In Internationale Monatsschrift Professor Adolf von Harnack5 wrote recently: We are delighted when noble patriotism is brought to light in this world of material interests, but poor indeed is the man who finds his highest ideals in patriotism alone or sees the nation as the epitome of all good. Examining the potential role religion can play in generating peace and justice, specifically Christianity in South Africa's TRC, is of utmost importance as religiously inspired violence continues to occur. Binding treaties between nations who are committed to conciliation or arbitration when disputes arise rather than to war represent the foundations of a larger edifice of the rule of law. Working for the church makes you a church worker, and the work you do is church work. We are not satisfied with merely bringing together those inspired by zeal for this noble endeavor. Paul von Hindenburg (1847-1934), German field marshal in World War I, president of Germany (1925-1934). As our nation heads for general elections on December 7, 2020, the church as a prophetic voice in society considers herself as an agent of peace with a responsibility to preach, exhibit, and. This is the mission of the Institute. No result of the Stockholm meeting has been more obvious and noteworthy than the realization that, according to the Gospel, God must be first in peoples hearts and must thus also rule over the people, over groups in society, and over the nations themselves. We must not allow ourselves to be lulled into any monistic peace dream. While I was speaking at the peace assembly in the Engelbrekt Church46 on Armistice Day, November II, a friend in San Francisco, who had witnessed the world catastrophe, sat writing to me about the moment when the World War came to an end and about its commemoration. We can say without ingratitude or unfaithfulness to the special gifts in Christian experience and thinking which each church has received from God throughout history, that this unity, found at its strongest at the Cross of Christ, can and must be improved in our way of life and in preaching. Every elementary textbook in Christendom ought to contain something similar to the following, which appears in a modern catechism: Just as law and justice prevent violence within the state, so shall they also rule between the states and prevent war. She must, therefore, fight against all glorification of violence and against any force contrary to the rule of law, and she must preach that nations and communities, like individuals, must act according to ethical principles, basing their hopes for coexistence on the principles of truth, justice, and love. As in the case of Orthodox Christianity, the president has been chosen by virtue of his office. This was proposed at the first meeting of the League of Nations Assembly after consultations between their two governments and Denmarks. But the dream was tom from the heart so suddenly. The letter was signed by 12 metropolitans, the ecumenical patriarchate being vacant, but was largely the work of Archbishop Germanos, later metropolitan of Thyateira. The appeal of November 14, largely the work of the laureate, was a call for peace and Christian fellowship. This subject was discussed at the International Congress of Historians in Oslo in 1928. The sermon at the morning service was preached by Bishop Stadener, who is now the president of the Swedish Board of Education. Gaston Doumergue (1863-1937), president of France (1924-1931). The cease-fire was not accompanied by trumpet blasts, banners, and jubilation, but limped its way from grave to grave, from line to line. The conference was held quietly in Uppsala6. embraced the realization that the church and the diocese had a special role in calling for peace in the valley (Korir, p.2). An unprecedented global canvassing of Roman Catholics has called for concrete steps by the church to promote women into decision-making roles, for a . Nobel Lecture*, December 11, 1930 The Role of the Church in Promoting Peace It is my belief that "leaving ourselves in peace" with our self-conceit and evil passions does not lead to real peace. 37. Ragged, sick, hungry, and disillusioned, men wander aimlessly through devastated fields. The Purpose Of Promotion. A president has not yet been elected. A supranational judicial system is being built. 13. " Solidarity is a hand-in-hand encounter on the journey of justice and peace," she said. Will the obligation of the church to peace then be investigated more profoundly and more generally? Officially entitled the Universal Christian Council for Life and Work, the Ecumenical Council was created as a permanent ecumenical body by the Life and Work Conference held in 1930 at Chexbres. Charles Evans Hughes (1862-1948), governor of New York (1907-1910), secretary of state (1921-1925), chiefjustice of U. S. Supreme Court (1930-1941). Time goes by. 27. The baptism of the Holy Spirit is a wonderful gift from the Lord, but it is not the same as the . At its meeting in Fan, Denmark, in 1934, the Council approved a proposal to hold a general conference at Oxford in 1937. General Act for the Pacific Settlement of International Disputes, approved by the League of Nations in 1928. We possess encouraging testimonies from many Roman Catholic laymen, particularly those belonging to the intelligentsia, and also from Roman priests and theologians who follow our endeavors with sympathy and good wishes. The task of overcoming social divisions and rebuilding relationships or reconciling conflict-ravaged Liberia is something that should be seen by church . He highlighted Montenegro's key role in promoting stability and peace in the Western Balkans, including by contributing troops to the KFOR peace-keeping mission in Kosovo. The church should represent the waking conscience of mankind. PDF ZIMBABWE COUNCIL OF CHURHCES 2017 -2020 DIALOGUE IN A - ResearchGate We must struggle to win peace, struggle against schism, against the mad measures of fear, against the ruthlessness of Mammon, against hatred and injustice. According to the Christian point of view, our awareness of right and wrong is a divine gift, as are its outgrowths: law and civil order. The church teaches that purpose of government is the common good "The promotion of peace in the world is an integral part of the Church's mission of continuing Christ's work of redemption on earth." John Paul II, Message for the 2000 World Day of Peace, 20: AAS 92 (2000), 369. Knut Bernhard Westman (1881-1967), professor of church history, Uppsala University. The study concludes that the main peace-building and reconciliation activities used by the church promoted positive ethnicity in Nakuru Sub-County. The framework of law has only a limited value in itself since it must be fitted with inner moral convictions for it to be effective. I was not at Eisenach myself, but I assure you that our brothers there carefully considered this proposal before God and their conscience prior to submitting, accepting, and referring it to all accessible church communities in the world. The Vatican on Tuesday released the synthesis of a two-year consultation . Later at the eighth regular session of the Assembly in 1927, the draft of an international agreement on arbitration was presented by the Norwegian delegate. The . Carsten Balthazar Hansteen (1856-1923), seamens pastor, N.Y. (1883-1889), senior pastor of the Cathedral Church, Bergen (1907-1923). Other Norwegian representatives were the present Bishop Eivind Berggrav, Dean C. Hansteen, Secretary General Piene, and the present Parson Thvedt8. As Plato said, souls must never lose their wings, and, giving up hope of attaining a perfection declared impossible for them, throw themselves wholly into trivial pleasures. This resolution is an act and it calls for action. About the Report Our appeal was favorably received and led to the desired results on more than one occasion. 34. Ernst Frithiof Lnegren (1862-1937), bishop of Hrnsand (1909-1934). They should try to understand others, their thoughts, languages, and behavior. VATICAN CITY (AP) An unprecedented global canvassing of Catholics has called for the church to take concrete steps to promote women to decision-making roles, for a "radical inclusion" of the LGBTQ+ community and for new accountability measures to check how bishops exercise authority.. However, we must be loyal to our brothers throughout the world in this matter, as in any service rendered in the cause of peace. Lloyd George once said that if the church communities of Great Britain were unanimous about a question, no government could oppose it44. The fifth section is made up of old and new churches in the Orient and elsewhere which do not belong to any of the four sections just mentioned. 9. Hans Ostenfeldt Lange (1863-1943), librarian and Egyptologist in Copenhagen public libraries. The church must, therefore, uphold the sanctity of law and promote its development in the name of Christ, both inside and outside national boundaries. Not far from Uppsala, I picked up an English newspaper and saw on the first page: The British Council for Promoting an International Christian Conference. How Does Religion Promote Social Justice? Jens Gleditsch11 sent a letter containing the seeds of the profound and thought-provoking speech he was to give later at the Ecumenical Conference in Stockholm in 1925. Charles Henry Brent (1862-1929), Protestant Episcopal bishop, bishop in charge of churches in Europe (1926-1928). The Pope spoke more than once in a way which did express the reaction and desire of the Christian conscience. The Conference of Churches in Neutral Countries [Neutral Church Conference] issued statements on (1) the unity of Christians; (2) Christians and the life of society; and (3) Christians and the law. A more positive approach is conveyed by Dr Farid Essack, a Muslim theologian, " Christs commandment to love one another must, therefore, be spread among all people. Blaise Pascal (1623-1662), French scientist and religious philosopher; defended Jansenism. The third point relates more closely to the present situation. THE ROLE OF THE CHURCH IN THE PROMOTION OF PEACE AND RECONCILIATION IN AFRICA. The two organizations work closely together, sustained in large part by these two personalities. In addition, however, there are some purely practical tasks such as the exchange of help and research, and the collection and processing of material. Quora - A place to share knowledge and better understand the world No, what we are recommending is not a breach of loyalty; on the contrary, it is obedience to a higher obligation. We do not believe with Socrates that man does what is right because he knows it to be right, but we must agree with the philosopher in that man needs to know what is right before he acts. Why should this doctrine not be inculcated as early and as generally as are the other Christian doctrines? To create and foster such a state of Christian brotherly love, self-discipline, and justice constitute the main duty of the church in this field.. 10. 47. Several outreach organisations and activities have been developed to inspire generations and disseminate knowledge about the Nobel Prize. The flying colors and the rumbling drums are spread out beneath fresh winds and sunny skies. By such matters are our faith and the endurance of love tested. That task is to determine the Gospels relevance to and verdict on modern conditions such as industrialization and nationalism. But the growing ones, the young to whom new gods are to be given, new ideas, new dreams, new tasks the youth that is to build a new world? It accomplishes this through the lens of Lederach's conflict transformation framework. Perhaps the moldering hearts of those who were taken from us now give life to the flower sprouting forth twelve years later. In their blogs, they incorporate personal experiences and themes from the readings. "Human beings - endowed with intelligence and free will - share in God's creative nature. The prophets, the Savior, and St. Paul were not called by any church. It was he who declared in Stockholm that the voice of ecumenical Christianity was strong enough to appeal to the other great internationals: In communion with Chrysostom and Origen, with Pascal and St. Francis of Assisi, with Luther and Livingstone42, let us first turn to our brothers separated from us, the Roman Catholics, whose seats among us have remained empty in the physical sense, but whose spiritual presence is deeply felt.. Let us also turn to the founders of the noble International of Intellect, the scholars, philosophers, professors, and educators the heirs of these proud martyrs of independent thinking who once laid the foundations of modern knowledge The Church of Jesus Christ unanimously asserts that, though the methods may vary with the degree of certainty in arriving at valid conclusions, a single spirit must still rule the realm of knowledge the spirit of humble acceptance of established facts and of loyal devotion to truth, which alone enlightens and liberates. They can challenge unjust laws and promote and defend the rights of poor people. May I here also cite what A. F. Ozanam wrote eighty years ago in La Civilisation au cinquime sicle48: It is often good to humble men, but never to drive them to despair. Although Evangelical churchmen from both sides, from Germany, England, and other countries, had assembled for three days in Bern in 191523, together with representatives from neutral countries, the efforts to bring about the great international church council in Oslo were unsuccessful. Adolph von Harnack (1851-1930), German Protestant theologian. Our generation has lived through not only a world catastrophe, but also through a violent inner revolution. But we want the churches as such to take part for the simple reason that we believe we have discovered in the ecumenical revival something which has been neglected, namely the main substance of the preaching of Jesus Christ: the will of God, His supremacy, and also in this connection, the unity of Christianity, reached not through compromises and alliances but by immersing ourselves in the truth and experiencing the great universal wonder. Bishop Otto Jensen, Professor Morgenstierne, and Parson Eugene Hanssen7 were among those Norwegians who could not come but who declared their support. The Ecumenical Council speaks for her two other main divisions. The hand which wanted to caress was to be clenched instead, the lip which yearned to speak of good was to wither. Eivind Joseph Berg-grav (1884-1959), bishop of Northern Norway (1929-1937), bishop of Oslo and primate of Norways Evangelical Lutheran church (1937-1950). In 1920, Norway and Sweden suggested a move toward conciliation and arbitration. We seem to have a long way to go before we realize the great teachings of our Master.. Geneva is also the city which has conferred domiciliary rights on the Ecumenical Council. I had already warned in a sermon against possible Pharisaism in neutral countries, but Providence could not be praised too highly for having saved the three Scandinavian countries from the deluge, even though it had not spared them the pain of witnessing it. It is still weak like the Infant in Bethlehems manger and Him threatened by Herods assassins. THE BIBLE, PEACE AND RECONCILIATION. For there is no power but of God.19 St. Peter wrote: Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lords sake.20 This rule was valid even when Nero was emperor of Rome. There is one universal tenet: We ought to obey God rather than men.19 However, it is not this tenet to which we are here appealing. (c) The church must work for international understanding and for the settlement of international disputes through mediation and arbitration. The originator was the Bishop of Chichester, G. K. A. Bell14, well known to us from the Ecumenical Conference. A A. The Bishop of Oslo wrote that, if Oslo were chosen, I will do everything in my power to arrange the meeting in the most suitable way. He further testified to the warm interest of the King of Norway and the Prime Minister22 in an ecclesiastical world conference. Khijoyan went on to reflect that fear is not the result of our diversity but the result of variables in a dynamic of power. The miracle occurred in 1925 in Stockholm26. Under the present conditions, an international church conference will undeniably have a full agenda. The International Committee of the World Alliance met at Oud Wassenaar from September 36 to October 3, 1919, with about 60 delegates from 14 nations attending. Lukas Strinopulos Germanos (1872-1951), first archbishop of Thyateira, with responsibility for all Greek Orthodox communities in western and central Europe; representative of the patriarch of Constantinople to the archbishop of Canterbury. Nils Samuel Stadener (1872-1937), bishop of Strngns (1928-1932), bishop of Vxj (1932-1937). A Life and Work conference held in August, 1920, to prepare for the proposed international Christian conference; Sderblom was the outstanding figure at the session. In this connection, I would like to quote from Bishop Tandbergs answer to my letters at the beginning of 1918: I understand clearly that it is important for the sake of Christs church that we should, during the present conflict in the world, unambiguously preach Christian unity which stands above all worldly disagreements. The traditional methods of reconciliation that the church has dwelt on in promoting peace and stability have proved ineffective because of their tendency to exclude people's lifestyles, beliefs and systems. We do not limit this to our own people or province. All Saints Day saw them struggling with death. This may be through prayer, through giving, through . The great endeavor of the Christian community to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world can and must be realized by the Evangelical church in a spiritual way, through its preaching and its example. Robert Cecil (1864-1958), recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize for 1937. All men of goodwill ought to unite in perceiving this. The first attempts at cooperation by the churches came from different quarters: an organization was formed at Constance at the outbreak of the war, under the name of the World Alliance for Promoting International Friendship through the Churches; and a joint appeal to cooperate was issued in November, 19141, after difficult preparations, by churchmen in Scandinavia, Switzerland, The Netherlands, and the U. S. A. I am thinking, on the one hand, of ordinary men, of the kind whose thoughts are candid, sincere, and free of conventional entanglements and I could tell you about many. Without entering the political arena, the Christian Church must assert itself as the indomitable prophet and interpreter here on earth of the moral Law, which is imposed on national communities just as it is on individual consciences, Let us follow the example of the first disciples and send forth messengers two by two from Stockholm to the cities and the towns, announcing like the prophet43: Yet forty days and Nineveh shall be overthrown! Without national and international repentance, our civilization will perish!. One of the bases of Christianity is the doctrine of our fraternity in Christ. Hermann Adrian van Karnebeek (1874-1942), Dutch statesman, delegate to 1899 and 1907 Hague Conferences, foreign minister (1918-1927), president of League of Nations Assembly (1921). Wherever the church has erred in this respect she must humbly confess it and correct the mistakes. As regards a future rapprochement, some connections already exist and others are being established. (PDF) The Role of the Church in Promoting Reconciliation in Post-TRC A. Frdric Ozanam, La Civilisation au cinquine sicle (Oeuvres compltes), Vol. I would like to quote now the three main points of the proclamation issued at the Uppsala meeting in December, 1917. "It seeks to prevent, engage, reduce, transform . The Social-Ethical Institute has a scientific task. The fourth section, the American, brings to the Ecumenical Council something of the strong active idealism which, in addition to other features, characterizes the New World and which we in Europe often misjudge or fail to understand. 24. Every existing legal system is incomplete, requiring for its completion the development of moral consciousness. The Gift Of Prophecy Sermon by Donna Kazenske, 1 - SermonCentral The seat of the latter is in Geneva, a city situated in an earthly paradise amid great Roman Catholic nations, its best traditions still inspired by the great genius and ideals of Calvin30. The intention is to extend the legal system in such a way as to preclude the desperate course of war between nations, in the same manner in which blood feuds have been abolished and tribal fighting stopped in law-abiding communities. One can also conceive of the church as an organism, or the mater coetus as Berkhof calls it. To elucidate the aims of the fourth point I propose to discuss this point in greater detail. After countless setbacks and difficulties, and after the unfortunate failure of the labor movements efforts to bring about a common meeting, responsible patriots eventually managed to assemble in 1919 at Oud Wassenaar near The Hague for the first time since the World War24. The text in Swedish published in Les Prix Nobel en 1930 is used for this translation. 4. 26. Bishop Otto Jensen wrote from Hamar: I am delighted that the desire for peace and brotherliness is spreading within the Evangelical Church. Tom Garrigue Masaryk (1850-1937), Czechoslovak philosopher and first president of Czechoslovakia (1919-1935). Gustave Ador (1845-1928), Swiss statesman, member of National Council (from 1889), president of Swiss Confederation (1919). Civil order, at least at a basic level, is a prerequisite for the efficient practice of the teaching of the Gospel. How Does Religion Promote Social Justice? - Berkley Center for Religion The Role of the Church in Promoting Reconciliation in Post-TRC South Africa by Hugo van der Merwe In Chapman, A. If efforts toward peace are to get anywhere, they must be more realistic than in the past. The Continuation Committee founded in Stockholm, which now, in accordance with the new and extended constitution approved this year, represents the Ecumenical Council, has held important gatherings in Bern in 1926, in Winchester in 1927, and in Prague in 1928 where the Norwegian member of the Ecumenical Council, Professor Lyder Brun27, put the seamens cause before the meeting a matter since raised also by the League of Nations, at Eisenach in 1929 and at Chxbres in 1930. Brooke Foss Westcott (1825-1901), British prelate interested in social aspects of Christianity; professor at Cambridge; influential with Durham labor after becoming bishop of Durham (1890). Of the two people who have been honored this year by the Nobel Committee of the Norwegian Parliament, one, already world famous, is associated with peaceful endeavors in politics and the other is a participant in the work of the church for peace, the supranational validity of the commandment of love and of law in the name of Christ. See G.K. A. the role of religious leaders and spiritual leaders in conflict management and resolution has been neglected in the study of international relations (Johnston 1994, 4). Bernt Stylen (1858-1937), bishop of Kristiansand, Norway. A larger meeting was planned for the spring or winter of 1918. Thoughts are so far free. The question is not whether one is orthodox in conforming to some peace formula or other, but whether one does something to promote peace. Does the message of peace resound outside the portals of the church? We must work and not despair. We participate heart and soul in the holy task, initiated by the Protestant Episcopal church in America, of establishing faith and order, fraternal consultation, concord, and, as far as possible, unity in creed and church statutes. The analysis of the 39 peace processes included a gender perspective, to understand whether these processes take into account the different consequences of wars on men, women and sexual minorities. He continued, on February 8, 1918, with words truly worthy of a servant of the church: It is to be hoped that these cruel times will not last too long, for it seems that anger is rising within the people, dominating their thoughts and turning them against all community order, a development which is understandable to me in view of the iniquity and brutality, both spoken and active, which pervade the community and which have reached a peak because of the fear of war. They were called by God, and they spoke on behalf of God. Walter Simons (1861-1937), German foreign minister (1920-1921), president of German Supreme Court (1922-1929). The church must understand its mission before God, not only to promote peace and reconciliation, but to Promoting human rights | United Nations Peacekeeping * The laureate delivered this lecture in the Auditorium of the University of Oslo. One was Dr. Walter Simons15, then president of the National Court of Law in Leipzig, who had been acting president of Germany between Ebert and Hindenburg. After discussions and correspondence, the organization of the meeting was undertaken by three of us: myself, the Bishop of Oslo, an eminent and scrupulous person of outstanding culture, and the Bishop of Sjlland3, the indefatigable champion of the unification of churches. PDF The Church's Role in Social Justice - Calvin University He is a priest in the true sense of the word. In the post-9/11 world, religions and religious actors are more commonly associated with extremism and conflict between religious communities than before, in particular in the popular mind. The role of Christianity in mending societal fragility and quelling In any case, organization is not the most important factor here. We agree, furthermore, that the solution of all disputes or conflicts must never be sought by any means other than peaceful ones. This conversation and cross-fertilisation between religious, political, social and psychological approaches is clearly needed to strengthen the church's role in promoting reconciliation. All three are a continuation of the earliest Christendom. 14. Our voices, not yet united in an Ecumenical Council2 as they are today, were weak against the thunder of cannons. January 26, 2018 Explore the Series During their fellowship, Doyle student fellows read and discuss academic articles and then put ideas into practice through community engagement. He is not a politician. Charles Alfred Cripps, Baron Parmoor, (1852-1941), British lawyer and statesman responsible for League of Nations affairs in MacDonalds government. Have the creations of genius, which enable us to send words around the world in a few seconds and to use transport to break down distance have these gifts of God bound us closer together than before? Man is defiled by that which comes from within him. Because of passport difficulties in the West, the assembly had to be restricted to churchmen from Norway, Denmark, Sweden, The Netherlands, and Switzerland. It is, therefore, desirable that prominent churchmen of different creeds should assemble in the near future and form a conference at which, in a spirit of concord, in prayer, and by serious negotiations, they can discuss what should be done in order to help virtue and fraternity triumph over the evil passions which have for years now made enemies of the greatest civilized nations of the world. Many of us in different countries and of different creeds, both in the Old World and in the New, asked ourselves this question and realized that more could be done for peace by a Christendom united at least in its most essential principle: to live according to the commandment of love.
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