"Ordinary Theology" in the Rwandan Peace and Reconciliation Process

1994年，卢旺达遭受种族灭绝的蹂躏。在三个月内，估计有80万至100万卢旺达人被谋杀。卢旺达种族灭绝在非洲的其他冲突中是例外的，因为主要的分裂发生在同一宗教的种族群体之间。在种族灭绝期间，基督教会的行为是非常矛盾的：有些教会成员不顾其种族，冒着生命危险保护受害者。另一方面，神职人员、僧侣、修女和平信徒直接参与了杀戮行为，教会作为机构的态度只能被描述为袖手旁观。自从种族灭绝以来，卢旺达政府一直参与有系统的建设和平进程，其中民族团结与和解是主要方面。在这个过程中，教会是重要的合作伙伴，因为他们致力于和平与和解，但他们也需要面对他们的过去和他们在种族灭绝中的参与。教会致力于和平与和解的工作是针对种族灭绝的幸存者的。这些人被迫住在附近，因此需要处理他们的极端暴力经历（作为受害者或加害者）。这个项目处理的问题是，宗教资源，特别是受害者和肇事者的普通神学，是否有机会克服极端暴力的经历。Jeff Astley定义的普通神学包括没有受过正规神学教育的人的神学信仰。普通神学领域的研究阐明了学术神学概念对人们的相关性和意义。因此，它有助于神学在不断变化的世界中的相关性。由于卢旺达是非洲范围广泛的暴力冲突中的一个例外，因此分析教会对和平与和解进程的贡献也很重要。教会的贡献将系统地与受害者和肇事者的普通神学联系起来。因此，该项目将努力解决神圣的矛盾心理。根据r·斯科特·阿佩尔比的说法，神圣的矛盾心理意味着宗教既可能促进暴力，也可能促成和平。宗教对神圣的提及是否会导致暴力或和平，取决于许多因素，如宗教精英的行为和宗教机构的自治程度。

In 1994 Rwanda was devastated by genocide. During three months an estimated 800,000 - 1,000,000 Rwandans were murdered. The Rwandan Genocide is exceptional in regard to other conflicts in Africa because the main cleavage was between ethnic groups of the same religion. The conduct of the Christian Churches during the genocide was highly ambivalent: There were Church members who protected the victims regardless of their ethnic group, risking their own lives. On the other hand clerics, monks, nuns and laypersons were directly involved in the acts of killing and the attitude of the Churches as institutions can only be described as standing on the sidelines. Ever since the genocide the Rwandan government is involved in a systematic process of peace building in which national unity and reconciliation are the main aspects. In this process, the Churches are important partners because they work for peace and reconciliation, but they also need to face their past and their involvement in the genocide. The churches' work for peace and reconciliation is aimed at the survivors of the genocide. Those persons are forced to live close by and therefore need to process their experiences of extreme violence (either as victim or as perpetrator). The problem that this project deals with is whether religious resources, especially the ordinary theology of victims and perpetrators, are a chance of overcoming experiences of extreme violence. Ordinary theology as Jeff Astley defines it includes the theological beliefs of people with no formal theological education. Research in the field of ordinary theology clarifies how academic theological concepts are relevant and meaningful for people. It contributes therefore to the relevance of theology in a constantly changing world. Because Rwanda is an exception among the wide range of violent conflicts in Africa, it is also important to analyze the contribution of the Churches to the peace and reconciliation process. The Churches' contribution will be systematically linked to the ordinary theology of victims and perpetrators. Hence the project will grapple with the thesis of the ambivalence of the sacred. According to R. Scott Appelby the ambivalence of the sacred means the fact that religion has both a potential for promoting violence or for peacemaking. Whether the religious reference to the sacred leads to violence or peacemaking depends on many factors such as the behavior of religious elites and the level of autonomy of religious institutions.