Salutary Communities

Diaconia, vol. 13, pp. 50–69

Abstract

Diaconal community development with people in disadvantaged life conditions leads to the inconvenient awareness that relationships often remain asymmetric. More than other approaches, the “exposure approach” to community development addresses this asymmetry, creating communities with a character of reciprocity and an increased tolerance of confrontation and disruption. This article explores this transformation from a theological angle. Using the concept of “salutary,” it examines to what extent the transformation contributes to the expectation of salvation evoked in the Judeo-Christian tradition. First, it appears that people in the emerging communities rediscover a Judeo-Christian insight into human relations: that people are being given to each other. Second, the transformation proves salutary because the relationships liberate from the excluding convictions. Finally, it appears to be salutary because excluded people gain a voice. Thus, the theological exploration has rendered insights that are helpful in bearing the inconvenient awareness of persisting asymmetry and continually contribute to salutary communities.

Authors 1

1. Rob van Waarde corresponding Aachen Training Center Kor Schippers

   Leiden University · Erasmus University Rotterdam

   Affiliation as printed

   Training Center Kor Schippers, Rotterdam, Leiden University, Erasmus University Rotterdam The Netherlands