Conferences

Occasionally the Centre will host or participate in joint conferences on various topics related to peace and justice studies.

Just Peace

In cooperation with the VU University and the Mennonite Seminary, the Amsterdam Center for Religion and Peace & Justice Studies organised an academic conference celebrating the 275th anniversary of the Seminary and the inauguration of Prof. Dr Fernando Enns at the then newly established VU Chair on Peace Theology and Ethics.

Apart from keynote addresses there- were a number of workshops from different disciplinary perspectives. Notable speakers were, among others, Prof. Jürgen Moltmann (emeritus, Eberhard-Karls Universität Tübingen, Germany), Prof. Eddy van der Borght (Desmond Tutu Chair, VU University).

The conference lead to the publication of Just Peace: Ecumenical, Intercultural, and Interdisciplinary Perspectives.

The conference took place one month after the closure of the Decade to Overcome Violence, initiated by the World Council of Churches and concluded in Kingston, Jamaica, in 2011. The conference in Amsterdam focused on three themes:

The role of peace and justice for the unity of the churches;
The intercultural contect of Peace with Justice;
The interdisciplinary context.

Using Nonviolence Against Violence

Using non-violence against violence? Conflict intervention as a challenge for peace theology

The intent of the conference was to examine different approaches to engagement and their justifications and aim to make a contribution to the current interpretation from a peace church perspective, serving to clarify and develop internally Mennonite-Anabaptist position. The aim and result of the conference was to produce and publish a final document, i.e., a position paper on convergences and divergences.

Notable speakers included, among others, Dr Fernando Enns (Chair of Peace Theology and Ethics), Dr Jacob Fehr (Peace Worker, Deutsches Mennonitisches Friedenskomittee), Dr Neal Blough (Centre Mennonite de Paris, professor of history at the Faculté libre de Théologie Évangélique).

Voices from a Peace-Church Perspective

Challenged by the many violent situations we witness in different parts of the world, Mennonite Theological Schools in Europe1 invited representatives, specialists and students from various Mennonite backgrounds and European locations to discern together anew, what the calling and the possible voice of the peace church in the midst of these troubled and disturbing times might be. In addition, ecumenical guests were welcomed to contribute, including representatives of the “Becoming a Church of Just Peace” process within the Evangelische Landeskirche in Baden, the World Council of Churches (Commission on International Affairs), and the European network of Church & Peace.