Ken Sande, The Peacemaker: A Biblical Guide to Resolving Personal Conflict, 3nd edition. Baker Books, 2004.
Referenced in:
- Conflict Education, Biblical Visions of Peacemaking/Reconciliation
- Church Conflict – Communication, Healthy Behavior, Forgiveness
LifeandLeadership.com Summary
For many years, Peacemaker Ministries. was the most prolific organization promoting biblical peacemaking. Many of their best insights and resources have now been carried over to the work of their founder, Ken Sande, with his organization, Relationship Wisdom 360).
The Peacemaker is Sande’s foundational text for the Peacemaker philosophy, and the most practical source available to help individual Christians follow Christ in resolving conflicts. The focus is on individual peacemaking, but the principles apply to any context. It is based heavily on scripture, and is full of examples from Sande’s experience as an attorney and mediator. Step-by-step guidance is given for conflict assessment, self-examination, confession, confrontation, third-party conciliation, church discipline, reconciliation, forgiveness, and more. The Peacemaker’s Checklist in the appendix summarizes the book content into a practical format. Sande is founder and director of Relationship Wisdom 360. He regularly conciliates business, family, employment, and church disputes and serves as a consultant to church leaders. He conducts seminars throughout the United States on biblical conflict resolution.
Peacemaker Ministries produces many other helpful tools that are designed for marriage and family which are highlighted below.
Sande, Ken and Tom Raabe. Peacemaking for Families: A Biblical Guide to Managing Conflict in Your Home. Tyndale, 2002. Written in collaboration with Focus on the Family. Applies the principles of biblical peacemaking – confession, confrontation, forgiveness, negotiation – to marriage, parenting, and conflicts between adult family members. Includes the “Peacemaker’s Checklist” in the appendices.
Sande, Corlette. The Young Peacemaker: Teaching Students to Respond to Conflict God’s Way Parent/Teacher Manual. Shepherd Press, 2002. This volume, written by Corlette Sande, the wife of Ken Sande, who authored The Peacemaker, applies biblical principles of peacemaking to the unique challenges of intermediate and middle school students (grades 3-7). The Teacher/Student Manual is designed in a workbook format, and the appendices can be photocopied for child or student use. Student Activity Books are also available for each of the twelve lesson series. This is excellent material to be used in Christian schools and home schools, Bible classes, or better yet in the home as parents and children study and practice the principles together.
Sande, Ken and Kevin Johnson. The Peacemaker Student Edition: Handling Conflict Without Fighting Back or Running Away. Baker Books, 2008. – A special volume from Peacemaker Ministries addressing the growing incivility and violence among adolescents. Written in the language of teens and addresses the unique peer-related issues facing youth. Great resource for teens, youth leaders, parents, and pastors. Good for Bible classes and small groups with teens. Praised by many Christian leaders.
Barthel, Tara Klena and Judy Dabler. Peacemaking Women: Biblical Hope for Resolving Conflict. Baker Books, 2005. Written by women, for women, addressing the unique ways in which they encounter and punctuate conflicts. Encourages women to begin by resolving conflicts with God and move from there toward resolution with themselves and others. Presents biblical peacemaking principles, uplifting the vision of God’s Shalom for our relationships, and applies this to issues of romantic love, family and church relationships, and struggles of/with female leaders with powerful personalities. Special chapters on dealing with idolatry, suffering, shame, depression, and fear as they relate to conflict. Each chapter is followed by reflection questions and suggested resources.
From the Publisher
Attorney Ken Sande, executive director of Peacemaker Ministries, lays out biblical principles for managing conflict and reconciling differences between individuals, following Christ’s admonition that we live in peace and harmony.
About the Author
Attorney Ken Sande was for many years president of Peacemaker Ministries, and is now the founding director of Relationship Wisdom 360. A conflict-resolution expert, he works as a consultant to pastors and attorneys who work to resolve conflicts outside the courtroom. He also conducts seminars on conflict resolution throughout the United States. Sande lives in Billings, Montana.
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