Religious Dimensions of Peacemaking

On 10-11 July 2025 the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences (PASS) is hosting a conference on the ‘religious dimensions of peacemaking. The conference partner is the Keough School of Global Affairs at the University of Notre Dame in the United States.

Definition of terms
We define ‘peacemaking’ as efforts to prevent imminent violence or end current violence. This can happen through preventive diplomacy, mediation, negotiations, dialogue facilitation, confidence-building etc. Our focus will not extend to the broader realms of peacebuilding, just war and promoting a culture of peace and tolerance.

We have a flexible understanding of the ‘religious dimensions’ of peacemaking. As discussed below, we are interested in the engagement of religious peacemakers in significant conflicts; the engagement of secular peacemakers in conflicts that include religious actors and issues; and the effects that religious disputes and perspectives have on efforts to resolve conflict.

Motivation
From the days of antiquity to the present time, Christian and other religious actors have played an important role in helping conflict parties to prevent and end violence. Faith-inspired peacemaking is at the heart of Gospel, and this vision has become increasingly important within Catholic teaching and practice, including Holy See advocacy and diplomacy. The 1964 Vatican II document Gaudium et Spes emphasized how peace promotion and engagement are fundamental to the mission of the Church in this world. This commitment is also held by other faiths and has become a significant theme of interreligious dialogue.

In light of Pope Francis’s emphasis on peace as a central theme of the 2025 Jubilee year, as well as the 60th anniversary of Gaudium et Spes, PASS will host a research-based discussion on the religious dimensions of peacemaking. The timing of this event is propitious as inter- and intra-state violence ravages many parts of the world and generates massive fatalities, suffering and trauma.

Conference orientation and themes

The conference will cover academic and practitioner perspectives; theory, concepts and case studies; a focus on the Catholic Church as well as other faiths and institutions; and peacemaking at global, national and local levels.

The following themes will constitute the focus of specific sessions at the conference and also serve as cross-cutting themes throughout the event:

• Concepts and visions of peace as the goal of peacemaking
  What are the theoretical, theological and religious perspectives that inform approaches to peacemaking (e.g., Galtung’s concept of positive and negative peace; and important Catholic theorists of peace such as Aquinas, Taparelli, Sturzo and Maritain)? Is there a tension between the peacemaking goals of peace and justice? To what extent does peacemaking seek to be transformative rather than only seeking to end physical violence?
• Holy See and other Catholic diplomacy
  How has the Holy See engaged in peacemaking historically and in the current period? What are the characteristics, strength and limitations of its approach? Does it experience particular challenges? Has it been effective? What can be learnt from the efforts of San Egidio, Pax Christi, Catholic Bishops’ Conferences in various conflict zones, and other Catholic entities?
• Secular mediation in conflicts with religious dimensions
  How have secular mediators – such as the UN, the European Union, Switzerland, and the United States – dealt with the religious dimensions of conflict? How seriously do they take these dimensions? How are they perceived by conflict parties with a religious identity? Is there a gap in cultural-religious empathy between secular mediators and religious conflict parties?
• Interfaith peace initiatives
  Do interfaith peace initiatives have particular strengths in certain conflicts?
• Religious dynamics of peacemaking
  How does religion matter in peacemaking? How do the theologies, perspectives and practices of religious conflict parties affect peacemaking? Do the parties have preferences for certain styles, strategies and processes of peacemaking, for certain kinds of mediator, and for certain kinds of outcome? Do their preferences facilitate or impede peacemaking?

In thinking about the above themes and questions, we will avoid a simplistic approach and instead pay attention to the following essential points:

• the categories ‘religion’ and ‘religious actors’ are heterogeneous
• there are importance differences between parties whose identity is defined by their religion and secular parties that have some religious orientation
• there is a distinction between inter-religious and intra-religious divisions and conflicts
• there is no clean divide between ‘secular’ and ‘religious’ peacemakers
• the simplistic binary notion of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ religion is unhelpful, and
• there may be a big difference between conflicts informed by religious views and conflicts over religious practices and sites etc.