Theory and Practice of Nonviolence

McMaster University Religious Studies 2H03: Winter 2011

Instructor: Dr. A. M. Pearson Email: pearsoa@mcmaster.ca (x24239) Office: University Hall 124 Office Hours: M.4:30-5:30 (or by appointment) TAs: Christopher Emms Adrian Tseng Course Description

Lectures: Mon/Th. 3:30 4:20 Lecture location: DSB/AB102 Tutorials: T1 Th 2:30 KTH/107 T2 Th 9:30 KTH/107 T3 Th. 11:30 KTH/B101 T4 We 12:30 KTH/B101

Nonviolence is a powerful and just weapon which cuts without wounding and ennobles the man who wields it. It is a sword that heals. M. L. King, Jr. This course is an introduction to the history, theory and practice of non-violence from cross-cultural and multi-religious perspectives. We begin by reviewing forms of violence, including personal violence, structural violence, mass violence (war) and the connections between religion and violence. We then examine the religious roots of nonviolence in a selection of world religions, both eastern and western. The third section of the course investigates modern theories, strategies, and practitioners of nonviolence, including such well known figures as Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. Particular attention is paid in this course to the spiritual values that underlie a rejection of violence and the methods that have been developed to bring about social change nonviolently historically and in the present. Objectives Students will: become familiar with the history of the concept (theory) of nonviolence in both eastern and western, secular and religious traditions learn about the strategic applications (practice) of nonviolence in various selected contexts (personal, political and social) gain knowledge about and a better appreciation of the link between religion and violence, and religion and nonviolence become familiar with key figures who have successfully deployed strategies of nonviolence to bring about social & political change in the modern era Required Texts (3 texts) Robert Holmes & Barry Gan, eds., Nonviolence in Theory and Practice (2nd ed.), Waveland Press, 2005 Daniel Smith-Christopher, ed. Subverting Hatred: The Challenge of Nonviolence in Religious Traditions (10th anniversary edition), Orbis, 2007 Custom Courseware pack of selected readings (available in the bookstore)

Course Requirements and Evaluation tutorial attendance tutorial work reflection essay essay outline research essay or practicum report final exam (2 hours; in exam period) ------------------

5% 15% 15% 5% 30% 30%

Note: The instructor and university reserve the right to modify elements of the course during the term. The university may change the dates and deadlines for any or all courses in extreme circumstances. If either type of modification becomes necessary, reasonable notice and communication with the students will be given with explanation and the opportunity to comment on changes. It is the responsibility of the student to check his/her McMaster email and course websites weekly during the term and to note any changes.
Course Website:

RS 2H03 will be found at http://avenue.mcmaster.ca/ . On the course website you will find under the content tab selected powerpoint slides (usually in outline form) posted as we move through the course, occasional handouts, plus assignment information. Any announcements will be posted on the homepage. Students are encouraged to share information with one another pertinent to this course through the discussion threads. For help navigating through Avenue to Learn go to: http://avenue.mcmaster.ca/help Re. e-mail communication. It is the policy of the Faculty of Social Sciences that all e-mail communication sent from students to instructors (including TAs), and from students to staff, must originate from the students own McMaster University e-mail account. If a communication has come from an alternate address, the instructor may not reply at her discretion. -----------------Exam (30%). To be held in the regular examination period. It will be two hours long, and consist primarily of essay questions, and will cover all the course material: lectures, any guest speakers, films, and assigned required readings. Exam study questions will be given out on the last day of class. Tutorials Begin the week of January 10. DO NOT SKIP TUTORIALS! They are an important part of this course (hence 5% for simply showing up). Tutorials are a chance for you discuss course lecture content, thematic questions, and especially the readings from the textbooks, in a smaller group environment and to express your own views and hear those of fellow students (not always possible in the large lecture setting). Tutorials are also an opportunity to gain clarification on course requirements and feedback on assignments from your TA. Tutorial Work (15%) At the beginning of term, your TA will explain how the 15% of the tutorial mark (in addition to attendance) will be determined. It could include short presentations addressing course readings and topics, or reports on nonviolent actions taken in recent years to address particular issues (social, political, environmental, religious).

Reflection Essay: due in class Jan. 31; 15%; see posted handout for topics and guidelines (length: approx. 1300-1500 words) Research Essay or Practicum (30%) You must decide whether to submit a research essay or complete a practicum. The practicum option is available for those of you who have a strong desire to have practical experience with the activities that promote nonviolence. Since we do not have the resources to run a guided practicum for all students, this option requires strongly selfmotivated students who are willing to find a placement and create a learning opportunity. It will involve a minimum of 24 hours of volunteer work, followed by a 5 page report [see details in the handout for the practicum]. Research Essay: due in class March 28; see posted handout for topics and guidelines (Length: approx. 2500 words) Essay/Practicum Outline: due in tutorial week of Feb. 14 (you can submit it earlier if you wish). The outline should be 1 to 2 pages, double spaced. It can be in prose or detailed point form. (See essay or practicum guidelines handout for more details.) Note: PLEASE HAND IN YOUR MARKED ESSAY OUTLINE (ESSAY OR PRACTICUM) WITH YOUR ESSAY/REPORT. Additional Information: Late penalties: Students are urged to begin work on written assignments well in advance of due dates. Late assignments will be penalized by 2% per day, except in cases where a medical note from the students faculty is presented. Academic honesty: You are expected to exhibit honesty and use ethical behaviour in all aspects of the learning process. Academic credentials you earn are rooted in principles of honesty and academic integrity. Academic dishonesty is to knowingly act or fail to act in a way that results or could result in unearned academic credit or advantage, with such serious consequences as a grade of zero on an assignment, loss of credit with a notation on the transcript, and/or suspension or expulsion from the university. Besides, academic dishonesty is lying! And lying and the practice of nonviolence are incompatible! It is your responsibility to understand what constitutes academic dishonesty. For information on the various types of academic dishonesty refer to the Academic Integrity Policy located at: http://www.mcmaster.ca/academicintegrity . If you have any questions about what constitutes plagiarism please dont hesitate to ask the professor or your Teaching Assistant.

Note: cp designates the custom course pack (page numbers are to original article, not the course pack pagination); Holmes designates the Holmes and Gan text, and SmithChristopher his edited text; reserve designates the reading is on 2 hour reserve at Mills Library. Films (or film excerpts) are usually to be shown on Thursdays.

COURSE OUTLINE: Date, Topics, Readings

Date

Topics

and

Readings____________________

Week of Jan. 3: Introduction to Course and to the Concept of Nonviolence What does nonviolence mean? Is it active or passive? Does it work? A Culture of Peace vs. a Culture of War/ Violence Read: Holmes, General Introduction; cp Kurlansky, Imperfect Beings 5-15 NOTE: the Kurlansky handout on the 25 lessons, and the Sharp articles, one in Holmes and one in the coursepack (The Methods of Nonviolent Action from his book Waging Nonviolent Struggle) can serve as reference throughout the course. Part I: Forms of Violence Week of Jan. 10: Personal, Institutional, Structural and Cultural Violence Defining and categorizing violence. What are the forms of personal violence? What is and what are examples of institutional, structural and cultural violence? Film: excerpts from Naomi Kleins No Logo (Thurs) Read: cp, Barak articles (violence by and against youth, suicide, domestic violence, gun violence, workplace violence, gang violence, corporate and state violence, structural violence). Note: Baraks (a sociologist) descriptions of both nonviolence and structural violence are not quite the same as one finds in peace studies. You may wish to read the very short but well expressed article on structural violence on Wikipedia. Week of Jan. 17: State Violence: War, Militarism; The formation of a soldier What are the causes of war? What are the micro-factors facilitating war? What are the effects of war? How is a person transformed into a soldier trained to kill? (and what are some of the effects on a person of killing?) Films: Excerpts from videos (Parris Island; Full Metal Jacket); and Conscience Canada Work for Peace. Stop Paying for War (2007; 11 min.) Read: cp Grossman, On Killing, chs. 2, 3, and 6; and C. Hedges, intro to his book Collateral Damage, pp. xiii-xxxi. Week of Jan. 24: Religion and Violence Religious extremism; Religion and terrorism; How is religion implicated in violence? Questions: Is religion really the major cause of violence in the world? Is religion inherently violent? (or does religion lend itself to violence? Are some religions more violent or lend themselves more to violence than others?) Or has religion been the pawn of politics?

Read: Smith-Christopher, Introduction Everything is different now xiii-xxvi; cp Juergensmeyer, ch. 1 (Terror and God, pp.3-15), ch.2 (Soldiers for Christ, pp.19-43), and pp. 79-83 (Modern Islamic Justifications for Violence) from Terror in the Mind of God Part II: The Religious Roots of Nonviolence Do all religions have resources for nonviolence, or nonviolent transformation? Have there been relative emphases on violence or nonviolence in different religious traditions? What are some of the historical counter-movements promoting nonviolence as an ethic and practice in different religious traditions? What were their strategies and who are some of the key figures? Week of Jan. 31: Non-violence in Eastern Religious Traditions: Jainism and Buddhism Read: Holmes, 1-22; o on Jainism: Chapple Jainism and Nonviolence ch. 1 in Subverting Hatred; as background see also Sharma, The Ethics of Jainism 4-9, in Holmes o on Buddhism: Queen The Peace Wheel: Nonviolent Activism in the Buddhist Tradition ch. 2 in Subverting Hatred. (Additional supplementary articles in the Holmes text are: Thich Nhat Hanh, Feelings and Perceptions 237-240, and Sister Chan Khong, Learning True Love 241-243) Note: Though we wont have time in lectures to discuss Chinese religions, nor much of Hinduism, or First Nations religions, each of these traditions has much to say on peace and nonviolence. See, for example, readings in Subverting Hatred (Chinese religions, ch. 3 on Confucianism and Daoism; for Hinduism, ch. 4:Ahimsa and the Unity of all Things, and for First Nations see chapters 5 and 6). You may choose to write your essay on one of these traditions. Mon. Feb. 7: Nonviolence in the Hebrew Bible/ Jewish Practice Read: Holmes, 23-31; Milgrom, Let your love for me vanquish your hatred for him Nonviolence and Modern Judaism ch. 9 in Subverting Hatred, 144-165; Holmes: Wilcock, Impossible Pacifism 194-203, and Solomonow, Living Truth: A Jewish Perspective 358-360 Thurs. Feb. 10: Nonviolence in the New Testament/ Christian Practice Read: Holmes, 33-35; Smith-Christopher Political Atheism and Radical Faith: The Challenge of Christian Nonviolence in the Third Millennium ch. 10 in Subverting Hatred 171-192; cp Gospel of Matthew, Sermon on the Mount; Wink, Jesus and Nonviolence (pp. 9-28). Mon. Feb. 14: Nonviolence in the Quran/ Muslim Practice Read: Holmes, 36-40 Nonviolence in Islam; on Badhshah Khan, Nonviolent Soldier of Islam in Holmes 309-317; Harris Nonviolence in Islam: The Alternative Community Tradition ch. 7 in Subverting Hatred;

[Note re. Islam: there are also other relevant articles in Holmes (e.g., Awad) or in Subverting Hatred (article by A. Hussain Life as a Muslim Scholar of Islam in Post 9/11 America)] Thurs. Feb. 17: Nonviolence in the teachings/history of the Bahai Faith Guest speaker: TBA Read: Promise of World Peace statement, available online at: http://info.bahai.org/article-1-7-2-1.html. Additional links will be posted on Avenue. Part III: Theories and Applications of Nonviolence in the Modern Period How and why have nonviolent approaches worked in addressing political oppression, social injustice and violations of human rights? Who are some of the leaders of nonviolent movements around the world and what inspired them to adopt unconventional approaches in dealing with violence and oppression? What are the methods and strategies employed by these leaders, and how do they work? Did such methods and techniques lead to social, political and environmental change? (Did they work?) Week of Feb. 28: Christian Pacifism and Dissent: Thoreau, Tolstoy, and The Peace Churches (Quakers, Mennonites) Film: In the Company of Fear, on the Peace Brigades International Read: Holmes, Henry David Thoreau, Civil Disobedience (48-63); Tolstoy, pp. 65-66, 69-76; cp Dymond, Waran Essay (242-52); Aukerman, What would you do if?; Corson, Welcoming the Enemy (last two are short articles).

Week of March 7: M. K. GandhiAhimsa and the Ethic of Nonviolent Action Film: Gandhi: Pilgrim of Peace from A & E Biography series (45 min) Read: Holmes, 66-67; cp, Gandhi, (excerpts from an anthology of Gandhis writings) on The Practice of Nonviolence (94-119). Week of March 14: Gandhis Techniques of Nonviolent Resistance (Satyagraha) Film: Excerpts from Attenboroughs bio-pic Gandhi (1982) Read: Holmes, Gandhi 77-84; Joan Bondurant 85-94; Arundhati Roy, Ahimsa, pp. 295-297. Week of March 21: Martin Luther King Jr. and the American Civil Rights Movement: Nonviolent Action against Systemic Racism Film: Excerpts from A Force More Powerful Read: Holmes, M. L. King Letter from Birmingham Jail 95-113

Week of March 28: Violence against Women; Women against Violence Read: Holmes, 115-118; four essays in Holmes: 129-135; 136-149; 150-160; 161-172; cp Woehrle, Feminist Debates about Nonviolence Mon. April 4: Final Reflections Exam study questions; Course evaluations.