Winter 2013/Pasadena
ET520
Stassen
ET520: BIBLICAL AND PRACTICAL PEACEMAKING. Glen Stassen.
DESCRIPTION: The way of Jesus in the New Testament and his message of the breakthroughs of the reign of God centrally include the way of peacemaking. We will seek to deepen our understanding of that way and our ability to teach it and model it. We will compare major present-day ethical positions—nonviolence, just war, and just peacemaking—as they relate to overcoming terrorism, preventing nuclear war, peace in the Middle East, and practical peacemaking among church members, including role-playing conflict resolution within churches. And we will study how to begin inward/outward journey small groups in churches with a mission of following Jesus in peacemaking.
SIGNIFICANCE FOR LIFE AND MINISTRY: Jesus’ call to peacemaking echoes throughout the New Testament and the prophets; church members need deep formation in that call or they lack the antibodies to resist political ideologies of prideful warmaking. The present struggle against terrorism needs deep Christian assessment and realistic alternatives. Peacemaking as mere ideals lacks the strength required for our time of polarization; we need realistic practices of peacemaking that have proven effective in real experience, grounded in passionate loyalty to Jesus as revelation of God’s way. Church leaders and ministers need skills in conflict transformation to cope with conflicts that occur within the church.
LEARNING OUTCOMES: The course has four objectives: (1) to develop practical ways for following Jesus’ call to Christian peacemaking in our ministry and practice; (2) to be able to compare and contrast a multilevel just peacemaking approach—Christian, Jewish, and Muslim—with approaches that trust in military weapons and nationalism; (3) to be able to teach church members the three different Christian ethical approaches to peace and war—nonviolence, just war theory, and just peacemaking theory; (4) to be able to articulate theological commitment to nonviolence and transforming initiatives of peacemaking that makes sense for church members and potential church members.
COURSE FORMAT: We will meet twice weekly for two-hour sessions that will be part lecture and part critical discussion of the readings. We will also role-play methods for conflict resolution in churches. Students are urged but not required to become involved in some aspect of peacemaking ministry. Resources and referrals will be provided for this.
REQUIRED READING:
Fisher, Roger. Getting To Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In. Penguin Books, 2011. ISBN: 978-0143118756. Revised edition, 2011. $12.99. (240 pages.)
Stassen, Glen, ed. Just Peacemaking: The New Paradigm for the Ethics of Peace and War. Pilgrim, 2008. ISBN: 978-0-8028-0734-2. Pub. Price $18. (214 pp.)
Schreiter, Robert J., R. Scott Appleby and Gerard F. Powers (eds), Peacebuilding: Catholic Theology, Ethics, and Praxis. Orbis Books, 2010. ISBN 978-1-57075-893-5. Pub. Price $30.00. (200 pp.)
Thistlethwaite, Susan. Interfaith Just Peacemaking. Palgrave McMillan, 2012. ISBN: 978-1137293374. Pub. Price: $30. (272 pp.)
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. 1983. ISBN: 978-1555868635. (55 pp.) You may download this from https://www.google.com/search?q=US+Conference+of+Catholic+Bishops&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&channel=fflb#q=The+Challenge+of+Peace+site:usccb.org&sa=X&ei=FeM_UP3xMuiUiAKT7oHQBQ&ved=0CEAQ2wE&hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=PkY&rls=org.mozilla:en-US%3Aofficial&channel=fflb&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.&fp=a32d5f195c0dd4d1&biw=1173&bih=611. (55 pp.)
Yoder, John Howard. The Politics of Jesus. Eerdmans, 1994. ISBN: 978-0-8028-0734-2. Pub. Price $22. (271 pp.)
ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT: Two in-class essay exams (25% each); a ten-page position paper on a particular practice of Christian peacemaking and its teaching & modeling in a church (35%). You will be encouraged to find an opportunity for peacemaking ministry and write a brief report on activities; if this is not feasible, you will devise a plan for incorporating peacemaking into future ministry (15%).
PREREQUISITES: None.
RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Elective.
FINAL EXAMINATION: No