DESCRIPTION: A travel trip in Israel and Palestine with intensive interaction with persons on both sides of The Wall who are working to do peacemaking, and with each other in the group. An exploration of the relationship between biblical faith and the difficult struggles for justice, security, and peacemaking between Palestine and Israel. An opportunity to get to know both Israelis and Palestinians who are working on peacemaking in practical ways in a very difficult context. A call for us to learn from them and to go and do likewise, wherever we are or will be.

SIGNIFICANCE FOR LIFE AND MINISTRY: Christians are enormously important for supporting or opposing peacemaking between Israel and Palestine. Jesus calls for peacemaking in many ways in the Gospels, but still weeps over us because we do not know the practices that make peace. This course calls us to repentance, as Jesus does.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: Knowledge: to increase understanding of Jewish and Palestinian contemporary evangelical social and political engagement. Skills: to foster an improved ability to address diverse Christian and non-Christian audiences on peacemaking generally and especially between Palestine and Israel, and between Christians, Jews, and Muslims. Attitudes: to develop empathetic understanding of two national groups that have been traumatized by deep injustice.

COURSE FORMAT: We will have on-site interviews with Israelis and Palestinians working for peacemaking in a difficult power context, and class discussion sessions with Marc Gopin, David Gushee, Paul Alexander, Glen Stassen, and fellow students. Students will be expected to participate based on careful completion of the assigned reading.

REQUIRED READING:

Abu-Nimer, Mohammed. Nonviolence and Peace Building in Islam: Theory and Practice. University Press of Florida, May 6, 2003. ISBN: 0813027411. Pub. Price $24.95. 256 pp.

Gopin, Marc. Holy War, Holy Peace: How Religion Can Bring Peace to the Middle East. Oxford University Press, 2005. ISBN: 0195181034. Pub. price $25. 288 pp.

Lederach, John Paul. The Moral Imagination: The Art and Soul of Building Peace. Oxford University Press, 2010. ISBN: 019974758X. Pub. Price $19.95. 216 pp.

Sizer, Stephen. Christian Zionism: Road-Map to Armageddon. InterVarsity Press, 2004. ISBN: 1844740501. 260 pp.

Stassen, Glen Harold. Just Peacemaking: Transforming Initiatives for Justice and Peace. Presbyterian Publishing, 1992. ISBN: 0664252982. Pub. Price $30. 292 pp.
The origin of the Just Peacemaking ethic.

Abu-Nimer, Mohammed. Unity in Diversity: Interfaith Dialogue in the Middle East. USIP, Jun 29, 2007. ISBN: 1601270135. Pub. Price $19.95. 336 pp.
Good to see diverse contributors interacting.

Eisen, Rob. The Peace and Violence of Judaism: From the Bible to Modern Zionism. Oxford University Press, 2011. ISBN: 9780199751471. Pub price: $29.95.

Friedman, Thomas. From Beirut to Jerusalem. Anchor, 1990 or 2008. ISBN: 0385413726. Pub. Price $17.00 or $25.95. 541 pp.
Especially helpful to give the historical background for our experience.

Gopin, Marc. Between Eden and Armageddon: The Future of World Religions, Violence, and Peacemaking. Oxford University Press, 2002. ISBN: 0195157257. 320 pp.

Shenk, Journeys of the Muslim Nation and the Christian Church. Herald, 2003. ISBN: 0836192524. Pub. price: $14.99.

Yoder, John Howard. The War of the Lamb: The Ethics of Nonviolence and Peacemaking. Brazos, 2009. ISBN: 1587432609. Pub price $26. 230 pp.
Good for theological-ethical grounding.

1. Four integrative reviews of four of the required readings, 4-6 pp. each (40%), due by June 20, by email to gstassen@fuller.edu and jacobcook@fuller.edu. An integrative review explains the theme that unifies the book, or argues that that theme should be modified or improved, and shows knowledge of the whole book, not only one part.

2. Active participation in the discussions during the trip, including oral or written discussions and reports with faculty or TA (30%).

3. A 25-page paper showing what's most important in what you have learned in the course, including the book you didn't write on in advance, and recommended reading you might have done (30%).