One of the projects Pace e Bene Australia has been working on in Australia is a Peace Education project in schools. Brendan McKeague and Michael Wood have been carrying out this work and they presented a summary of their achievements at the Raising Peace Festival held in September. As an outgrowth of this project, Michael Wood has written a book, Practicing Peace: Theology, Contemplation and Action, which is to be published by Wipf and Stock.

Practicing Peace: Theology Contemplation, and Action is about the practice of peace in daily life. We talk about the importance of peace but often struggle to embody it. Someone annoys us and suddenly we are embroiled in a vortex of conflict. We may ask ourselves, “How can we live with greater integrity? How can we make a positive difference in the world without diminishing others or ourselves?” Michael John Wood proposes that practicing peace is not something that we do by heroic effort. Christ, by pure grace, breaks through to us when we least expect it. Christ is both received and hosted in an open space of God’s creation. This book invites readers on a journey which interweaves theology, contemplation, and action in intensely practical ways. Containing numerous anecdotes and thought-provoking questions, the book will be a useful resource for church study groups and leadership programs. As we explore this embodied spirituality, we may discover that the Christlike God’s restorative love is transforming us into a people of peace.

Michael John Wood is an Anglican priest who works as a university chaplain, professional facilitator, and leadership coach. Michael has pioneered the use of Open Space Technology, Talking Circle, and Restorative Justice processes in church leadership in Australia. He is a founding member of the Peace and Nonviolence Education Australasia network and an online contemplative Prayer Community called Contemplatio.