Peace Theology and Ethics

URL study guide

https://studiegids.vu.nl/en/courses/2024-2025/G_DSPTHAE

Course Objective

The student:
- can name the different dimensions and the theological foundation of Peace-Theology and -Ethics from a broad ecumenical (and inter-religious) perspective: The role of Peace and Justice within the Christian tradition will be tested as well as the (historical and political) obstacles and challenges to (Christian) Ethics.
- will be able to contribute to the ongoing discussion in the field of theological ethics.
- can analyze ethical and theological questions arising from today´s political and societal challenges to conflict resolution – in manifold dimensions: Non-violent approaches to civil conflict management, “good practices”, as well as new trends in peace-theology will be explored by the students.
- will transfer this knowledge to new or unknown circumstances of different contexts in order to test the potential of different models.
- will integrate the knowledge and cope with the political, societal, and ethical complexities of each given context by comparing case studies.
- formulates judgments on the basis of the given information, taking into account the societal and ethical responsibilities involved.
- communicates conclusions growing out of the knowledge, motives and arguments in a clear manner to the other participants of the class as well as writing a small article for the public on a specific topic of the field.
- analyses the ethical “dilemmas” and develops the ability to argue for and against different ethical approaches and their respective implications by writing a paper at the end of the course.
- will be able to perform independent and autonomous follow-up studies.

Course Content

The ongoing ecumenical debate on “Just Peace” will be presented and discussed, as well as the ecumenical "Pilgrimage of Justice and Peace" (transformative spiritualities). This includes a theological understanding and different approaches to peace as well as different models of justice (retributive vs. restorative and transitional justice), based on biblical texts. From this different “testing fields” will be approached: The “Responsibility to Protect”, “Just Policing”, conflict transformation and reconciliation models. It is planned to include a series of Public Lectures during this academic year.

Teaching Methods

Lectures, Presentations, discussions, partly as "public lectures".

Method of Assessment

Attendance: at least 80% Participation in discussion (30%) Final paper on a chosen research question (70%)

Literature

Required:An Ecumenical Call to Just Peace – Companion. Geneva: World Council ofChurches 2011.Fernando Enns, Upolu Lumā Vaai, Andrés Pacheco Lozano and Betty Pries, eds. (2022), Transformative Spiritualities for the Pilgrimage of Justice and Peace. PJP Series No. 2, Geneva: WCC Publications & Globethics.net Recommended
- Fernando Enns, Ecumenism and Peace: From Theory and Practice to Pilgrimage and Companionship. Geneva: Gelassenheit Publications and World Council of Churches Publications 2022.
- Duane K. Friesen and Gerald W. Schlabach (eds.). At Peace and Unafraid. Public Order, Security, and the Wisdom of the Cross. Scottdale/PA: Herald Press 2005.
- John Paul Lederach. Building Peace: Sustainable Reconciliation in Divided Societies. Washington D.C.: United States Institute of Peace Press 1997.
- John Paul Lederach. The Moral Imagination: The Art and Soul of Building Peace. Oxford (et.al.): University Press 2005.
- John Paul Lederach. The Little Book of Conflict Transformation. Good Books, 2003.

Target Audience

This module is part of the three-year Master, and can be chosen as an elective in the one-year and in the Research Master, especially in the track Peace,Trauma, Religion.

Explanation Canvas

Part of the course will be organized as "public lectures" to include awider audience