ABSTRACT

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Peace lies at the heart of the Christian message. Christian peace holds many meanings and has always been open to diverse interpretations. The Hebrew term shalom, the Greek eirene and the Latin pax can all express a variety of different connotations, and the peace that Christ taught to his disciples embraced peace between humanity and God, peace within human society, and peace for individual men and women both in this world and the next. Within the narrow focus of peace between human men and women, Christ's words and example in the New Testament can be interpreted in varying ways according to the emphasis placed upon different scriptural passages. The verse 'Blessed are the peacemakers' forms part of the Beatitudes, which in turn form the beginning to the Sermon on the Mount.