The Power of Reconciliation

In this solid guide, Welby (Dethroning Mammon), the archbishop of Canterbury, offers advice on how to find common ground with adversaries. “Reconciliation offers the gift of overcoming ourselves, listening attentively to others, [and] seeking a reimagined humanity,” contends Welby, encouraging readers to view peacemaking as the flourishing of diversity and disagreement without defensiveness or division. He offers principles for conflict resolution, suggesting that “peace is found not by avoiding conflict but by disagreeing well” and that to successfully reconcile, opposing factions should observe respect and tolerance for the other side and demonstrate a commitment to nonviolence. Detailing his approach to settling a political conflict in Nigeria in the early 2000s as part of Coventry Cathedral’s International Centre for Reconciliation, the author lays out steps to better understand conflicts: conduct research, interview widely, then outline the major players and concerns involved. Welby also proffers guidance on how to relate across difference, manage risks, and equip opposing sides with tools to continue reconciliation work without a facilitator. The author’s stories about working for the International Centre for Reconciliation illuminate how to put the principles into action, and readers will appreciate his pragmatic advice. This helpful program belongs on shelves next to Desmond Tutu’s No Future Without Forgiveness. (Oct.)