Reconciling All Things: A Christian Vision for Justice, Peace and Healing (Resources for Reconciliation) [Paperback]

Emmanuel Katongole (Author), Chris Rice (Author)

Book Description

Series: Resources for Reconciliation | Publication Date: October 10, 2008

2009 Christianity Today Book Award winner! Our world is broken and cries out for reconciliation. But mere conflict resolution and peacemaking are not enough. What makes real reconciliation possible? How is it that some people are able to forgive the most horrendous of evils? And what role does God play in these stories? Does reconciliation make any sense apart from the biblical story of redemption? Secular models of peacemaking are insufficient. And the church has not always fulfilled its call to be agents of reconciliation in the world. In Reconciling All Things Emmanuel Katongole and Chris Rice, codirectors of the Center for Reconciliation at Duke Divinity School, cast a comprehensive vision for reconciliation that is biblical, transformative, holistic and global. They draw on the resources of the Christian story, including their own individual experiences in Uganda and Mississippi, to bring solid, theological reflection to bear on the work of reconciling individuals, groups and societies. They recover distinctively Christian practices that will help the church be both a sign and an agent of God's reconciling love in the fragmented world of the twenty-first century. This powerful, concise book lays the philosophical foundations for the Resources for Reconciliation, a new series from InterVarsity Press and the Center for Reconciliation at Duke Divinity School which explores what it means to pursue hope in areas of brokenness in theory and practice.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This book inaugurates the Resources for Reconciliation series, a joint venture of the publisher and Duke Divinity School's Center for Reconciliation. The two authors, codirectors of the center, bring perspectives that pair perfectly: Catholic and evangelical Protestant, African and American, academic and practitioner, ordained and lay. Each also brings powerful life experience in confronting oppression and injustice: Katongole grew up under Ugandan dictator Idi Amin and lived near the Rwandan genocide. After growing up a missionary kid in South Korea, Rice worked for 17 years in an urban ministry in Jackson, Miss. Against a background of difference, the two argue for a vision of reconciliation that is neither trendy nor pragmatically diplomatic, neither cheaply inclusive nor heedless of the past. The reconciliation they explain and hold out hope for is distinctively Christian: a God-ordained transformation of the consequences of the fall into the new creation spoken about by the apostle Paul. Deeply theological, this short book needs slow reading by anyone interested in harnessing the power of the spirit for social change. (Nov.)
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Review

"Reconciliation has become a popular buzz word. But I've learned there are no quick and easy fixes for a broken world. This book takes us deeper. It is fresh, biblical, practical, inspiring and full of hope. The authors themselves embody the vision our world needs--African and American, black and white, Uganda and Mississippi, Protestant and Catholic, joined in common ministry across divides. This book is for all those restless Christians I meet who long for an alternative." (John Perkins, founder, Christian Community Development Association, author, Let Justice Roll Down )

"Rather than suggesting formulaic or easy steps, Father Emmanuel Katongole and Chris Rice challenge their readers to embody a spirituality that reconciles. With the compelling texture of real-life stories, the credibility of their own journeys in reconciliation, and humble yet profound theological reflections, Emmanuel and Chris offer an accessible and fresh entry point for the crucial conversations on reconciliation." (Christopher L. Heuertz, International Executive Director, Word Made Flesh, and author of Simple Spirituality )

"This is a tough and a hopeful book. Tough, not because it is hard to read, but because it calls us to what the authors portray as the imperative but long, painful and not always rewarding journey of reconciliation. But hopeful because it is full of keen insights, fascinating stories and wise counsel. If we truly believe God is in Christ reconciling the world to himself, then this book is important reading. Read it and heed the call to join in God's great story of reconciliation. You will find yourself challenged beyond comfort, yet moved with great expectations." (Leighton Ford, president, Leighton Ford Ministries, author, Transforming Leadership and The Attentive Life )

"Reconciling All Things is a faithful book, glowing with the joy and hope that come from walking with God and God's people in the world. Inviting all to join in God's reconciling work across the myriads of ways we live in brokenness, Katongole and Rice do a new thing--they retrieve a deeply theological vision of God's gift of reconciliation and show what the inbreaking of this gift looks like in the real stories of people who have embarked on this journey. These stories of pain and hope make clear that the real work of reconciliation is not as much about programs, strategies or fixing all things as it is about the ordinary, mundane, daily work of living faithfully and patiently in our local, particular, face-to-face contexts. And if we do, if we enter humbly into God's work in the world, what can happen? New creation!" (M. Therese Lysaught, associate professor and assistant chair, Department of Theology, Marquette University )

"Chris Rice and Emmanuel Katongole know how much genuine reconciliation costs; therefore, they are perfect leaders to teach us not to take the task too lightly or to try to bring it about too superficially. This is a critically important book and an incisive beginning to what promises to be a world-changing series. Christians have a unique vision to live--the new creation of wholehearted community!" (Marva J. Dawn, teaching fellow in spiritual theology, Regent College, and author of Truly the Community, Unfettered Hope and My Soul Waits )

"My only concern is that not enough people will read this fine book! Given how much humans let things fall apart, this resource is a gem for individuals, groups and institutions. Is there a future for us if we do not learn exactly how to heal and reconcile?" (Richard Rohr, O.F.M., Center for Action and Contemplation, Albuquerque, New Mexico )

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Product Details

• Paperback: 167 pages
• Publisher: IVP Books (October 10, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0830834516
• ISBN-13: 978-0830834518
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,113 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #6 in Books > Politics & Social Sciences > Current Events > War & Peace

More About the Author

Emmanuel M. Katongole is associate research professor of theology and world Christianity in the Divinity School at Duke University and the co-director of the Duke Center for Reconciliation. He is a Catholic priest of the Kampala Archdiocese, Uganda.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Reconciliation for Life, December 5, 2008

By 

Timothy Essenburg (Minneapolis, MN USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Reconciling All Things: A Christian Vision for Justice, Peace and Healing (Resources for Reconciliation) (Paperback)

Katongole and Rice begin by stating: "Reconciling All Things. It's a pretty preposterous title for a book. Especially one as short as this." My thoughts precisely, as I picked up the slim volume with a generic cover. Candidly, I was a little skeptical about the contents. Thankfully, I was wrong. Whether you are new to the idea of reconciliation or a veteran or somewhere in between you will find Reconciling All Things an outstanding read. It lays the foundation for a life given to reconciliation with concrete examples and practical guidelines.

After establishing that reconciliation is God's gift to a broken world, a gift we are to receive and live on our journey with God and others, there comes a wonderful chapter titled "The Discipline of Lament." It is simply excellent and profound. We are encouraged to "see" the world in all its brokenness and asked to join the reconciliation journey. In order to do this well Katongole and Rice state that we must unlearn speed (history matters and there are no quick fixes), distance ("Like real estate, lament is about location, location, location"), and innocence (we are complicit and frequently resist our own transformation). This chapter offers a framework and terminology I can use to help me better understand my life experiences in my lower-income neighborhood and why reconciliation is so costly. And it gives me a chapter I can have students read, helping them slow down as they desire to make a big impact on the world. Subsequent chapters highlight the role of the church. The book ends with a "Reader's Digest" summary of the book, identifying ten theses of reconciliation, each accompanied by an explanatory paragraph.

Pick up this book. Let its contents sink deep within you. You will be the better for having done so. Then offer to facilitate a discussion on the book at your church.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Hidden gem, February 17, 2011

By 

C lag - See all my reviews

This review is from: Reconciling All Things: A Christian Vision for Justice, Peace and Healing (Resources for Reconciliation) (Paperback)

I tend to read a 1-2 books a month as am curious about many topics, not limited to religion. "Reconciling All Things" turned out to be a top five favorite over a period of 2 years and I still refer back to it. The timeless Christian principles in this book do not come from isolated academic, theological points of view, but from those who have actually rolled up their sleeves and toiled where it matters most - in hard relationships with those who have been marginalized, suffered hate and abuse from others, or who are simply not like "us". Though small - do not under estimate the enormous value of this hidden gem. In a day of Christian glitz, quest for power and recognition, and hard core sanctimonious attitudes, the arduous and painful journey of reconciliation is not a path that is widely chosen or easily understood by the basic tenants of religion or human nature. The principles of reconciliation will become more sought after and developed as global tensions mount and other efforts (including a majority of Christian efforts) fail to produce enduring and good fruit for relationships, groups, communities and nations.

1 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Wishy washy theology mixed with politics, September 13, 2011

By 

K. Meier - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: Reconciling All Things: A Christian Vision for Justice, Peace and Healing (Resources for Reconciliation) (Paperback)

This book was written by a Christian so it can only be interpreted from a Christian viewpoint. Non-believers may find some hooks to hang their social justice hat on but this book is so flawed in it's thinking that I don't know where to begin. The first place to start when discussing true Biblical reconciliation is that God has been reconciling man to himself since the Adam and Eve's fall in the garden. Man reconciling to man from a Christian's perspective is an attempt to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with them. If the Gospel is rejected we are to live in peace but 'move on to the next village and shake the dust off of our sandals before we leave the place the rejected the Gospel'. For a Christian to attempt reconciliation with the Jew and the Muslim so we can all feel good about ourselves is pointless if Christ is rejected. Other concepts in the book such as social justice (I stongly dislike that this term has permeated the Church because it is charged with political overtones), redistribution, and wishy washy solutions to problems that only have geo-political solutions. Some of the paragraphs had me completely baffled as to what the author was trying to say. If you want the true solutions to the world's problems, read the original instruction manual - the Bible.