Professors to make connections between vengeance, vindication and justice in lecture

Lecture: Goshen College Afternoon Sabbatical – "There are no free gifts, and other lessons forgiveness can learn from vengeance," by Professor of Peace, Justice & Conflict Studies Joe Liechty and Professor of Bible and Religion Paul Keim
Date and time: Tuesday, March 8 at 1 p.m.
Location: Sauder Concert Hall, Goshen College Music Center
Cost: Free and open to the public

GOSHEN, Ind. – Goshen College Professor of Bible and Religion Paul Keim and Professor of Peace, Justice & Conflict Studies Joe Liechty will explore themes of vengeance, vindication and justice and the connections between them during their Afternoon Sabbatical lecture on Tuesday, March 8 at 1 p.m. in the Music Center's Sauder Concert Hall.

In their presentation, titled "There are no free gifts, and other lessons forgiveness can learn from vengeance," Keim and Liechty will share research that began as a Maple Scholars research project about five years ago. They were seeking to understand the many types and causes of violence, the logic and integrity of just war arguments and the dynamics of ethnic, national and religious conflict.

Using accounts of trials for violent crimes, Keim and Liechty will specifically focus on vengeance and instinctual reactions from victims of violence. In the aftermath of injustices, what do victims say they want as vindication, and are they satisfied when they get what they want? What about perpetrators – do they feel the need to pay a debt? These questions, and many more, will be asked as the professors investigate the possibilities of seeing forgiveness as more than a radical alternative to vengeance, but as satisfying some of the same pay-back needs in a new way.

The Afternoon Sabbatical is free and open to the public. Afternoon Sabbatical programs are usually on the second Tuesday of the month at 1 p.m. in Sauder Concert Hall or the College Church Fellowship Hall and are free and open to the public. For more information on the Afternoon Sabbatical series call the Goshen College Welcome Center at (574) 535-7566.

Future programs in the Afternoon Sabbatical series:

Tuesday, April 12, 2011 at noon in Church-Chapel Fellowship Hall

International Meal featuring "Paraguay, a Land of Secret Enchantment" by Dr. Erwin Boschmann, professor emeritus of chemistry and currently the Interim Dean of Arts and Sciences, Indiana University Kokomo. After a typical Paraguayan meal, Erwin Boschmann, author of Paraguay – A Tour Guide, and leader of many memorable tours, including the Goshen College 2009 Paraguay tour, will take us on an exploration of his interesting homeland. Hear stories of how, beginning in 1927, refugees made the Chaco, called the "Green Hell," flourish. Learn the history, the geography and the way of life of this unusual country. Cost: $20. Register by April 1.

– by Alysha Landis

Editors: For more information about this release, to arrange an interview or request a photo, contact Goshen College News Bureau Director Jodi H. Beyeler at (574) 535-7572 or jodihb@goshen.edu.

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Goshen College, established in 1894, is a residential Christian liberal arts college rooted in the Anabaptist-Mennonite tradition. The college's Christ-centered core values – passionate learning, global citizenship, compassionate peacemaking and servant-leadership – prepare students as leaders for the church and world. Recognized for its unique Study-Service Term program, Goshen has earned citations of excellence in Barron's Best Buys in Education, "Colleges of Distinction," "Making a Difference College Guide" and U.S. News & World Report's "America's Best Colleges" edition, which named Goshen a "least debt college." Visit www.goshen.edu.