Witness Colloquium HTE534 / B
This colloquium is for students in the MATPS program and other degree programs who are interested in peace and justice issues related to the church’s witness, peacebuilding, and interaction with other communities. It provides a setting for sharing information and assessing aspects of church engagement and for encouraging the integration of discernment, action, reflection, and evaluation. A given semester may focus on engaged learning and trainings with local partners, or it may consist primarily of presentations and discussions. Students must register to receive credit; other students may attend without registering.
2026 Witness Colloquium: “Global Voices, Transnational Conversations on Religion, Conflict, and Peace: Insights for U.S. Communities”
As the U.S. faces Christian imperialism, perils to democracy, and direct attacks on vulnerable communities, this course shifts the spotlight: it is an exercise in listening to voices from around the world at a time when many who desire peace with justice feel powerless, confused, and overwhelmed. This course will feature activists, ministers, and scholars from across the world who are sharing their experience and offering reflections. The colloquium redresses the historical tendency in peace studies for the Global North to conduct interventions in the Global South.
Core questions and themes
We will learn from global peacebuilders and those who have confronted religious nationalism in high-stakes, polarized situations as they analyze the U.S. today — listening to their perspectives on the following critical questions:
- What can we learn about how to participate politically in situations of high risk and consequence?
- What insights do those who have resisted religious nationalism and Christian imperialism in other parts of the globe offer Christian communities here?
- What does it mean to affirm a Christian theology of reconciliation amidst polarization?
This colloquium will include lessons from groups that have refused to cooperate and have punctured the power of Christian imperialism.