Oaths of Peace

Drawing on interviews with participants in the People to People Peacemaking Process in Southern Sudan, Oaths of Peace makes a rich contribution to the study of grassroots religious peacebuilding, and develops a model of contextual theology that integrates the two dimensions—often seen as oppositional--of inculturation and liberation.

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Oaths of Peace is an important contribution to the field of African theology, as it offers a model of contextual theology that holds together the two dimensions of inculturation and liberation, often perceived in opposition. Furthermore, this book contributes to research on theology and peacebuilding by providing a hitherto unavailable account of the grassroots theology that supported the People to People Peacemaking Process that was conducted in Southern Sudan from 1997 to 2002. By telling the story of the People to People Peacemaking Process, Oaths of Peace shows how grassroots peacebuilding initiatives contributed to the national peace process and the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement between the North and the South of Sudan in 2005.


While the primary focus of the present study is the articulation of theological reflections on inculturation and liberation in relation to peacebuilding, Oaths of Peace also contributes perspectives on religious and grassroots peacebuilding. A large portion of the book is devoted to material drawn from interviews with actors in the process, allowing the reader to read the stories and hear the voices and reflections of religious actors—both women and men—engaged in peace work. This study is relevant for anyone interested in contextual theology, African theology, liberation theology, inculturation theology, theology of peacebuilding, and religious peacebuilding. Oaths of Peace is particularly suitable for students at the bachelor’s and master’s level.