Building Peaceful Communities through Matthew 5:9: A Study at SMP Negeri 1 Raya

Abstract

This study examines the role of Christian Religious Education (CRE) in fostering peaceful community values through the teaching of Matthew 5:9 at SMP Negeri 1 Raya, Simalungun. The research is grounded in the growing need for faith-based character education that promotes reconciliation, empathy, and social harmony among students. Employing a quantitative descriptive-correlational design, the study involved 850 Christian students and 4 Christian teachers. Data were collected through validated Likert-scale questionnaires measuring the quality of CRE instruction on peacemaking and students’ peaceful behavioral tendencies. The instruments demonstrated satisfactory validity and reliability using Cronbach’s Alpha. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and simple regression techniques. The findings indicate that CRE instruction related to Matthew 5:9 is implemented at a high level, particularly in the clarity of biblical explanation and contextual application. Students exhibit a moderately high understanding of peacemaking values; however, the behavioral enactment of peace is not yet fully optimal. Inferential analysis reveals a significant positive relationship between the quality of CRE teaching and students’ peaceful behavior (r = 0.68, p < 0.05), indicating that effective CRE pedagogy contributes meaningfully to the formation of peace-oriented character. Nevertheless, the relatively limited number of Christian teachers compared to the large student population suggests the need for broader institutional support. The study concludes that CRE has strong potential as a transformative instrument for building peaceful school communities when supported by participatory pedagogy and whole-school integration. Future research is recommended to employ longitudinal and mixed-method approaches to capture deeper behavioral transformation and contextual influences.