Abstract The article aims threefold as follows. First, to challenge and problematize the general assumption that before the Christian-Muslim communal violence in Maluku from 1999 to 2005 (and continued in the following years), the social condition in the region was peaceful and harmonious. Second, to identify the location of pre-interreligious violence by tracing the colonial era, from the Portuguese to the Japanese, and its post-colonial impact on interreligious suspicion, friction, and conciliation in Maluku. Third, to show the challenges of Christian-Muslim peacebuilding initiatives at the grassroots level. The data used for the analysis in the article were drawn from historical literature and contemporary ethnographic research which included formal interviews, and informal conversations with Maluku’s Christians and Muslims. Sociohistorical frameworks and collective memory approaches were applied to examine the longue durée of fragile Christian-Muslim engagement and the roles of these dynamics in shaping contemporary events of interreligious violence and peacebuilding.
Abstract This research explores kammī theology, a contextual theology developed for the socially marginalised Punjabi Christians in Pakistan. Rooted in the principles of liberation theology from Latin America, kammī theology addresses social injustices faced by marginalized communities. Pakistani theologians from both the Church of Pakistan and the Catholic Church, such as Emmanuel Asi and Hameed Qasiri, played a key role in establishing Maktaba-e-Anaveem Pakistan, a theological institute focused on promoting this framework. Through qualitative research and semi-structured interviews with six theologians, this study examines the core principles of kammī theology and its relevance in addressing political, social, cultural, and structural inequalities in Pakistan. The findings highlight how kammī theology, grounded in the lived experiences of marginalised Christians, provides a critical lens for advocating justice and social transformation within the Pakistani context.
