Conflict and Peacebuilding

**Conference Overview**
It is undeniable that conflicts permeate daily life across the globe, manifesting at various levels including personal identity, family and community relationships, environmental issues, societal dynamics, political arenas, and both civil and global disputes. Peacebuilding represents a dedicated, ongoing, and visible commitment to fostering conditions where every individual can flourish, by promoting dialogue, challenging injustices, exposing modern oppressive ideologies like slavery, patriarchy, racism, and colonialism, examining cultural and religious heritage, embracing forgiveness and reconciliation, and envisioning innovative solutions and perspectives. This conference seeks to delve into the themes of conflict and peacebuilding within the framework of Christian ethics, exploring the role of faith and spiritual traditions in understanding current challenges and envisioning harmonious coexistence and the celebration of diverse communities. We enthusiastically invite postgraduate students from varied backgrounds (including different traditions, ethnicities, cultures, races, and genders) to participate in this transformative event.

**Featured Speakers:**
– Prof. Oliver O’Donovan (Emeritus Professor of Christian Ethics and Practical Theology)
– Prof. Rachel Muers (Chair of Divinity)

**Call for Papers**
Postgraduate contributions are a cornerstone of the SSCE’s yearly postgraduate conference. We encourage submissions from postgraduate students engaged in research related to Christian ethics, systematic theology, global Christianity, practical theology, church history, biblical scholarship, religious studies, or interdisciplinary studies, as we focus on the theme of “Conflict and Peacebuilding” this year. If you are interested in presenting a paper, please submit a 200-word abstract to [email protected], including your name and institutional affiliation, if any. The deadline for abstract submissions is February 7, 2024.

To assist in crafting proposals for short paper presentations, consider the following prompts:
– Whose conflicts are we addressing, and whose vision of peacebuilding are we pursuing? How and from what standpoint can Christian faith contribute to discussions on today’s conflicts and propose a pathway to peace?
– How do diverse interpretations within Christian traditions shape our comprehension of conflict and peace?
– In what ways do current conflicts or peacebuilding efforts provide critical insights into ethical behaviors, ideologies, theological perspectives, or contemporary biblical interpretations?
– How can we rethink ethical duties and commitments to cultivate peace in the natural environment?
– How do our lived contexts (e.g., economic systems, race, gender) shape or obscure our understanding of conflict and aspirations for peace?
– How does Christian theology reveal or