Christianity, Embodiment, and Violence

Catalog description

The course examines the research, writings, and experiences of women and men in the Christian tradition. Particular attention will be paid to religious justifications for violence and discrimination; and the role that theology and faith communities have played in both condoning and resisting such violence in the US and abroad. As such, the material for this course sits at the intersection of theology and ethics. One of the primary intellectual challenges of this course is for students to develop an understanding that violence is often culturally constructed, condoned, and sometimes even supported. A good portion of our efforts in the class will be placed on untangling the ways in which race, class, gender, and imperialism work together to perpetrate violence against marginalized persons and communities. Such an investigation necessitates a careful consideration of the dynamics of power and privilege operative in society, which is accompanied by a critical awareness of our own place within the existing racial, economic, gender, and ethnic hierarchy in the United States.