Practices of Christian Conciliation in the USA: History, Current State and Problems

Abstract

The article shows the history of the practice of Christian conciliation in the United States in the second half of the 20th and early 21st centuries as a result of a combination of several factors, primarily the activities of Protestant churches and Christian lawyers, the spread of the system of alternative dispute resolution and the peculiarities of the First Amendment interpretation by the courts. The author analyzes in detail the structure and main directions of activities of the leading organizations such as the Institute for Christian Conciliation and “RW360”. Particular attention is paid to the procedure of religious conciliation, mediation and arbitration, as well as educational activities for the training of Christian peacekeepers and their certification. There are both sup‑ porters and opponents of Christian conciliation practices in the United States. The former consider this mechanism as part of freedom of religion and a tool for improving social relations, reducing conflict in society, while the latter insist on the need to prohibit or limit such practices as violating human rights. According to the author, the system of Christian conciliation, despite its merits, is vulnerable to the penetration of unscrupulous practices from the legal sphere: mediators and arbitrators can treat ordinary believers unfairly in order to please the interests of religious organizations. Overall, the studied institutions are an example of how religious associations, using the opportunities provided by the secular legal system, expand their influence in society and actualize the traditional religious functions of disputes resolution.