Week 11

This week in class we shifted our focus to religious peacemaking. We talked about the importance of relationship building and the dynamic of inter- and intra-faith interactions. Within these spaces, the context of dialogue is key. Once a group talks amongst themselves and undergoes intra-faith dialogue, they create collective group identity and identify common fears, wants, needs, likes, and dislikes (in relation to themselves and other religions). Once two separate groups go through this process, then they are staged for successful conflict resolution through inter-faith dialogue. As two groups come together, they can recognize commonalities between religious practices and begin to relate to one another in the pain and suffering that they go through. In addition to this, they are able to make out commonalities between their religious beliefs and understand that forgiveness and peace are a part of both. From this point, it is in hopes that each religious group will come to terms with the wrongful actions of their own group and find legitimacy in the other (as human beings with feelings and as a founded religion).

When reading about this process of conflict resolution and peacemaking it made complete sense. Not to be too simplistic, but as a child, the last thing that seems instinctual is to go and sit down with someone you dislike and try and calmly and peacefully talk out your problems. Rather, a child will portray their hatred or dislike through their words and actions and see no need to get along with the other. I bring this up not to say that religious groups are childish or immature, but that an instinctive part of human nature seems to be the internalization of feelings and expressing them through words and action rather than the feeling/need to love the one you hate.

However, since so many religions do preach this concept of peace and understanding and to “turn the other cheek,” there seems to be a hope that once these inter- and intra-faith dialogues are initiated, there is a likely chance that conflict resolution will ensue.