CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW
2.2 Background
2.2.5 Update on conflict definition 173
2.2.5.3 Experience
And finally, the intensity of the experience in one of those two areas (or in a completely different area, but especially in these two areas) could create a distinction. For some, the experience of a conflict may be intense and for others it may not be. So, in recognition of that differing intensity, the modification to the proffered definition is the inclusion of the phrase as seen below.
When you encounter something that creates a choice or struggle over how to respond to that encounter, you have conflict.
The following is an illustrative example of the distinction between choice and struggle (a degree of difficulty and/or complexity). Imagine sitting in church with a group of fellow believers. Each one faced the conflict that morning of what to wear to church. Probably most of the men put on the first thing that was within reach (that is until their wife said something about that not going together). Many of the women probably tried on a couple of outfits to find out what looked best for that day. But it would not be unrealistic to state that, in all likelihood, no one missed church because they still couldn’t decide what to wear to church because pragmatism comes into play (“I’m going to be late!”). The conflict was not any different for anyone of the congregants – they all had to face the conflict of what clothes to wear. And yet, the full gamut of emotions is likely found in each church congregation as they faced the conflict of what to wear for church. For some it was a simple choice, made quickly. For others, it became more of a struggle, and as they were not pleased with the results, they experienced conflicted feelings. And yet, it was a miniscule percentage, at best, of those who could not resolve the conflict (or at least manage it properly).
So, the distinction of how the conflict is experienced is added to the definition for this research.
The ramification of this definition (and its modification) is established in the chosen response to what is encountered.184 The response to conflict is where the possibility of sin may enter the
183 Downs and Downs (2003:39) raise this important distinction: “The presence of conflict in your marriage is not a condemnation. It simply means that you have dreams – that you are human beings and that there are things you long for, things you truly believe in. The question is, how will you believe in them together? How will you honor each other’s dreams, even when they sometimes conflict? You know what to do when one of you is wrong; what will you do when you both think you’re right?”
184 This statement is expressed in incubative ways by Goodall (2006:18) who states that “conflict is normal, and there are appropriate and inappropriate ways to handle it”, and Rittle (2008:1) who states that “the manner in which people respond to conflict can produce either beneficial or detrimental outcomes”.
situation or experience.185 As will be observed further in this study, the level of that conflict can be quite intense. Two examples will suffice to demonstrate that difficulty. Hecht and O’Brien (2018:loc. 1217), in speaking of the situation in Philemon make this astute analysis:
In writing this letter, Paul puts Philemon in a position where he will have to decide his relationship to Onesimus: would he deny his Christian identity by acting first of all with the prerogatives of an angry slave owner, or would he strengthen it by doing all in his power as Onesimus’ patron to make him his ‘beloved brother’? His house church is watching, and Paul hoped to be there soon to see for himself.
And Hearon (2015:57), in addressing the situation in the book of John also has an erudite assessment:
In the Fourth Gospel, the narrative world is constructed around an existential question:
Will humankind recognize the one who makes God known and respond positively to this life-giving presence in the world? From the point of view of the implied author, this question has life-and death consequences, filling the narrative world of the Gospel with intense conflict. This places the various characters in situations where they have to make choices with respect to the one who makes God known, that is, Jesus.
Sometimes these choices are made on the spot. At other times, the choices emerge over a period of time (long or short) as characters interact with each other, Jesus, and their world.186
Such is the nature of conflict – a choice is encountered (either complicated or uncomplicated), and one’s response to that choice187 is determinative of what possibilities188 will come next.189 The
185 Gaiser (2104:283) describes it this way: “While conflict is unavoidable as a part of human life together, some responses will exacerbate conflict and some will alleviate it”. And Shawchuck (1983:9) gets even more direct as he states the following: “Conflict, however, is not sinful of itself. Sinfulness in conflict results from the way we behave in the conflict, not from disagreement or tensions between us”. And Phillips (2017:107) puts this idea in the vernacular: “Remember that even though someone pushes your button, it is still your button, and you always have a choice in how you respond”.
186 Smith (2019:28) has an interesting observation in this context; he explains that “God’s Word demands a response even if the text does not contain a specific imperative”. That notion fits well with the tendered definition of conflict.
187 Two prudent comments of Reeves are made here. First, “in any conflict, people choose to protect themselves or to learn” (2019:150). That is an important recognition and distinction! And second,
“healthy relationships do not presume constant harmony but move with some grace through a cycle of harmony, to tension, to return to harmony” (2019:152). These are two areas that would be worth exploring in more detail in another study.
188 Leas (1985:loc. 159) notes that “there is nothing inevitable about the outcome of conflict”.
189 As an example of where that choice can lead, Thompson (2014:23) writes: “Many times conflict provides a framework for seeing a situation through a different lens .… When this occurs, we have a choice. We can call this difference conflict, or we can embrace the difference as an opportunity. It really is a matter of perspective. When we move beyond seeing conflict as only a negative from which we anticipate
concern should not be over experiencing conflict; the concern should be over the response to the conflict. For example, a Christian living next to a Hindu is going to experience conflict – it is not a matter of if, but when. They have different religious beliefs that result in different actions, responses, attire, celebrations, and so on. What is of eternal consequence is how the Christian will respond to the Hindu and that lifestyle. Will that believer look for ways to build a relationship with someone who has a very different culture or will the discomfort of proximity lead to no development of a redemptive relationship?190 How the Hindu will respond to the gospel message also has eternal consequence as, despite that individual’s likely goodness, their good will fall short of God’s standard without the impartation of Christ’s righteousness. Neither one of these individuals did something wrong in living next to each other or living in consistency with their beliefs, but because they believe differently, they will experience conflict, and that is a good thing for both of them. God uses the conflict to draw each individual to Himself – one in further Christlikeness and the other in gaining the righteousness of Christ. So, conflict is not the issue;
the issue is how one responds to conflict.
When conflict is understood at this uncomplicated level, then the more urgent and weighty conflicts that will be faced in life at least have a greater degree of potential understanding in seeking a viable response to the conflict. For example, the Christian who lives next to the Hindu will be confronted with many crucial conflicts (as will the Hindu with the Christian), but understanding that this is not abnormal, sinful, nor problematic, removes the stigma associated with conflict and helps the Christian to seek the correct response to the conflict and seek to build a redemptive relationship with the Hindu.
With the background now established – having investigated resources independent of this researcher to demonstrate why conflict needs to be studied from God’s perspective, why BT is the path that provides the best opportunity for that study, and why Romans is chosen as the focus text – and with the definition rubric updated, the investigation now turns to the results of the literature review. Since the research proposal already established that no BTOC had been discovered, the scrutiny has expanded to the current status of conflict understanding in theological circles as represented in potential BTOCs. The following is an attempt to not just relate that information, but also to make sense of it in order to further demonstrate the need for a BTOC. As will be seen, the vast majority of the material comes from the realm of practical theology which
negative outcomes to seeing it as an opportunity, we can more likely anticipate positive outcomes. … Conflict can be the driving force that moves us to doing something spectacular.”
190 This term redemptive means looking for ways and opportunities to share the gospel.
was not unexpected owing to its innate characteristics191 and the lack of input on the topic from the other theological disciplines.