EMQ » October–December 2019 » Volume 55 Issue 4
By Curtis Heffelfinger
Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2018
176 pages
USD $15.99
Reviewed by Daniel Dama, PhD student focusing on peacebuilding between Christians and Muslims through the use of African metaphors and arts, Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena, California.
Conflicts are inherently human, yet the discord among individuals who are believed to be children of God is bewildering. How can conflicts be prevented or resolved in the house of God? It is this arduous task that Curtis Heffelfinger undertakes. As a seasoned pastor and Christian educator, a father, and a peacemaking consultant, Heffelfinger is qualified to counsel churches on this matter. He creatively and strategically grounds his theory on Paul’s discourse concerning peace and unity in Ephesians 4:1–6 and taps further insights from Ken Sande’s peacemaking works.
The introduction describes the profile of peacemakers: full of love, ready to forgive, and Spirit-controlled. Chapters 1 and 2 discuss God’s command for peacemaking, drawing from Ephesians 4:1–6. Chapters 3 and 4 address challenges in relationships and peacemaking from a doctrinal angle. Chapter 5 considers Jesus as a model of self-control. Chapter 6 discuses Paul’s instructions to Christians who take their cases to courts where discords are not usually resolved by applying biblical precepts. Chapter 7 explores issues related to interpersonal conflicts. Chapter 8 provides practical guidelines for reducing the likelihood of conflict. Chapter 9 examines the relationship between leaders and their assemblies. The epilogue underscores the importance of unity among God’s children. The common thread that runs through the book is “peace-unity,” a model which involves mutual forgiveness and reciprocal love stemming from the Holy Spirit. Essentially, the author claims that reducing conflict, developing peace, and living in unity are feasible in churches if people abide by God’s Word.
Reflecting on how conflicts over food distribution (Acts 6:1–7) and circumcision (Acts 15:1–5) shaped the early church missiologically and theologically, one may ask if all conflicts should be averted in the twenty-first century church. This book provides some useful insights.
The book’s strengths include being deeply rooted in Scripture and its theme of the family as where peace begins. The former is particularly crucial given the present day secularism and disdain for the Bible that characterize many Western cultures. The latter is equally important, given how in the Euro-American civilization, family is decaying. Heffelfinger uncompromisingly articulates his commitment to Christian family values and his rootedness in the Scriptures. This makes his work credible. His “gospel-shaped guardians of unity” (36) is a compelling paradigm of how peacemaking and Christian unity are intrinsically linked to God’s kingdom and its growth. Moreover, the book provides a novel interpretation of Matthew 5:9 and Ephesians 4:1–6, that is, one’s experience as a child of God is not exclusively defined through faith and grace, but also through peacemaking.
This well-researched book is filled with insights that challenge the readers’ imaginations and provides useful applications for peacemaking. The volume should be required material for church leaders and, especially, students preparing to lead the body of Christ throughout the world. While this publication is not primarily addressed to an African audience, it resonates with the African peacemaking concept Ubuntu, deeply rooted in the unity of human beings. This means that the book could be a great support for cross-cultural missionaries who wish to engage other cultures and practice biblical peacemaking.
For Further Reading:
Gros, Jeffrey and John D. Rempel (eds.). 2001. The Fragmentation of the Church and its Unity in Peacemaking. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans.
Rynne, Terrence J. 2014. Jesus Christ, Peacemaker: A New Theology of Peace. Mary Knoll, NY: Orbis Books.
Susek, Ron. 1999. Firestorm: Preventing and Overcoming Church Conflicts. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.
