By Kendra Flory
The next offering from the Ventures in Christian Discipleship program based at McPherson (Kan.) College will be “Peace, Violence, and Nonviolence.” The course will be held online over two evening sessions on Thursday, Feb. 24, and Thursday, March 3, both at 7 p.m. (Eastern time). The course will be presented by Katy Gray Brown and Virginia Rendler.
This course provides a groundwork for the central concepts in peace studies. We will consider definitions of power; different forms of violence and their interconnection, with a particular discussion of militarism and zealous nationalism as forms of fundamentalism; and central concepts of nonviolence (both principled and strategic). As a discussion-based course, there will be opportunity for participants to engage not only with the material but with one another as they explore examples of and alternatives to violence, nationalism, and militarism. Participants will leave with an understanding of the collaborative and community-building components of nonviolence.
Katy Gray Brown and Virginia Rendler direct the peace studies program at Manchester University in North Manchester, Ind., where peace studies began as an undergraduate field in 1948. The program’s mission is to provide people with a critical understanding of the causes and consequences of violence and injustice, equipped with both theoretical and practical knowledge of nonviolent ways of resolving conflict and promoting justice. Peace studies prepares people to be capable, confident, and courageous in the work of building a peaceful and just world.
Continuing education credit is available for $10 per course. During the registration process, you will have the opportunity to pay for CEUs and give an optional donation to the Ventures program.
To learn more about Ventures in Christian Discipleship and to register for courses, visit www.mcpherson.edu/ventures.
— Kendra Flory is advancement assistant at McPherson (Kan.) College.
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