Religion and Peace Summary (Christianity)

Outline the principal teachings about peace

Peace is the central message of the Christian New Testament, the word appears 99 times

Jesus Christ is often referred to as “The Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6) and is the son of God from whom

all peace is derived. Christians strive to imitate His model of a life of peace

Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you” (John14:27), “Love the Lord your God with

all your heart, soul and mind. This is the first and greatest commandment and the second is like it,

love your neighbour as your self” (Matthew 22:37-40), “Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be

called the children of God” (Mattew 5:9)

Christians understand peace to be a state of ordered tranquillity, controlled calm, quiet or serenity, it

is not just the absence of overt conflict

Justice is integral to establishing peace

The Greek word for peace in the New Testament is eirene which means “to be in harmony with

another”

The Jewish word for peace is shalom and it refers to the concept of a peace that engulfs all parts of a

person’s life

Investigate the understanding of peace and how it is informed through significant writings within sacred

texts

Peace was established by God as the instigator of creation

For God is not a God of disorder but of peace. (1 Corinthians 14:33)

Christians acknowledge that they are called to be stewards of creation (Genesis 1) and that this demands respect and care for all aspects of life.

The teachings of Jesus emphasise respect, unity and reconciliation

Aim for perfection, listen to my appeal, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you. (2 Corinthians 13:11)

Christians are required to be people who seek reconciliation over retaliation. The death of Jesus was the ultimate symbol of this belief.

The peace of God is beyond the peace of this world

I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. (John 16:33)

Christians believe that salvation was achieved as a result of the death and resurrection of Jesus. As a result they have gained access to eternal life with God where they will live in perfect peace.

Jesus provided a new and radical interpretation of the Mosaic Law

You have heard it said, ‘You shall love your neighbour and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. (Matthew 5:43–45)

The ultimate teaching in respect to peace for Christians. It reflects the Christian belief in the equality of all people created in God’s image and evidenced in the life and teachings of Jesus

Demonstrate how Christianity guides the individual in achieving inner peace

The primary way of focusing inner peace is by returning to the sacred writings of Christianity

Prayer and meditation, both communal and private, provides the means for individuals to reflect on

the nature of peace in their lives, “Whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray

to your Father who is in secret” (Matthew 6:6)

Inner peace can be brought about by living a life that adheres to the gospels with a commitment to

prayer and contemplation

Christianity promotes selflessness and charity as ways to harness inner peace

Lectio Divina (Latin for divine reading) is a traditional Catholic practice of scriptural reading,

meditation and prayer intended to promote communion with God and to increase the knowledge of

God's Word

o Traditionally Lectio Divina has 4 separate steps: read, meditate, pray and contemplation

o For example, given Jesus' statement in John 14:27: "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give

unto you" an analytical approach would focus on the the biblical context of the Last Supper,

etc. In Lectio Divina rather than "dissecting peace", the practitioner "enters peace" and

shares in the peace of Christ

The use of rosary beads in Catholicism or reflecting on icons in the Orthodox tradition aid believers in

prayer and reflection

o The Rosary is essentially a contemplative prayer, which requires "tranquillity of rhythm or

even a mental lingering which encourages the faithful to meditate on the mysteries of the

Lord's life”

Meditation, such as that practised by the Australian Christian Meditation Community, also focuses

Christians on inner peace

Hesychasm is an Orthodox meditation that uses a mantra to focus the mind

o Based on Christ's injunction in the Gospel of Matthew to "go into your closet to pray", it is

the process of retiring inward by ceasing to register the senses, in order to achieve an

experiential knowledge of God

The Taizé Community is an ecumenical movement that promotes personal and communal peace

through prayer and meditation

o The Taizé Community is made up of over a hundred brothers, Catholics and from various

Protestant backgrounds, coming from around thirty nations.

Discuss how Christianity is contributing to world peace

Inter Faith Dialogue

o The National Council of Churches in Australia whose aim is to provide opportunity for the

national bodies of each faith to come together to build understanding and harmony in the

Australian context

o Participation in interfaith events that promote peace (interfaith commemoration services

after e.g. September 11, 2001, Bali Bombing 2002/2005, Black Saturday, Victorian Bush Fires

2009)

Decade to Overcome Violence o The Decade to Overcome Violence: Churches Seeking Reconciliation and Peace 2001 – 2010

(DOV) is an initiative of the World Council of Churches o The DOV highlights and networks efforts by churches, ecumenical organizations, and civil

society movements to prevent and overcome different types of violence. It seeks to establish points of contact with the relevant aims, programs, and initiatives within the United Nations Decade for a Culture of Peace and Nonviolence for the Children of the World (2001-2010).

o Objectives Include:

To work together for peace, justice, and reconciliation at all levels - local, regional, and global

To embrace creative approaches to peace building which are consonant with the spirit of the gospel

To interact and collaborate with local communities, secular movements, and people of other living faiths towards cultivating a culture of peace

To empower people who are systematically oppressed by violence, and to act in solidarity with all struggling for justice, peace, and the integrity of creation

To repent together for our complicity in violence, and to engage in theological reflection to overcome the spirit, logic, and practice of violence.

World Conference on Religion and Peace

o Religions for Peace brings together hundreds of key religious leaders every five years to

discuss issues surrounding peace

o Founded in 1970 recent successes include building a new climate of reconciliation in Iraq;

mediating dialogue among warring factions in Sierra Leone; organizing an international

network of religious women’s organizations; and establishing an extraordinary program to

assist the millions of children affected by Africa’s AIDS pandemic, the Hope for African

Children Initiative

o Attendees leave the Assemblies with a renewed commitment to multi-religious dialogue and

cooperation, and they leave Religions for Peace with an agenda for action that guides its

activities for the next five years.

World Day of Peace

o The World Day of Peace is a feast day of the Roman Catholic Church dedicated to peace

which is held on January 1

o It was introduced in 1967 and was inspired by the encyclicals Pacem in Terris and Populorum

Progressio of John XXIII and Paul VI

o Paul VI and John Paul II have each year made important statements on the United Nations,

human rights, women's rights, labour unions, economic development, the right to life,

international diplomacy, peace in the Holy Land, globalization and terrorism

The Orthodox Peace Fellowship

o An ecumenical society of various Orthodox Churches

o Aims to bear witness to the peace of Christ by applying the principles of the Gospel to

situations of division and conflict, whether in the home, the parish, the community we live,

the work place, within our particular nations, and between nations

o Worked to obtain peace during the conflict between Russia and Georgia in 2008

Pax Christi International

o Global Catholic peace movement that works to help establish peace, respect for human

rights, justice and reconciliation in areas of the world that are torn by conflict

o Established in France in 1945 as a reconciliation work between the French and the Germans

after the Second World Warwork by the World Council of Churches

o Active in more than 60 countries

o Pax Christi works mainly on the following issues, either by being directly involved or by

means of advocacy:

Human security and armed conflict Economic factors of armed conflict Human rights, the rule of law and armed conflict Peace building Youth work and peace education Spirituality and praxis of non-violence