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Connecting the theology of peacemaking with practice

Rick Schmidt

The Journey Toward Reconciliation
John Paul Lederach. Waterloo, Ont., and Scottdale, Pa.: Herald Press, 1999. 206 pp. $16.29.

John Paul Lederach is well-known and respected for his contributions to the field of conflict resolution and peacemaking. A writer and teacher, he has been an international mediator in some of the world’s most difficult conflicts.

With this book, Lederach shifts from the academic to the personal, to “explore the spiritual foundations that undergird my work as a peacebuilding professional . . . with my own anabaptist community as a primary audience”.

He does this in a most engaging way, interweaving stories from his own journey as a mediator with biblical stories of conflict. Chapter one sets the tone, with a new telling of the story of Jacob and Esau. In following chapters, he shares his struggle to make sense of his own experience, using the Bible as his guide. The interdependent relationship between his peacemaking work and his understanding of Scripture quickly becomes obvious.

In part two, he examines (with some humour) the beliefs we Mennonites appear to hold, as revealed by our practices, contrasting them with what he argues is the biblical approach to conflict. He then gives a detailed and much-needed practical interpretation of the conflict resolution process laid out in Matthew 18:15-20.  With part three comes an unexpected bonus in Lederach’s perspective on the purpose and meaning of Christ’s life and death. He challenges our “narrow understanding, not only of atonement and holiness, but of the very nature of God’s mission”, offering helpful insights into a subject that has troubled me personally. Again, the practical implications for our lives are made clear.

This book is easily read and rich in content. I recommend it to anyone interested in reading a clear and stimulating personal work that successfully connects theology with practice.

Rick Schmidt is a mediator in private practice. He also teaches conflict resolution studies at Menno Simons College in Winnipeg. He is a member of Jubilee Mennonite Church.

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Last modified May 4, 2000.

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