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Reconciliation and the Church

This article explores the Christian doctrine of reconciliation with a particular focus upon reconciliation between the indigenous people of Australia and those whose ancestry lies in other continents. The Christian rhetoric of reconciliation, derived from its biblical roots, has to confront a tension between the theological truth and the historical reality of reconciliation. This leads to the question concerning the extent to which the church may claim to be a reconciled and reconciling community. While all claims about reconciliation are subject to the eschatological proviso, and hence to nuance, the church is nonetheless obliged and entitled to claim something for the power of the gospel of reconciliation, including the power to create a new, redeemed sociality. The biblical claim that Christ has brought Jews and Gentiles together in one body raises questions about the relationship between Christians and Jews today, as well as the relationship between Christians of different ethnicity. Though first a gift received, reconciliation confronts the church with many challenges.