On this journey that started at the beginning of December and takes us here to the end of March, we sought to name historical injustices and physical and intellectual forms of colonization; we listened to and learned from diverse narratives of Scripture; and, in a process of re-learning, we heard the voices and perspectives of many who have traditionally been marginalized and ignored.
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.
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.
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.
We interviewed Ruth Padilla DeBorst about her ideas on “North-South Partnership in God’s Mission: Joining Hands in the Construction of a Reconciliation Politics.” In this episode, we chat with Ruth about her work, who she has learned from, how colonialism impacts the way we read the Bible, and how differing narratives or interpretations of Scripture can help us on the path to peacebuilding and conflict transformation.
Abdiel Espinoza offers a selection of poems, with the goal of bringing to light the individual and collective experience of those who, based on their experience of the Gospel and the Mission of God, build peace and are agents of transformation in their communities on the margins of society.