Christians often think peacemaking work between religious groups requires setting the bar really low in terms of the results we hope for. “Peace” must just mean getting along at some basic level, being able to have nice conversations, and not offending people from other groups. But that’s not the case. So what is peacemaking really?

The news has been full of debate about what it means to be a good citizen and leader. Accusations of racism and nationalism are leveled against some, while accusations of hating America are leveled against others. 

We rejoice that conflict resolution and peacemaking have become major fields of study in colleges and universities. We have learned much from secular research and will continue to engage with scholars and practitioners in this field. Nevertheless, we are Jesus-centered in our approach. Here are five truths that define what Jesus-centered peacemaking means to us.

Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God” (Matthew 5:9) AND “I did not come to bring peace, but a sword” (Matthew 10:34). How do we reconcile these two famous peace passages?

We often hear statements like this: “You shouldn’t work for peace, because the Bible teaches that there will never truly be peace on this earth (particularly in the Middle East). What you are trying to do is futile according to Scripture.” Here’s our response to that idea.

We get asked a lot of the same questions over and over again. The wording may be different, but the concerns remain the same, so we're writing a number of blogs addressing some of our Frequently Asked Questions. Today we address the question of evangelism and how it relates to the work of peacemaking.

There are several questions we get asked over and over again. The wording may be different, but the concerns remain the same. So we're writing a number of blogs addressing some of our Frequently Asked Questions. Today’s question: “Is it really possible to have peace between Christians and Muslims?”