Peace-Building Initiatives
This section of the website explores three areas:
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Considerations involved in Building Cultures of Reconciliation
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The Place of Religion at the "Bargaining Table"
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Suggestive Examples of Past Efforts on the Part of the BTI
1. Building Cultures of Reconciliation
Social scientists and social workers, ministers and other leaders of faith-based communities, many different persons today recognize that the era into which we are rapidly moving may be characterized by social circumstances that are unlike those that have shaped our recent past. Such change inevitably brings different forms of personal and social tension. The purpose of this web page is to suggest ways by which the resources of the schools of the Boston Theological Institute might be of assistance as we move into new social terrain.
The material that is found here is designed to promote better negotiation, mediation, conflict resolution and transformation insight and skills. It is to enable us to learn to listen to one another and to understand better. Since the BTI is a consortium of seminaries, theology schools and university divinity schools, the material that is found here is inevitably oriented toward religious ideas and understanding, i.e., it draws upon and is related to the deepest values of people and of our culture and cultures. It is also theological. This is because theology is the structure of religion. It makes possible language about that which is most meaningful to us.
Building cultures of reconciliation implies a process. It begins with recognizing the Origins of Conflict. It often means learning to see the structural violence that lies just beyond the horizon of our own interests – and learning to deal with practices and attitudes that contribute to conflict rather than mutuality. Social conflict is inherent in human relations and is manifest and internal to the persons and parties involved. It is that which reveals difference. Conflict can escalate and eventuate in a variety of outcomes, some of which are destructive. Some can contribute to reconciliation and mutual well being. This does not imply agreement, although it may. Indeed, difference can enrich as well as enflame. Building cultures of reconciliation means developing proactive attitudes and practices that make community possible.
Reconciliation happens as persons or groups begin to shape their lives in positive relation to one another. It happens as people learn to deal with what separates them and as they find a bridge to new attitudes and practices that enable people to live in relation to one another, not in isolation from each other.
Forgiveness is the means toward breaking the cycles of hostility and violence that lock people into repetitive patterns of mutual destructiveness. A culture of reconciliation is established as persons seek repairative, transformative, or Restorative Justice.
(See further pages on this website for definitions of 1. Forgiveness, 2. Reconcioliation, 3. Restorative Justice, and 4. Community.)
The Boston Theological Institute was founded in order to promote understanding and cooperation, not to erase difference, but to find in difference ways that enhance human experience and deepen patterns of community. Deep change draws upon our assumptions about life, or ontology. It implies a way of understanding, or an epistemology. This must eventuate in practice, or ethics. Building cultures of reconciliation is what churches are all about, or should be. It runs to the heart of every living religious tradition. Such a culture happens within and among churches as well as outside of faith-communities insofar as principles of forgiveness, reconciliation, and restorative justice are implemented. These values, and the patterns that work for justice and that build peace, are the focus of this web page.
At its deepest place, the ecumenical movement is about reconciliation.
2. Finding a Place for Religion at the Table
Religion and Conflict Transformation: Finding a Place at the Table of Dispute Resolution
It is useful to ask about the place of religion, assumed or consciously structured morality, in the following two spheres.
a. In the Sphere of International Law – without a Prevailing International Court of Justice (ICJ) or Tribunal (with projected Security Council implications)
Here a significant amount of work has been mapped out by what is referred to as track I and track II (etc.) diplomacy. See John Davies and Edward Kaufman, eds., Second Track/Citizen’s Diplomacy. Concepts and Techniques for Conflict Transformation (New York: Rowman & Littlefield, Inc., 2003); and Rodney Petersen, “Religion and Multi-Track Diplomacy,” in M. Gh. Simion & I. Talpasanu (editors) The 32nd Annual Congress of the American Romanian Academy of Arts and Sciences (ARA) Wentworth Institute of Technology, Boston, 2008 USA, PROCEEDINGS; Polytechnic International Press: Montreal.)
b. In the Sphere of National/State Law (Domestic and Civil Law)
A useful exercise might be to ask about the place of religion in relation to the following array of methods of dealing with conflict and conflict prevention. A variety of skills and approaches pertain to each of the following measures.
An important term to understand in the following array of positions is “Alternative Dispute Resolution” (ADR) includes dispute resolution processes and techniques that fall outside of the government judicial process. Despite historic resistance to ADR by both parties and their advocates, ADR has gained widespread acceptance among both the general public and the legal profession in recent years. In fact, some courts now require some parties to resort to ADR of some type, usually mediation, before permitting the parties' cases to be tried. The rising popularity of ADR can be explained by the increasing caseload of traditional courts, the perception that ADR imposes fewer costs than litigation, a preference for confidentiality, and the desire of some parties to have greater control over the selection of the individual or individuals who will decide their dispute.
- Proactive Conflict Prevention – Following the path of Matthew 18….
- Ombudsmen (An official, usually [but not always] appointed by the government or by parliament, who is charged with representing the interests of the public by investigating and addressing complaints reported by individual citizens. Sucn may also exist in a business or corporation.)
- Mediation before Filing Litigation (A form of ADR that aims to assist two [or more] disputants in reaching an agreement. Whether an agreement results or not, and whatever the content of that agreement, if any, the parties themselves determine, rather than accepting something imposed by a third party.)
- Collaborative Law (This is a structured process that provides an alternative to a court procedure. Lawyers and clients sign a Participation Agreement which provides that if the parties are unable to reach a settlement, the lawyers will withdraw from the case and assist the clients in transitioning the case to trial attorneys.)
- Mediation after Filing Litigation
- Arbitration (A legal technique for the resolution of disputes outside the courts, wherein the parties to a dispute refer it to one or more persons [the "arbitrators", "arbiters" or "arbitral tribunal"], by whose decision [the "award"] they agree to be bound.)
- Litigation (A controversy before a court or a "lawsuit" is commonly referred to as “litigation”. If it is not settled by agreement between the parties it would eventually be heard and decided by a judge or jury in a court. Litigation is one way that people and companies resolve disputes arising out of an infinite variety of factual circumstances.)
The array from “Proactive Conflict Prevention” to “Litigation” is thanks to Michael Zeytoonian (Hutchings, Barsamian, Mandelcorn & Zeytoonian, LLP, Boston).
c. Religion and Peace-building: Four Areas that Merit our Reflection
- Non-governmental organizations and Track II diplomacy
- Growth of perspective through psychology and sociology (e.g., victim-victimizer cycles, cycles of revenge and forgiveness)
- The sphere of international law – rule of law as against Hobbesian world – and how this relates to the new emphases of restorative justice
- Spiritual perceptivity (building on two points above): “where your heart is, your treasure”
- See article by Dorothy Friesen, “Social Action and the Need for Prayer” (124-128)
- See article by Elise Boulding – what do we envision? – “Envisioning the Peaceable Kingdom” (129-134).
- See Walter Wink’s argument for a “third way” – Jesus and Nonviolence. A Third Way? (earlier and 2003): Passivity (Flight), Violent opposition (Fight), militant non-violence: Jesus abhors passivity/violence as responses to evil.
The Religion and Conflict Transformation Concentration and Certificate looks to focus on the following issues: 1) human security, 2) spiritual formation for peacebuilding, 3) the principles and practices of restorative justice, 4) trauma awareness and resilience, and 5) the techniques of nonviolence. Central to the program are ways by which Christian doctrinal and moral theologies and the insights of living faiths and traditions shape our conceptualization and practice of the five skills listed above. Central to our concern is the practice of religious leadership at the levels of congregational life and with various chaplaincies such as prison, military and in other domain of organizational life.
3. Suggestive Examples of Past Efforts on the Part of the BTI
Religion and Conflict Transformation: A Select List of BTI Activity, 1997 – 2010
Conferences – Courses Regularly Taught – Films, Booklets and Books
A Select List of Conferences, 1997-present
1997
- Workshop in Northern Ireland – Reconciliation: Catholic and Ecumenical Witness (produced documentary with Boston College)
- Restorative Justice in New England: A Conversation with the Vermont Department of Corrections (with Suffolk University )
1998
- Workshop in the Former Yugoslavia – Reconciliation: Orthodox and Ecumenical Witness (produced documentary with Boston College)
1999
- Workshop in South Africa and Ghana – South Africa: Beyond a Miracle (produced documentary with Boston College)
- The Truth and Reconciliation Commission with Peter Storey
- Restorative Justice: Building Partnerships (Old South Meeting House/Joseph Moakely Courthouse/EDS)
- Restorative Justice: Law, Religion and Conflict Transformation
2000
- Conference for Young Religious Leadership from the Former Yugoslavia (held with Initiatives for Change, Caux, Switzerland)
- Workshop in the Middle East: Israel and Palestine – Religious Identity, Instrumentality and Inter-Faith Relations (produced documentary with Boston College)
2001
- Workshop in Jamaica and Cuba – Culture , Identity and Religion in the Caribbean
2002
- Workshop – Russia – Issues of History, Religion and Identity in Russian Orthodoxy
- Transforming Justice: Restorative Practices in New England, conference held with the Restorative Justice Working Group and Suffolk University
- BTI Institute I: Balanced and Restorative Justice (with Florida Atlantic University)
2003
- Workshop - Restorative Justice for Community, held in Boston, USA
- Kingdom Rise – Kingdom Fall: A Rasta-Christian Dialogue and Concert
- BTI Institute II: Balanced and Restorative Justice (with Florida Atlantic University)
2004
- Workshop - Religion and Modernity in Egypt: Coptic Revival, the Muslim Brotherhood, and the Complexities of Religious Practice
- BTI Institute III: Conflict Transformation and Restorative Justice: Preparing Ministers of Reconciliation
2005
- Workshop – Lebanon – A Test of Multiculturalism, Religious Identity and National Recovery
- Costas Consultation: Is the USA a Mission Field?
- BTI Institute IV: Theology and Relational Healing: Breaking Cycles of Trauma, Retaliation and Violence
2006
- Forgiveness and Reconciliation – A Workshop with the Schools of Forgiveness and Reconciliation (Escuelas de Perdón y Reconciliación or ESPERE)
- Series of Seminars: Congo, Northern Ireland
- Costas Consultation: Christian Origins and Witness in India
- BTI Institute V: Alternatives to Violence Project, Stonehill College
- Workshop in India – Religious Identity and Political Consciousness
2007
- BTI Institute VI: Religion and Conflict Transformation –Realism and Dialogue: The Burdens of History with Joseph Montville
- Forgiveness and Reconciliation – Workshops with the Schools of Forgiveness and Reconciliation (Escuelas de Perdón y Reconciliación or ESPERE)
- Korea Costas Seminar: Religion, Politics and Reconciliation
2008
- Korea Seminar-Workshop in the Republic of Korea: Religion, Politics and Reconciliation: Exploring the Sunshine Policy of President Kim Dae-Jung”
2009
- Educating Jewish, Christian and Muslim Leaders in an Age of Religious Diversity,” June 15-16, 2009; hosted by Andover Newton and Hebrew College, the Islamic Council of New England and others.
2010
- "Educating Jewish, Christian and Muslim Leaders in an Age of Religious Diversity: Post-Parliament of World's Religions Conference," April 14-16, 2010: on the campuses of Andover Newton Theological School and Hebrew College.
- Series Leading up to BTI Seminar-Workshop: Schools of Forgiveness and Reconcicliation (Bogata, Colombia).
A Select List of Courses Taught as BTI Consortium Courses: See the BTI course catalogue for additioinal listings. (A select list of regular offerings or related courses with joint faculty participation; syllabi are available online elsewhere on this website)
(Andover Newton Theological School)
(Boston College - Department of Theology)
- See courses by Professors Stephen Pope and others
(Boston College - School of Theology and Ministry)
- See courses by Professor Thomas Kane, Melissa Kelley and others.
(Boston University School of Theology)
(Episcopal Divinity School)
(Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and the Cenfor Urban Ministerial Education)
- See courses offered by Professor Peter Kuzmic, Richard Lints, John Runyon and others.
(Harvard Divinity School)
(Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology)
- See courses offered by Professor Emmanuel Clapsis and others.
(Saint John's Seminary)
- See courses offered by Professor David Franks and others.
A Select List of Films, Booklets and Books
Boston College – BTI Films
BTI Booklets on “Transforming and Restorative Justice and the Churches"
- “Creating Healing Environments in Prisons,” by Carol Anderson Peters.
- “’I Have a Dream’ – African American Leadership,” Interview of Rev. Dr. Michael Haynes by Christopher Lydon (2004)
- Spirituality and Public Life: Howard Thurman: The Legacy of Howard Thurman (joint faculty)
- Boston University Personalism and the Legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. (joint faculty)
- Building the Beloved Community: People, Power and Organization, by Marshall Ganz and Richard Parker with Joan Martin.
Other booklets are in process of publication. See the publications page on this website.
BTI Books and Additional Materials
- Reconciliation. Mission and Ministry in a Changing Social Order, Robert Schreiter (Maryknoll: Orbis Books, 1993; together with the Boston Theological Institute)
- Christianity and Civil Society. Theological Education for Public Life, ed. by Rodney Petersen (Maryknoll: Orbis Books, 1995; together with the Boston Theological Institute)
- Violence, Truth and Prophetic Silence, ed. by C. W. du Toit (Pretoria: Research Institute for Theology and Religion, UNISA, 2000; together with the Boston Theological Institute)
- Earth at Risk, ed. by Donald Conroy and Rodney Petersen (Amherst: Humanity Books, 2000).
- Forgiveness and Reconciliation: Religion, Public Policy and Conflict Transformation, ed. by Raymond Helmick, S. J. and Rodney Petersen (Philadelphia: Templeton Press, 2002).
- “Engage Conflict Well,” by Tom Porter – a booklet of the JustPeace Center for Mediation and Conflict Transformation (United Methodist Church with implementation through the schools of the Boston Theological Institute)
- The Antioch Agenda, ed. by Daniel Jeyaraj, Robert Pazmiño and Rodney Petersen (New Delhi, 2007; together with Andover Newton Theological School and the Boston Theological Institute)
- Violence and Christian Spirituality. An Ecumenical Conversation, ed. by Emmanuel Clapsis (Geneva: WCC Publications, 2007).
- Cultura Politica de Perdon y Reconciliacion, ed. by Leonel Narvaez (Fundacion para la Reconciliacion: Bogata, Colombia, 2010). Spanish Edition.
- The Political Culture of Forgiveness and Reconciliation, ed. by Leonel Narvaez (Fundation for Reconciliation: Bogata, Colombia, 2010). English Edition.
See lists of faculty publications from BTI schools.
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