Peacemaking (Edexcel GCSE Religious Studies B): Revision Notes
Peacemaking in Christianity
Introduction to Christian peacemaking
For Christians, pursuing peace represents a fundamental aspect of their faith. Christian believers and organisations actively work towards creating harmony and resolving conflicts in various ways around the world. This commitment to peace stems from core Christian teachings about how believers should live and interact with others.
The foundation of peacemaking: justice, forgiveness and reconciliation
Christian peacemaking rests upon three essential principles that work together to create lasting harmony between people and communities.
The three foundational principles of Christian peacemaking are interconnected and equally important. Justice addresses the root causes of conflict, forgiveness enables healing from past hurts, and reconciliation rebuilds broken relationships. Together, these principles provide a comprehensive approach to creating lasting peace.
Justice as the pathway to peace
Justice forms the cornerstone of Christian peacemaking efforts. Christians understand justice as achieving fairness in all situations and relationships. They believe that genuine peace cannot exist where unfairness and inequality persist. When injustices occur around the world, these create conditions where conflict becomes more likely. By working to establish fair treatment for all people, Christians believe that lasting peace will naturally emerge. This connection between justice and peace drives many Christian organisations to address issues of inequality and unfair treatment globally.
The biblical foundation for this principle comes from Jesus's teaching: "Do to others as you would have them do to you." (Luke 6:31)
Forgiveness enables healing
The concept of forgiveness plays a crucial role in Christian approaches to peacemaking. Forgiveness involves the ability to move beyond past hurts and grievances in order to work together towards peaceful solutions. Christians look to Jesus as their example in this area, as he taught extensively about the importance of forgiving others, even when they have caused harm.
This teaching is supported by Jesus's words: "... if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them..." (Mark 11:25) and Paul's instruction: "Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you." (Ephesians 4:32)
Through forgiveness, former enemies can begin to rebuild relationships and work together constructively rather than remaining locked in cycles of revenge and conflict.
Reconciliation brings people together
Reconciliation represents the process of restoring broken relationships after conflict has occurred. For Christians, this involves bringing opposing sides together to address their differences through dialogue and mutual understanding. When people engage in honest conversation about their grievances and work through their issues together, genuine peace becomes achievable. This process requires patience, commitment and often significant time, but Christians believe it offers the most sustainable path to lasting harmony.
Christian organisations working for peace
Several major Christian organisations dedicate themselves specifically to promoting peace and resolving conflicts worldwide.
World Council of Churches
World Council of Churches (WCC)
The World Council of Churches operates as an oecumenical organisation that began its work in 1948. This fellowship brings together Christians from many different denominations, encouraging them to overcome their divisions and collaborate on shared goals for the common good worldwide.
The organisation involves itself in peace efforts across multiple regions, including South Africa, South Sudan, the Korean Peninsula and Latin America. Their work demonstrates the Christian belief that unity among believers can contribute to broader peace in the world.
Pax Christi (the Peace of Christ)
Pax Christi International
Pax Christi represents an international Catholic organisation established in 1920. This group explicitly opposes war and violence, working instead to establish peaceful conditions throughout the world. The organisation focuses particularly on encouraging both individuals and governments to resolve their disagreements through discussion, peaceful negotiation and reconciliation processes rather than through violence or warfare.
Activities of Christian peace organisations
These organisations engage in numerous practical activities to promote peace:
- They organise interfaith conferences that bring people from different religious backgrounds together to demonstrate unity and pray for those suffering in areas without peace
- They visit schools and youth groups to educate young people about the importance of peaceful approaches to conflict resolution
- They facilitate peace discussions between opposing groups, helping to end conflicts and supporting reconciliation efforts
- They participate in public demonstrations and campaigns to raise awareness about wars and injustices occurring globally, whilst advocating against oppressive governments
- They provide education about injustices worldwide and teach people about the importance of forgiveness in healing relationships
- They offer practical help and support to victims of injustice and conflict
Why Christian organisations work for peace
Christian commitment to peacemaking stems from several fundamental beliefs about God's intentions and Christian responsibilities.
Divine Motivation for Peacemaking
Christians believe that God originally intended the world to be peaceful, and therefore they have a responsibility to work towards achieving this divine vision. This belief motivates Christians to actively engage in efforts that promote harmony and resolve conflicts rather than simply hoping that peace will emerge naturally.
Unity and harmony as Christian values
Christianity teaches that working together harmoniously with others helps create the conditions necessary for peace to flourish. Christians believe that when people collaborate constructively rather than competing destructively, they model the kind of relationships that lead to peaceful communities and societies.
Biblical authority supports peacemaking
Christians turn to the Bible and other sources of religious authority that consistently emphasise the importance of pursuing peace. These scriptural teachings provide both motivation and guidance for Christian peacemaking efforts.
Jesus's teachings on peace
The Beatitudes and Peacemaking
The teachings of Jesus, particularly those found in the Beatitudes, specifically highlight the importance of peace in Christian life. Jesus declared: "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 5:9-10)
This passage indicates that pursuing peace represents a fundamental characteristic of authentic Christian discipleship, with peacemakers receiving special recognition as God's children.
Key Points to Remember:
- Justice, forgiveness and reconciliation form the three essential foundations of Christian peacemaking efforts
- World Council of Churches and Pax Christi represent two major international Christian organisations dedicated to promoting peace globally
- Biblical teachings, especially Jesus's words about peacemakers being "children of God", provide the primary motivation for Christian involvement in peace work
- Practical peacemaking involves education, dialogue, demonstration and supporting victims of conflict
- Christian peacemaking connects faith to action by translating religious beliefs into concrete efforts to resolve conflicts and build harmony between people and nations