Reconcile
Conflict Transformation for Ordinary Christians
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- $19.99
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- $19.99
Publisher Description
What if reconciliation is central to the biblical message?
And what if Christians, who have been missing the mark for millennia, are waking up to the reconciling mission of God? Reconcile: Conflict Transformation for Ordinary Christians,by international mediator John Paul Lederach and with a foreword by Bill and Lynne Hybels, serves as a guidebook for Christians seeking a scriptural view of reconciliation and practical steps for transforming conflict.
Originally published as The Journey Toward Reconciliation and based on Lederach’s work in war zones on five continents, this revised and updated book tells dramatic stories of what works—and what doesn’t—in entrenched conflicts between individuals and groups. Lederach leads readers through stories of conflict and reconciliation in Scripture, using these stories as anchors for peacemaking strategies that Christians can put into practice in families and churches.
Lederach, who has written twenty-two books and whose work has been translated into more than twelve languages, also offers new lenses through which to view conflict, whether congregational conflicts or global terrorism. A new section of resources, created by mediation professionals, professors, and pastors, offers tools for understanding interpersonal, church, and global conflict, worship resources, books and websites for further study, and invitations to action in everyday life.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In an update of The Journey Toward Reconciliation (1999), Lederach (The Moral Imagination: Art and Soul of Building Peace) uses biblical stories to demonstrate what reconciliation and peace building look like. Jacob, for example, made himself vulnerable in moving toward Esau, a brother he knew he had wronged. Jesus was an active listener who accepted people from all stations of life. Lederach reframes Matthew's advice about treating an unrepentant Christian transgressor as a Gentile or tax collector to mean that we should eat with and associate with those with whom we are in conflict. Lederach uses his own experiences as a scholar and hands-on mediator who has participated in reconciliation efforts in Latin America and Africa to help readers understand how we can move toward not away from our enemies. When his own daughter's life was threatened, Lederach came to realize the potential cost of reconciliation. Written in a simple style, his analysis is both emotionally powerful and full of practical advice and resources.