Berkley Center

From 2010 to 2013 Rev. Jim Wallis taught a Georgetown course addressing questions of faith, social justice, and the political process through a series of topical classes. In this class Rev. Wallis explores connections between faith and security policy as a dimension of American politics and a spur to theological reflection. Four key points stand out. First, war is a sign of failure, whether one supports it or not, because parties involved have failed to resolve the root causes short of armed conflict. Second, non-violence needs to answer the same questions that war answers; advocates of non-violence must still confront the problem of evil in the world. Third, metrics of success are important. What constitutes success in the contemporary struggle against terrorism? Fourth, for people of faith, these issues must be answered more theologically than politically. The challenge of thinking through war and peace must also address the root causes of conflict as well as its more obvious manifestations. How do matters of economic inequality, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and other structural injustices in the Middle East contribute to the challenges of building peace? How can we craft policy that most carefully distinguishes perpetrators of terrorism from general populations? These challenges must be confronted for those who hope to “beat swords into ploughshares.” David Cortright and Rep. Walter Jones were featured guest speakers on the topic.