In this episode of The unRival Spaces podcast, Lyle Enright sits down with unRival friend, collaborator, and board member Joel Aguilar.

They discuss the role of spirituality in peacebuilding, the importance of discipline and fluency in love, and the challenges of navigating rivalry and violence. Joel shares his insights on sustaining hope and the power of friendship and family.

Meet Joel Aguilar

Joel is married to Annette, and they have two daughters. Joel has a Ph.D. in Practical Theology from the University of Pretoria in South Africa, a master’s in global urban leadership from Bakke Graduate University, and a bachelors in theology from the Central American Theological Seminary.

Joel has dedicated his adult life to forming incarnational leaders who love their city and seek its peace in Guatemala City. He is the Academic Dean at the Community for Interdisciplinary Theological Studies, and a senior fellow and ordained member of the Street Psalms community. He serves on the unRival Network Board of Directors and was a collaborator and co-creator of the Artisans of Peace Program.

Takeaways

• Spirituality is essential for peacebuilders, providing sustenance and grounding in the face of challenges.
• Discipline is not about punishment, but about constantly repeating actions to achieve fluency in a specific skill or language, including the language of love.
• Fluency in love involves paying attention to the hurt, hope, and heart of a community or place, and constantly questioning one's motivations and feelings.
• Navigating rivalry and manipulation requires self-awareness, constant questioning, and the support of friendships and community.
• Joel's book, 'The Human Catechism,' explores his faith journey and the untangling from violent theologies.

Links

• A Human Catechismby Joel Aguilar
• Joel's Substack

UnRival is a network for those committed to nonviolence. We believe dignity and justice can transform cycles of rivalry and conflict.

We are called unRival because unrelenting rivalry creates cycles of violence and systemic oppression. Rivalry contagiously spreads animosity, shame, and scarcity thinking. But peace is contagious, too.

We serve peacebuilders (artists, academics, and activists) working directly in their communities. By helping leaders detangle from the rivalries around them, we help set them free to influence and inspire entire communities toward positive peace. In our programs, we refer to these high-potential, high-impact leaders as “artisans of peace.”

• To stay in touch, find us on social media, visit our website, and subscribe for our bi-weekly newsletter, The Frame.
• To learn more about our team and show hosts, click here.
• We invite you to join us in supporting peacebuilders how they need it the most by making a donation. Peacebuilders need our support now more than ever, and unRival’s programs offer crucial nonrivalrous space to combat feelings of isolation and burnout.