Peace-Building Archives - Arab Baptist Theological Seminary (ABTS)

March 29, 2018

Peacebuilding Through Music: A Language that has the Potential to Assuage Bitterness and Grief and Open Up Hardened Hearts بناء السلام من خلال الموسيقى: لغة لديها القدرة أن تسكّن المرارة والحزن، وتفتح القلوب القاسية

By Raffi Chilingirian “What you played inside was so beautiful,” an elder in my church told me, making sure that I heard his assuring words before my departure. I’ve been playing the Armenian Duduk, an ancient instrument found by various names in the Caucasus, during prayer sessions within my church’s Sunday services. […]

March 15, 2018

Reflections from a Social Psychologist تأملات من وجهة نظر علم النفس الاجتماعي

(Photo: Murr Tower, used by militia fighters from various factions during the Lebanese Civil War) by Thia M. Sagherian-Dickey “Why are you asking us Christians about Shias? We don’t have a problem with them. The tensions are between Sunnis and Shias. You should be asking them such questions.” I was […]

July 20, 2017

Reflections on Fear and Faith

By Arthur Brown “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ All the […]

June 22, 2017

Acceptance of the Other: How Interfaith Dialogue Has Helped One Community Come to Life Again

By Kathryn Kraft When she stood up from the little stool on which she had been perched throughout our interview, I saw that she was indeed pregnant. I’d guess about seven months. But, I thought, she already had seven children, a sunken eye, and a lost home! I wondered if […]

May 18, 2017

From our Vantage Point: The Signs of the Times Unfolding in the Middle East Today

By Wissam al-Saliby Earlier this year, I was flipping through the radio channels as I was driving from Houston to Dallas. I fell upon a talk show where, to my surprise, I heard the interviewee mentioning “Hezbollah and Iran.” I focused my attention on the conversation to better understand how […]

May 4, 2017

Biblical Peace begins at Home: Challenging Common Notions of Peace in the Global Church

By Martin Accad In his significant visit to Cairo, Egypt, last week, Pope Francis delicately tackled a whole series of sensitive issues in the gracious way that has become his trademark. Many conservatives, both Christian and Muslim, were nervous about his visit. Christian conservatives feared that he would lean over […]

April 20, 2017

Social Capital: Seeds of Friendship Growing into a National Symbol for Reconciliation

By Manal el-Tayar Her voice quivered as she started speaking. One could sense how intimidating it must have felt for a twenty-year-old to address a crowd of religious leaders, politicians, ambassadors, civil society leaders, academicians and other notable delegates about her vision for a united Lebanon. As Alaa spoke, she […]

April 13, 2017

Statelessness: Banned from Belonging

By Brent Hamoud Much has been made of US President Trump’s executive decisions temporarily banning select nationals and refugees from entering the USA. The order has been met with opposition in forums ranging from airport terminals to federal courts, which have so far blocked the executive decision from going into […]