Corneliu, passionate scholar, dreamer, mentor, and friend. He was the kind of person who can be best described in stories and impressions: the person who called in the middle of night with creative, new ideas in order to dream together. The one who was perfectly at home and in full enjoyment immersed in a foreign culture, because he was fascinated and invigorated by the local expressions of faith.
We interviewed Terry LeBlanc about his ideas on “Walking in Reconciled Relationships: The Challenges of our History” In this series of three podcasts, we chat with Terry about his personal story, community, and work; we hear parts of his original paper; and we gather recommendations for living in right relationships.
One of the most divisive conflicts in our world today is that which plays itself out in the land of Palestine-Israel. However, there is much in the story of this conflict that is rarely told. Let’s take a journey together to understand the history of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict through the narration of two Palestinian Christians and members of the INFEMIT community, Shadia Qubti and Tony Deik.
Many Christians in the West emphasize peace-making and reconciliation as a way to address the ongoing Palestine-Israel conflict. While no one can deny that peace-making is surely an integral part of our mission (e.g., Matthew 5:9), the way many Christians, especially among evangelicals, approach it is problematic.
Colonialism is like a leitmotif in the annals and experiences of some nations of the world, especially the ones from the Global South. Most of these nations experienced colonisation by some nations from the west starting from the 19th century, and Nigeria is a prime example of this. Colonialism affects almost everything about a people – their worldviews, cultures, and perspectives to life…
Beni Mocan prepared this paper as part of INFEMIT’s Stott-Bediako Forum, to explore the aspects of Pentecostal spirituality that contribute to Peace Building and Conflict Transformation in Post-Dictatorial Romania.
In this presentation, Nina Balmaceda introduces the Word Made Flesh Methodology adopted by the Center for Reconciliation at the Duke Divinity School and applies it to examine the need to pursue reconciliation in the Americas. She engages in this discussion with the purpose of demonstrating that it is impossible to pursue reconciliation in the Americas unless we are willing to embrace a genuine commitment to work for holistic transformation beyond individual salvation.
Obed Manwatkar, a PhD research scholar at Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology, and Sciences in Allahbad, India prepared this presentation to explore reconciliation within the caste system in India, where much of the population remains oppressed and excluded.
Rev. Lalitha prepared a presentation for the Stott-Bediako Forum that explores Postcolonialism, Peace Building, and Conflict Transformation in the context of India, a context in which native women experience a triple colonization based on race, caste, and gender. She explores some of the history of the realities of conflict faced by the indigenous communities in India, examples of resistance to forms of colonialism and caste oppression, and how Jesus’s movement provides a way forward in peace building and conflict transformation.
Throughout the Stott-Bediako Forum, we’ve had opportunities to hear from indigenous brothers and sisters about the challenges and possibilities for peace building and conflict transformation in their contexts. One recommendation they offered was that of seeking and promoting indigenous Christian theology.