Peacemaking and the Life of the Spirit

A Series of Three Weekend Workshops

Nonviolence in Personal and Political Life

Nonviolence is a powerful method of addressing both the violence in the global political world and the violence within. Neither the global nor the personal is finally healed without the other. In this workshop we will look into what happens when conflict is waged violently, what happens when it is waged nonviolently, and how the means of conflict makes all the difference in the end. Because nonviolence thrives on consistency, integrity, and truth, we will move frequently across the apparent boundaries between politics, theology, psychology, and spirituality, seeking to ground our outward witness in the nonviolent witness of God within.

Prayer and Peacemaking

How does engagement in pressing social needs lead to deepening spirituality, and how does the life of prayer lead to more discerning engagement in the world? In this workshop, we will explore the interconnections of inward and outward disciplines as they inform the lives of spiritually grounded peacemakers. Taking nonviolence as a model for relatedness on all levels, we will explore how God’s nonviolent Presence within empowers us for nonviolent relationship with self, others, and the global political community.

Forgiveness and Reconciliation

When is forgiveness a “spiritual bypass” that fails to reach the depths of true healing, and when is it truly transformative? In this workshop we will look at the spiritual, psychological, and political dynamics of forgiveness and reconciliation in our search for an answer to this question. Once nonviolence is successful in transforming oppressive structures, how can we best sustain the beloved community? Again, taking nonviolence as our model, we will explore ways to apply the dynamics of radical forgiveness within our own personal and political contexts.