Abstract
This offering by the 105th Archbishop of Canterbury expands on what has been a staple of his ministry and his writings. While affirming the power of reconciliation, he acknowledges its fragility in a world beset by a variety of divisive forces. He is cautious yet consistent in his assertion that reconciliation is not the resolution of difference but the ability to disagree well. His approach is alert to earthly reality but full of hope for the working of God’s grace in our midst. His commitment to this difficult form of healing is given impetus by the realization that we have no viable alternative.
The book is carefully constructed like a workbook divided into three sections comprising theory, principle, and practice. Each section has an introduction, and each chapter concludes with a summary as well as points for individual or group consideration. The first section considers the nature of reconciliation and the barriers to its realization. The second draws specifically on the archbishop’s five-year experience as co-director of the International Center for Reconciliation at Coventry Cathedral and addresses the issues of peacemaking for facilitators of community and societal issues. The third relies on “The Difference Course,” a five-session program in which the author is involved, designed to support participants in “following Jesus in a conflicted world.” Welby is careful to note that his personal involvement in these resources does not privilege them among others. They are the ones he knows best, and the principles behind them are applicable to any approach to the subject.
Because so much of the archbishop’s ministry at Coventry and Canterbury has been in an international context, the ordinary reader may need to adapt some of his examples for a more parochial or family context. But there is value in these societal examples as well as in the personal interpretations that may be required. The emphasis on in depth research into the nature of a conflict is of singular importance whether for facilitators addressing intertribal disputes or for pastors addressing a troubled marriage. The importance of understanding the roots of the trouble is vital in both cases even when the scope and complexity are vastly different.
While some points require adaptation, most are abundantly clear and valuable. The role of moral imagination, picturing a different way of relating, is universally applicable. The idea that reconciliation begins with curiosity about the other or that the powerful have unique responsibilities regarding the weak are both obvious and profound. Welby’s development of these and other themes is accessible, challenging, encouraging, and lightly seasoned with humor. His concluding examples of applying the concepts of reconciliation to gigantic issues like climate change, racial differences and political division are almost frightening to read because the processes seem so fragile in the face of such entrenched problems. Welby affirms that working toward reconciliation in these or any contexts relies on the grace of God, the example of Jesus and the realization that we have no viable alternative.