is not clear that either scholar fully reckons with the issue of a worshipping community or space that has been so marred by abuse as to become an impediment to a survivor's participation in liturgy. In this article, I modify Bonhoeffer's work to move beyond his claims and make recommendations for further steps towards repentance.

An Exposition of 2 Corinthians 5:20 from a Ghanaian (Akan) Perspective

2 Corinthians 5:20 belongs to a long chain of verses beginning from 5:11 to 6:13. These verses at large deal with the subject of reconciliation. A concept that emerges from Paul’s teaching is that God through the redemptive work of Christ on the cross is restoring the whole world to himself and has given us also this ministry of reconciliation. However, this paper focuses on three Greek words extracted from the text: Christou, presbeoumen, and katallasso. The study is done mainly through literary activities from existing materials such as Biblical and Akan literature. It first examines, in brief, the background data on Paul’s Second Epistle to the Corinthians to provide a historical milieu for understanding the issues Paul raises. It then continues to discuss the above-mentioned Greek words. It will also be seen that the explanation of the text has been looked at from Akan (Asante Twi) reading of the same text and then engages them within the Akan context. The paper concludes with an invitation to see ourselves as key players in what God is doing in the world.

The ministry of reconciliation: why the churches owe the message of reconciliation to a divided world

The theme of the 11th Assembly of the World Council of Churches reads: Christ's love moves the world to reconciliation and unity. This subject is obviously a lot timelier than those who chose it may have thought. In these days, what would our world need more than reconciliation, peace and unity? And not only the world is in need of reconciliation, but also the Church. Many of the traditional schisms still exist, but even in the family of Orthodox churches which always has been proud of preserving the unity of the Church there is a deep split. One part of it is of the opinion that the allegiance to the nation and its war is more important than the unity and loyalty with a sister Church. Therefore, the question arises: is it true that “Christ’s love moves the world to reconciliation and unity”? This article examines what the Bible really says about reconciliation and unity and the effect of Christ's love in view of the Church and the world.

Narrative and Atonement: The Ministry of Reconciliation in the Work of James H. Cone

Contemporary analytic theological discussions of atonement do not attend extensively to questions of how narrative might relate to the atoning work of Christ. Liberation theologians, on the other hand, utilize narrative in their scholarly method regularly and often employ it when discussing atonement or reconciliation. This essay argues that analytic theologians should consider the notion of narrative (and narrative identity) as a mechanism of atonement in the broad sense of the term introduced when William Tyndale coined ‘atonement’ to translate 2 Corinthians 5. I then offer some psychological grounds for thinking that reframing one’s self-narrative in terms of a transcendent narrative is often conducive to human flourishing, and I consider the work of James H. Cone as an instance of such transcendent narrative reframing at work.

The Gospel of Reconciliation and the Promise of a New Identity

AbstractReconciliation is a fundamentally theological reality grounded in the being, work, and aims of the triune God. In light of this, how ought the reconciling ministry of Jesus inform and shape the ministry of reconciliation (2 Cor. 5:17‐21) to which Christians are called? In this article, I argue that a sufficiently robust gospel of reconciliation has dynamic, identity‐shaping power, informing a rewarding mission and ministry of reconciliation. My classical theological approach will use “promise” to interrelate gospel, reconciliation, and identity, situating reconciliation within the overarching biblical narrative plot. In doing so, I will distinguish my proposal from a progressive Christian “alter‐globalism” approach, identifying and constructively critiquing the latter’s shortcomings. These include truncating the reconciliation and the flourishing life to an immanent vision, reducing reconciliation to concepts and tasks of justice work, insufficiently connecting reconciliation to its larger soteriological framework, and failing to use the gospel for identity formation.

A Christian-Buddhist Dialogue on the Four Noble Truths

For the first time, in the Vatican Council II (1962–65), the Catholic Church recognized non-Christian religions as entities that the Church should respect and with which Christians should enter into dialogue. Being on the same page, the World Council of Churches (WCC) affirms that from her initiation, the Church has been confessing that God is reconciling the world to Himself via His Son and has given us the ministry of reconciliation. Again, the WCC holds that, throughout history, the Church has been seeking to apply the basics of her faith to concrete situations in which she has been finding herself in her endless missiological journeys. Nowadays, the Church is called upon to empower her members to relate to people of other religions and to live as witnesses with others. These points justify the necessity of this article, which is entitled “A Christian-Buddhist Dialogue on the Four Noble Truths.” In the context of interreligious dialogue, this article seeks to explain the four Noble Truths of Buddhism in the light of Christian Soteriology. To that end, this article begins with a simplified explanation of the four Noble Truths of Buddhism after which it seeks to re-explain and re-express the same noble truths in the light of Christian Soteriology. Ultimately, this article reveals that Christians and Buddhists can borrow from each other towards enriching their respective soteriologies. Regarding its methodology, this article employs the review of the relevant literature, the principles of Nostra Eatate No. 2, the comparative method, and rational reflection.

Overcoming Reconciliation as a Wicked Problem

Abstract This contribution provides clues as to why (the quest for) reconciliation in South Africa fits the broad definition of a wicked problem. Popularized by Horst Rittel and Melvin Webber (1973), wicked problem refers to something that is either too difficult or nearly impossible to resolve. It is abundantly clear from the available literature that reconciliation is understood in very different ways. Not only is there a lack of conceptual clarity, but strategies aimed at working towards this ideal reveal or produce new problems as an unintended consequence. Some strategies approach the discourse for the purpose of political expediency, while others are more interested in its theological (or existential) properties. This tension is referenced as the dominant split between heaven and earth. Notwithstanding the complexity of the problem, this contribution alludes to the limitations of such approaches if those who propagate them insist that such views remain mutually exclusive. Building on the theology of Allan Aubrey Boesak and Curtiss Paul DeYoung (2012), this contribution is an attempt to avoid the polarization of such views and highlight the fundamental asymmetry between divine and human action. This is underscored by the work of Christ through which God reconciled the world to himself (2 Cor. 5:19) and the ministry of reconciliation in society. In taking this approach, one avoids the tendency to provide superficial answers to a complex (wicked) problem.

Reconciliation and Mission

AbstractThis article discusses the message and ministry of reconciliation with a view to both its biblical content and its contemporary missional application. Within a salvation historical framework of missio Dei, the article outlines the biblical narrative about human beings created in the image of God for personal relationships with God, self, other people, and nature; the fall in sin and the human predicament that necessitate reconciliation; the historical reconciliation provided by God through the incarnation, atoning death, and victorious resurrection of Christ (the first stage); the message of reconciliation in the mission of the church; the present reception of reconciliation through faith in that message (the second stage); and the results of reconciliation both in relation to God (“vertical reconciliation”) and among human beings in the church and in the world (“horizontal reconciliation”), with an emphasis on peace, unity, love, forgiveness, righteousness, and freedom. Christ’s victory over and subjugation of all evil spirit powers are described as “cosmic reconciliation.” Because reconciliation may be partial in this world where sin still exists and evil powers are active, the eschatological hope is for a final reconciliation where the relationships to God, to other human beings, and to a recreated world are renewed and consummated.

Healing and reconciliation

AbstractThe Christian Church is called to the ministry of reconciliation. Despite the pain and struggle of fractured communities today, there are also stories of hope lived and told by persons who are the recipients of the ministry of local congregations and church‐sponsored social service agencies. Reconciliation leads to hope, and hope leads to reconciliation.

Irish Churches and Reconciliation: Breaking the Bondage of the Past

Irish Churches and Reconciliation: Breaking the Bondage of the Past Fergus O’Ferrall Bear in mind these dead: I can find no plainer words … The careful words of my injunction are unrhetorical, as neutral and unaligned as any I know: they propose no more than thoughtful response.1 John Hewitt The current situation The continuing grave and unresolved situation on the island of Ireland calls all who acknowledge Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour to a costly ministry of reconciliation (2 Cor 5:18).Twenty years after the BelfastAgreement, reached on Good Friday, 10 April 1998, there remains a clear sectarian division in Northern Ireland – with largely Catholics on one side and largely Protestants on the other. This division is reflected in voting patterns for both Sinn Féin and the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), as well as for some other political parties. The result is stalemate in the governance of Northern Ireland, this continues to alienate many people from politics and to increase acrimony in public life. A further consequence is a lack of democratic decision-making across a whole range of matters vital to the wellbeing of the people living in Northern Ireland. The Brexit process now underway, resulting from the 2016 Referendum in the United Kingdom, has compounded an already very difficult and fraught context in Ireland in respect of the principles, values and hopes embodied in the 1998 Belfast Agreement, further elaborated in the 2006 St Andrews Agreement and in the 2014 Stormont House Agreement. Brexit, a unilateral decision by the United Kingdom, presents a very serious threat to the economic life of both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. The British-Irish Agreement that is based upon the Belfast Agreement, and which is an internationally recognised treaty, was made by Fergus O’Ferrall Studies • volume 108 • number 431 244 Studies_layout_AUTUMN-2019.indd 12 21/08/2019 09:14 ‘partners in the European Union’: this partnership facilitated and supported the historic Belfast Agreement as endorsed by referenda in Northern Ireland and in the Republic of Ireland. Brexit has the potential to do a great deal of further damage and harm to all the people on this island. The legacy of the decades of violence from 1968 to 1998, and indeed later, remains unaddressed: a population of about 1.7 million has an estimated thirty per cent of people living in Northern Ireland who were directly affected – 3,720 were killed between 1969 and 2006 and about 500,000 who were bereaved, injured or suffered in other ways. The extent of the pain, trauma, anger and victimhood which lies barely under the surface of everyday life in Northern Ireland must be acknowledged: dealing with this legacy remains a core concern for those who desire a better future for everyone in the North. The hurt and trauma continues to require great pastoral concern from the churches. There is at present yet another consultation underway initiated by the Northern Ireland Office on possible structures to deal more effectively with the legacy issues of the conflict and we await decisions in respect of this initiative. Reconciliation: a challenge for the churches The history of Irish Christianity, in all of its denominational expressions, has resulted in a deeply embedded sectarianism, which has greatly contributed to the formation of our political identities. So, as we explore reconciliation in Ireland, we must address how the Churches have fostered sectarian attitudes since the Reformation. Sectarianism has been given a working definition as ‘a complex of attitudes, beliefs, behaviours and structures in which religion is a significant component and which (i) directly, or indirectly, infringes the rights of individuals or groups and/or (ii) influences or causes situations of destructive conflict’.2 The Irish Church is not exceptional in a world context in being associated with violence, extremism and bigotry. In the twentieth century it was often assumed that religion would become ever more marginal to political life and to conflicts. Research, however, such as The Future of World Religions Report,3 shows an increasing religious affiliation accompanied by a repoliticisation of religion: this includes a rise of religious fundamentalism across all the major world religions giving rise to conflict and violence. It is...

Women and National Reconciliation: Resolving the legacies of violence in post-colonial Zimbabwe

Women and their experiences are essential to the spirituality and ministry of reconciliation. The seemingly endless domination of women by men has forced them to think about alternatives and create communities of reconciliation outside of the usual paths of power and domination. Women exude the power to go beyond the hurts, the violence, rape and humiliation to build a nation and transform societies against a country’sendemic culture of violence. The article exploresthe culture of violence in post-independent Zimbabwe and the role that women can play in creating communities of reconciliation.It is argued that in most crisis or conflict situations, women remain behind to pick up the pieces in the wake of the tornado of violence. Women can thus help communities move forward from the trap of trauma and experience the resurrection. As mothers,women offer a way of reincorporating wrongdoers and deviants back into their communities through nation building processes. This article maps a way forward for national healing and reconciliation and argues that women when empowered will play an integral part in championing the cause of good citizenry, unity and justice.

Mission as Ministry of Reconciliation ed. by Robert Schreiter and Knud Jorgensen

Reviewed by: Mission as Ministry of Reconciliation ed. by Robert Schreiter and Knud Jorgensen Gaylan Mathiesen Mission as Ministry of Reconciliation. Edited by Robert Schreiter and Knud Jorgensen. Regnum Edinburgh Centenary Series, Volume 16. Eugene: Wipf & Stock, 2013. 382 pp. There can be no sustainable peace without reconciliation, which has to be preceded by forgiveness and healing of the wounds inflicted on the heart, says Emmanuel Z. Kopwe of Tanzania (190). Uniting perspectives from three key documents sourced in Roman Catholic (Africae Munus), Mainline (Mission as Ministry of Reconcilation) and Evangelical traditions (The Cape Town Commitment), the authors argue that the reconciliation paradigm does not replace, but contains and carries forward preceding paradigms of mission. A delightfully ecumenical work, thirty-two authors from six continents contributed to this remarkable collection. Why now the emergence of reconciliation as a mission paradigm? Globalism, along with massive migrations, secularism, and rapid growth in atheism all contribute to heightened levels of conflict and the need for the church to work for justice and reconciliation and healing. The authors consistently point out that reconciliation with God through the cross of Christ serves as the basis for reconciliation between human beings and between humans and creation. “A [End Page 111] mission that speaks and acts with regard to reconciliation between humans, but fails to proclaim reconciliation with God is a truncated mission that will never accomplish God’s ultimate purpose: the salvation of all into his present and coming kingdom” (86). The book has two parts. Part I explores theological perspectives on the topic, working off, but not limited to, the three documents mentioned above. Robert Schreiter’s chapter opens the study with a helpful exploration of the biblical foundation for the ministry of reconciliation and a historical survey of seven twentieth–century paradigms of mission. He shows how the paradigm of reconciliation contributes to, reframes, or in some cases goes beyond previous paradigms of mission. Subsequent chapters explore the theme in terms of ecumenism, biblical word studies, ecclesial responses to global ethnic and religious plurality, and critiques of indigenous movements that counteract conflict and alienation, such as South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Unfortunately, no reference to any major document from the Orthodox churches is included, but Part I includes a chapter by Orthodox theologian Kyriaki Avtzi. Her ecumenical perspective motivates her to address the need for reconciliation within the church. Part II brings an experiential perspective through case studies from diverse regions that illustrate truth-telling, healing, forgiveness, and justice. Examples presented in Part II include conflicts between ethnicities, churches, and groups of different religious faiths. These illustrate challenges to intervention by religious groups as well as the strengths and advantages religious leaders possess. Ministers of reconciliation must begin with confidence that reconciliation is possible, and must be committed to finding the truth of what happened as they seek a path to forgiveness. In many cases, forgiveness must precede agreement on the next steps. Stein Villumstad’s chapter summarizes some specific lessons learned in Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Sierra Leone (221–22). First, if the heart of the conflict is not religious, progress can still be made in a search for the common good. Second, a common platform of shared values can serve as a strong instrument for joint action in overcoming conflict. Third, when religious communities search for peace, the basis should not be theological dialogue; instead, dialogue becomes the means to joint action. Fourth, when religious leaders step into political and [End Page 112] military conflict, their credibility and legitimacy is strengthened by staying within their primary religious calling. Finally, when governments and religious leaders unite for peace, governments are more likely to take religious leaders seriously. Reading this book is like taking a course on the topic, team-taught by experienced scholars from all over the globe. Anyone interested in justice and the ministry of reconciliation will benefit from it. Gaylan Mathiesen Lutheran Brethren Seminary Fergus Falls, Minnesota Copyright © 2017 Johns Hopkins University Press and Lutheran Quarterly, Inc.

Signs of the Times: Betwixt Friday and Sunday: The Place of Precious Blood Ministry of Reconciliation

Signs of the Times: Betwixt Friday and Sunday: The Place of Precious Blood Ministry of Reconciliation

Mission as Ministry of Reconciliation: Hope in a Fragile World

Based on a process of compiling case studies on reconciliation for a book on Mission as Ministry of Reconciliation, the article shows how brokenness is the main entrance to reconciliation, a brokenness that begins in a God who meets us on the cross ‘in Christ’. Secondly, any model of reconciliation must be embedded within a particular situation. This means, as a third point, that reconciliation is concrete – washing dirty feet, finding my way to the sister I have hurt. Reconciliation is, fourthly, about healing wounds: As the wound of God, Jesus sends us to be wounded healers in a mission from below, among the little ones. The fifth perspective is that here is where the community of faith finds itself, as a reconciling community, quite often as a door opener to reconciliation.

Pastorale berading aan persone geaffekteer deur MIV

Pastoral counselling to people affected by HIV . HIV is a pandemic which influences each and everyone in South Africa, the country in the world with the largest number of people living with HIV. The impact of HIV on the social, economical and micro level is tremendous. The effect of HIV on individual households is immediate, and poverty, sickness, stress, death and loneliness contribute to the devastation caused by this phenomenon.The pastoral counsellor should be equipped with the necessary knowledge to guide and support the person affected by HIV. The counselee must be empowered to handle his or her specific crisis significantly. Perspectives based on Scripture suggest how the Christian believer can manage sickness, suffering and death. The Scripture guides the Christian in times of suffering and conflict to persevere in the hope that God will give deliverance. In the article, it will be shown how the pastoral counsellor must, according to Scripture and as a called shepherd, admonish, educate, support and guide the counselee to accept the ministry of reconciliation, given to her or him by God through Christ his Son. The counselee affected by HIV will have to be empowered by the necessary knowledge in order to care for and support the person affected by HIV and be able to digest and cope with his or her own pain and stress. Pastoral counsellors can make use of the proposed counselling model in order to counsel persons affected by HIV.

“Participating in God’s mission ofreconc iliation”Nigerian churches’ response to ethnic conflicts

The paper appeals to the Faith and Order paper on “Ethnicity, National Identity, and the Search for the Unity of the Church” (ETHNAT) to evaluate whether or not and in what way, Nigerian churches are responding to ethnic challenges. After a brief statement of the Faith and Order paper’s invitation to participate in the ministry of reconciliation (1), the paper describes categories of churches in the Nigerian context (2). The Nigerian churches’ responses to ethinic identities and their impact on the unity of the church is then evaluated (3). It is argued that not all Nigerian churches are responding to the call to reconcile societies divided along ethnic lines and, therefore, issues a call to participate in a ministry of reconciliation in their country (4).

The Church: A Guide for the Perplexed (review)

Reviewed by: The Church: A Guide for the Perplexed Ellen M. Leonard CSJ Matt Jensonand David Wilhite. The Church: A Guide for the Perplexed. London: T&T Clark, 2010. Pp. 251, $24.95. ISBN 9780567033369. This book by Matt Jenson and David Wilhite offers an excellent introduction to ecclesiology. Written from the authors’ free-church tradition, it is addressed to the whole Church. Their aim is to teach and model thinking theologically about the Church (2). The authors begin by drawing on historical Jesus studies in their response to the question “Did Jesus establish the Church?” Their conclusion, based on scholarly studies is clear: “Jesus established a transformative community better known as the church” (11). The authors recognize the significance of Vatican ii and its view of communion ecclesiology. Drawing on Dulles’s five models of the Church (institution, mystical communion, sacrament, herald, servant), the authors update them by engaging in conversation with contemporary theologians. The discussion about the institutional model includes an excursus on the necessity of bishops. The authors insist that the episcopate be placed within the larger framework of the priesthood of all believers. Special attention is given to the [End Page 336] model “herald” as defining the Church. The model “servant” is used to present a mission or diaconal ecclesiology. Acknowledging that no model is adequate, the authors apply the four marks of the Church to each model. The church is one, holy, catholic, and apostolic. The section on the marks of the Church begins with an interesting excursus on Donatism, and points to errors that they see as continuing to challenge the Church. With the Donatists we ask, “Where is the Church? Is it visible or invisible?” In a section on mediation the authors consider baptism, prayer, searching the Scriptures, and the Lord’s Supper. They struggle to present an ecclesiology from below, one that emphasizes ways in which the Church shares in the missio Dei. The final chapter is entitled “Mission: A Dirty Word.” While admitting that much harm has been done in the name of the Church’s mission, they assure the reader that the Church has a mission. Drawing on Scripture and Vatican ii, they argue that the pilgrim Church is missionary since it shares in the mission of God. Attention to the mission of God suggests a shift from a ecclesiocentric to a theocentric model of mission. Rather than speaking of the mission of the Church, the authors speak of the Church’s participation in the mission of God. “Christ and his kingdom are proclaimed in the ministry of reconciliation. They are prefigured in a community of reconciliation” (170). In a section on “The Scope of Mission” the authors struggle with how free churches ought to think about ecumenism. In addition to suggestions for ecumenical dialogue with other Christian Churches they include reflection on Jewish–Christian relations and on dialogue with other religions. This material would be very helpful for anyone engaged in dialogue with Pentecostal churches and other free churches. While insisting on the importance of mission, the authors emphasize the greater importance of worship. The book includes excellent notes, suggested readings for each chapter, an author index, a scripture index, and a subject index. An excursus on “Women in Ministry” presents a sympathetic state of the question. The authors have presented rich historical background as well as critical systematic reflection. The book is presented as a guide for “the perplexed,” but it is also suitable for college students as well as for serious Christians. The book offers a response to those who say, “We still like Jesus, but not the Church.” Ellen M. Leonard CSJ University of St. Michael’s College Copyright © 2012 Toronto School of Theology

The International Ecumenical Peace Convocation: Towards an Ecumenical Theology of Just Peace?

The International Ecumenical Peace Convocation: Towards an Ecumenical Theology of Just Peace?