THEISTIC AND CREATIONAL PRINCIPLES IN CONFLICT MANAGEMENT AND RESOLUTION: A THEOLOGICAL APPROACH TO INTRA-RELIGIOUS CONFLICTS IN A LOCAL COMMUNITY DIVIDED ALONG CHRISTIAN AND MUSLIM LINES
This study explores effective strategies for conflict management and resolution in a local community polarized along Christian and Muslim religious lines. Drawing from the author’s observation of persistent failures in conventional dialogue and secular approaches, the paper proposes a theological framework grounded in universal theistic and creational principles. These principles—emphasizing human dignity, equality before God, the sanctity of life, solidarity, and freedom as values preceding religion, culture, and ethnicity—offer a deeper, more enduring foundation for peace than surface-level dialogue. The research critiques existing methods, profiles Christian and Islamic beliefs, identifies the root causes of religious intolerance (such as truth claims, superiority complexes, conquest, ignorance, and sin), and demonstrates how theistic and creational principles address these roots by reorienting relationships toward a shared humanity under God’s authority. This approach aims to foster genuine tolerance, mutual respect, and lasting peace in religiously divided communities.
Keywords: Conflict management, Conflict resolution, Religious polarization, Theistic principles, Human dignity, Dialogue failure, Shared humanity