Conflict Transformation Studies

A study of the themes and concepts that provide a biblical basis for nonretaliation and peace making. Particular attention is given to the nature of God’s sovereignty, forgiveness versus vengeance and love of enemies. Prerequisite: CORE 120.

This course addresses the questions, when and why are people violent, and when and why are they peaceful? How does nonviolence address the destructive force of violence and stand as an alternative? A Peacemaking course in the Goshen Core.

How do peacemakers sustain their work for peace and justice over a lifetime without burning out? This course examines spiritual paths of peacemakers: theories, teachings and practices for sustaining active nonviolence and peacemaking. A Peacemaking course in the Goshen Core.

Explores the potentially constructive nature of conflict, the destructive nature of violence and the relationship between the two. Examines various patterns of communication, conflict and violence and what is needed for transformation. Students will reflect on their own conflict styles,...

Contemporary issues, e.g., militarism, organizational power relationships and conflict transformation, nuclear weaponry, economic sanctions, domestic violence.

Focuses on the third party role of the mediator. Explores the theoretical basis for mediation, its various applications in North America, and critiques of the appropriateness of mediation for certain types of conflicts. Emphasis will be on experiential learning to...

Examines the role of religion in causing and nurturing violence and in promoting peace themes which have emerged as central to the pursuit of peace in the 21st century.

Begins with an account of some of the classic and mainstream understandings of justice and then moves on to an overview of the foundational principles of restorative justice and its various practical applications. The course will examine and address the...

An interdisciplinary examination of the work of reconciliation in interpersonal and small group relationships, but especially in large-scale social and political contexts.

Analyzes different strategies for achieving change in contexts characterized by high levels of complexity and conflict, with particular attention to the role and significance of the relatively new field of dialogue, deliberation, and civic engagement. Students will draw from their...

A seminar course in which advanced students examine encounters with violence and how healing can be sought. Integrating religious and ethical studies with the social sciences, the course focuses on the socio-cultural matrix of an individual’s encounters with violence.

A written project in which seniors with a Peace and Justice minor or a Conflict Transformation minor reflect on the relationship between their academic major and what they learned in their PJCS courses.

Working primarily from an international relations perspective, this course wlll examine changing patterns of fighting wars and seeking peace.

Using a systems approach, students will explore conflicts in organizations and communities, locating and examining models for assessment, diagnosis, intervention and evaluation. Working with case studies and real life situations of structural injustice and conflict, students will learn practical strategies...