PCS 606 – Nonviolence in Spirituality and Practice
Presented by Rev. Dr. Phillis I. Sheppard
Begins June 6, 2023
7:00pm to 8:00pm EST
$100
(meets every Tuesday for four weeks)
Course Description: In this four session course, we first grapple with the roots of nonviolence in society and religion. We then consider the vision of nonviolence and models for nonviolence and the models for nonviolent practices. Finally, we discover the fruits of leaning into a spirituality of nonviolence for the community and individual.
At the heart of the course is the idea that nonviolence is a spiritual practice and must be practiced in our everyday life and in public spaces.
Using film, articles, journaling, and dialogue, the intention is to increase our commitment to nonviolence as a way of life.
Instructor:
Dr. Phillis Isabella Sheppard is the E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Professor of Religion, Psychology, and Culture at Vanderbilt University Divinity School and the Director of the James Lawson Institute for the Research and Study of Nonviolent Movements at Vanderbilt University. The Institute was created to continue the legacy of Rev. James Lawson’s work on nonviolence and social transformation.
Phillis is a womanist practical theologian, community chaplain, and psychoanalyst. She was ordained August 2022 (ARCWP). She is interested in theologies of incarnation, embodiment, and ritual. Sheppard is the author of two books. Her first is “Self, Culture and Others in Womanist Practical Theology” and her second is “Tilling Sacred Ground: Interiority, Black Women, and Religious Experience.” Her books are deeply concerned with religious experience, gender, and race.