FALL 2013 400 COURSE OFFERING

460-01 – Christianity and Peace – BOUMA-PREDIGER – TR – 9:30-10:50 am
In the Bible the Kingdom of God is sometimes referred to as the Peaceable Kingdom, and in the history of Christianity pacifists such as Mennonites are members of the Peace Churches. And yet violence seems to be sanctioned in Scripture and the theory of the just war has been developed by many theologians within the Christian tradition. So how is it that Jesus is called the Prince of Peace and yet those who claim to follow Jesus advocate war? Why did the early church embrace pacifism and the church of the Middle Ages authorize crusades? In sum, what does it mean for a Christian to be a peacemaker?

These (and other) important and timely questions will be explored in this seminar in theology and ethics. We will read and discuss texts on violence, war, peace, and peacemaking, especially in light of recent events in the world, e.g., peaceful regime change in Egypt and violent regime change in Libya, and in light of debates such as just war vs. pacifism.