Hope for Church Unity: Christian Wisdom of Reconciliation Symposium

Christian Wisdom of Reconciliation Symposium: Biblical Reasoning on the 12 Habits of Reconcilers

In John 17 Jesus prays for 'complete unity' among his followers. In a time of increasing polarisation within and between Christian communities, Rose Castle Foundation has been exploring how Christians can serve God's desire for reconciliation at all levels of society. 

Over three days, RCF's founders Professor David Ford and Canon Sarah Snyder welcomed 15 world renowned scholars—representing a range of ecclesial traditions and academic disciplines—to Rose Castle for intensive theological reflection on the formation of wise Christian leaders. 

This symposium concluded a year-long collaboration with the universities of Aberdeen, Oxford, Cambridge, and Durham, generously sponsored by the McDonald Agape Foundation, exploring RCF's 12 Habits of Reconcilers. During eight colloquia, we drew on the expertise of biblical scholars, ethicists, theologians, philosophers and psychologists to explore how Christians can respond to God's reconciling love and engage across deep divides. 

The project team, led by Dr Greg Ryan (Centre for Catholic Studies, Durham University), framed a time of prayer, scriptural study, feasting and rich discussion. The result was an atmosphere of warm hospitality, creativity, and intellectual curiosity, laying the foundations for ongoing institutional collaborations which we hope will serve our global mission for faith-informed conflict transformation, reconciliation and peace.

Project participants will now contribute to an academic volume engaging deeply with each of the 12 habits and Christian ministries of reconciliation. We hope the volume will be instructive for Christian leaders, seminarians, peace experts, practitioners and theologians alike. The project will also create new opportunities for partnerships, programmatic trials, and practical resources for reconcilers. Be in touch if you are interested in working with us!

This was a special moment in our journey, and we are grateful to all who contributed to the symposium’s success.