Justice and Reconciliation

This course focuses on the triune God’s creating, sustaining, and reforming work of justice and reconciliation in the world today. Students will explore a range of biblical, theological, and ecumenical perspectives in dialogue with philosophical and sociological approaches to theories of justice, to the interconnections of different situations and systems of injustice, and to various practices of reconciliation.

Here is a print version of the syllabus, but please note that any revisions that exist in the online moodle version of the class take precedence over this syllabus.

There are several resources I will mention during the semester, in addition to the required reading.

Course objectives

• articulate at least one specific area of focused concern through the lens of intersectionality, and with a deep commitment to their confession of faith;
• discern theological, philosophical, and other theoretical approaches to practices of justice that are most central to their specific area of concern and that are pragmatically helpful in their degree work;
• discern and embody contextually appropriate practices of reconciliation in their chosen context and with regard to their specific area of concern;
• read scripture in light of a biblical dynamic of justice and the student’s own situated realities, while also supporting others in discerning a calling to justice and reconciliation;
• begin to imagine how to engage local faith communities in partnership with civil society organizations, governmental entities, and/or economic actors in light of emerging initiatives.

Required reading

• S. Brookfield and M. Hess. Becoming a White Antiracist: A Practical Guide for Educators, Leaders, and Activists (Stylus Publications, 2021)
• K. Haga, Healing Resistance: A Radically Different Response to Harm (Berkeley, CA: Parallax Press, 2020)
• V. McCracken, ed. Christian Faith and Social Justice: Five Views (New York: Bloomsbury, 2014)
• T. Sit, Staying Awake: The Gospel for Changemakers (Saint Louis, MO: Chalice Press, 2021)
• M. Stortz, Blessed to Follow: The Beatitudes as a Compass for Discipleship (Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg Fortress, 2018)
• D. Tutu and M. Tutu. The Book of Forgiving: The Fourfold Path for Healing Ourselves and Our World (New York: Harper, 2015)