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Cultivating Shalom–Salaam: Christian–Muslim Peacebuilding and Shared Ethical Values in Mindanao
Abstract
The conflict in the Southern Philippines continues to challenge reconciliation and sustainable peace. While earlier studies have affirmed the role of religious communities in justice and peacebuilding, a gap remains in the systematic articulation of shared theological and cultural values as foundations for Christian–Muslim collaboration. This study addresses that gap by asking: (1) What shared values from Christianity and Islam can help build peace? and (2) How can these values be mobilized in cooperative practices? Positioned within liberation theology and Islamic liberation theology, the research employs Boff’s (1987) framework of socioanalytical, hermeneutical, and practical mediation to analyze biblical and Qur’anic themes alongside Philippine cultural ethics. Findings highlight compassion (maayong buot), justice (katadlongan), and peace (katawhayan) as common foundations for healing (paghilom) and cooperation (bayanihan). Core values such as kapwa (shared humanity), paggalang (respect), pagtuo (faith), and pagpasaylo (forgiveness) demonstrate the potential for interreligious solidarity. The study contributes to peacebuilding scholarship by proposing a contextual theological framework that integrates religious traditions and Philippine cultural ethics, offering a covenant of Shalom–Salaam as a pathway toward reconciliation and social transformation in Mindanao.
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