Biblical Principles in Conflict Transformation

Peacebuilding is at the very heart of the Gospel message and yet it is not always prominent in the life of the Church. This study seeks to examine how Christian leaders in Jos and Kaduna use the Bible to inform their responses and reactions to the ethno- religious conflict in order to bring about peace. It embraces a holistic approach that is more suitable for the context of the study. It is crucial for the African church to be on the cutting edge in addressing issues contributing to the various conflicts on the continent in order to maintain her relevance to society and to fulfill her missiological mandate. The data revealed that tribalism, ethnic and religious intolerance, poor leadership, poverty and lack of knowledge and skills on how to engage the peacebuilding process are significant hindrances to the peace process. The study aims at sensitizing churches to be more proactive and strategic in their planning for training leaders and to put into practice biblically sound and culturally sensitive strategies for peacebuilding. The call to living out Christ s mission as a community must also be taken seriously if the church is to be a witness to the world.

Autorentext

Priscilla A. Adoyo, DMiss: Studied Peacebuilding at Fuller Theological Seminary. Program Director at The Institute for the Study of African Realities, a constituent of African International University, Nairobi Kenya.