Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

A Hermeneutics Of Blessing As A Meta-Requisite For Reconciliation: John E. Toews’ Romans Paradigm As A Case Study, Vern Neufeld Redekop

Peace and Conflict Studies

Within an overall framework of reconciliation as a transformation of mimetic structures of violence to mimetic structures of blessing, teachings of blessing are needed throughout the process. “Teachings” are considered as paradigmatic stories, principles, insights, and practical wisdom that are derived both from religious traditions and the human sciences. “Blessing” refers to that which contributes to sustained human well-being at the individual, collective and relational levels. A hermeneutics of blessing is a deliberate interpretive endeavour directed toward the generation of teachings of blessing. It can be used with any particular source and the insights can be both direct and inverse, …