JESUS, PEACEMAKING AND PREACHING PEACE

Course Syllabus February-May 2004

Michael Hardin, Instructor
www.preachingpeace.org

The objective of this course is to introduce you to a Christian peace paradigm. It is an exploration of the meaning of the Christian life. The mimetic theory of Rene Girard will be introduced to you. Girard’s theory is the E = MC2 of the social sciences and offers a new and invigorating perspective when reading the Scriptures.

The reading assignment for each week is between 40 and 50 pages, not too much but enough to keep you thinking. I recommend reading a little every day. If you are a voracious reader, there is also recommended literature for each week’s supplementary reading. Some of you may wish to take advantage of this.

At the end of this course you should have a good solid grasp of mimetic theory and how it is applied to Scripture. You should also have an understanding of how the Christian life looks from a wholistic peace perspective.


Required Textbooks:

I See Satan Fall Like Lightning Rene Girard

Must There Be Scapegoats? Raymund Schwager

One (1) notebook (minimum 150 pages)


Highly Recommended:

The Girard Reader edited James G Williams

Violence Renounced edited Willard Swartley


There will not be any exams or papers in this course. As mentioned, assignments or suggestions for further reading will be offered in class for those who wish to pursue their own research further.

You will be asked to keep a journal. This will help you ‘chart’ your course for further study. Your Journal will include:

Daily entries of mimetic theory seen in:
1. The news
2. Personal Observation of others
3. Self

Critical questions raised by the reading

A-Ha moments!

Critical responses (analysis)


A portion of time each class session is given over to conversations around the weekly reading and the journal. This dialogue will be critical to your understanding process and it is important to be prepared. There is a direct correlation between preparation and enhanced understanding.


Weekly Schedule

Week 1 Feb 7 Introduction to Mimetic Theory Assignments: Begin reading Schwager Must There Be Scapegoats? and get as far as you can in some of your free time.
Week 2 Feb 14 No Class
Week 3 Feb 21 Positive Mimesis and Jesus Assignments: Continue to read as far as you can in Schwager. If you are a fast reader you may wish to read Wiilard Swartley’s article in Violence Renounced. You may also wish to consult The Bible, Violence and the Sacred by James G. Williams.
Week 4 Feb 28 Mimetic Theory and the Bible Assignments: Schwager Part II: The Old Testament; (Swartley Violence Renounced; Williams The Bible, Violence and the Sacred.) Focus on the Old Testament.
Week 5 Mar 6 Mimetic Theory and the Gospels Assignments: Schwager Part III: The New Testament, #’s 1 and 2; (same supplementary books as last week (focus on the NT)
Week 6 Mar 13 Mimetic Theory and the New Testament Assignments: Finish Schwager. Begin reading Girard’s I See Satan Fall Like Lightning and become introduced to mimetic theory from Rene’s point of view. This book will be analyzed in class over the remaining weeks. Hopefully you will be reading it twice so you fully understand mimetic theory.
Week 7 Mar 20 Theology Without Violence Assignments: Read Girard. Others may wish to consult Raymund Schwager Jesus in the Drama of Salvation; James Denny The Non-Violent Atonement and Anthony Bartlett Cross Purposes.
Week 8 Mar 27 Christology Without Violence Assignments: Girard. Also Raymund Schwager Jesus of Nazareth: How He Understood His Life and James Alison Raising Abel.
Week 9 Apr 3 Spirituality Without Violence Assignments: Finish I See Satan Fall as Lightning.
Week 10 Apr 10 No Class
Week 11 Apr 17 No Class
Week 12 Apr 24 Mimetic Theory and Christian Theology Assignments: You can either reread Schwager or Girard this time around with a good foundation. Or you can read George Hunsinger’s article “The Politics of the Non-Violent God” in the Scottish Journal of Theology. Or you can do both.
Week 13 May 1 The Pursuit of Jesus Assignments: I recommend you go to the library and take a look at these books. Marcus Borg, Jesus A New Vision; Geza Vermes, Jesus the Jew; John Meier, A Marginal Jew (3 volumes to date); Joachim Jeremias, Theology of the New Testament (vol 1); Bruce Chilton, Rabbi Jesus; James Charlesworth, Jesus’ Jewishness. Discipleship
Week 14 May 8 Peacemaking and Preaching Peace Assignments: Willard Swartley’s article in Violence Renounced. Walter Wink, Engaging the Powers.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

A comprehensive bibliography on virtually all aspects of mimetic theory can be found on the website of the Colloquium on Violence and Religion. For over a decade the Colloquium has published Contagion, a professional journal dedicated to exploring mimetic theory. The Colloquium members and friends meet twice a year to discuss current research in mimetic theory.

A bibliography can be approached in several ways. It can be a standard list of references; or it can be a preferential list. A preferential list is money you would spend to have the book in your library. I recommend literature that is recognized as ‘expert’ but is also good reading and excellent reference material. These books will be around for a long time because of the contributions they have to make.

You will have compiled a bibliography throughout class. All of the literature I recommend can be found on the website I co-write with Fr. Jeff Krantz. HYPERLINK http://www.preachingpeace.org www.preachingpeace.org has an extensive bibliography of writers we find helpful. See the literature cited in the Introductory Articles as well as literature cited in the footnotes of the Occasional Articles.