world nor can they afford to let the rare skills of relationship building brought by religious actors to go to waste. Religious groups have the desire and key qualities of trust building, patience, and unbiased involvement necessary to facilitate reconciliation and build peace around the world. These attributes are vital to reconciliation and mediation in a world where deception and diplomacy often come hand in hand. Analysis: It clear that one of the key factors of the success of religious actors (RAs) in conflict resolution is their focus on reconciliation and a true desire to be unbiased mediators. Unlike others at the proverbial table of peacebuilding, religious actors usually seek only reconciliation and peace, and not personal gain. This, along with their ability to build faithful relationships, is a vital part of their work. Many government officials have picked up on this, and have used them to carry messages between themselves and other parties involved in conflict. RAs are often referred to as “honest brokers” in the book; years of trust building were required to build these bonds of trust. However, this trust is invaluable when it came time to sit down and talk. Most faith-based NGOs see this as a core value of the process of reconciliation; they understand the need for a trusting relationship to be built in order to be truly reconciled. Emerging leaders should take the message of this book into consideration and know that in order to truly change the world reconciliation must be built on a firm foundation of trust and honesty, both of which are key elements in faith-based mediation. The subject of why religion has been taken out of contemporary diplomacy was neglected, though this information would have given the reader a firmer foundation from which to defend their argument to include religion as a factor in international policy. The book is very thorough and well thought out. Readers will become well educated...
