STMA 5150 - A Christian Spirituality of Restorative Justice

3 credit hours
What We Are About. In this course we investigate a Christian spirituality of peacemaking, justice and reconciliation in which God’s aim for creation is not destruction-rather, restoration. This course will help ministers realize their agency to move faith communities to participate consciously in what God is already doing to redeem the world. Students will take seriously the meaning of Christian spirituality in this endeavor as themes of neighbor, prayer, forgiveness, violence, recidivism, public square, and spiritual disciplines make sense of how God uses persons for restorative rather than retributive justice. And yet, the difficult questions of justice and reparation will also be taken seriously as we wrestle with appropriate responses to injustice and sin. In our investigations, we will use both theological texts and current literature written from a wide range of perspectives. We will also engage provocative media with the intention to learn from and critique interpretations of justice in light of our participation in God’s restoration of creation.

Terms Typically Offered: summer