IPS 599 - 001

Regular Academic Session

2869

Graduate

3 units

Graded

Disarming Peace: Religion, Diplomacy, Common Good

Topics will vary.

Outcomes: Outcomes will vary.

This is a hyflex class: students can join on campus or via Zoom. IPS 599-001 (3 credit hours): A Disarming Peace: Religion, Diplomacy, and the Common Good is a graduate seminar that examines how religious imagination, diplomatic practice, and nonviolent social change can converge toward what Pope Leo XIV calls an ¿unarmed and disarming¿ peace. The course is organized around three integrative lenses: (1) notions of religion and God in society (how ultimate loyalties shape conflict, nationalism, and public moral reasoning); (2) diplomacy through the state and civil society (how peace is negotiated, advocated, and sustained through formal diplomacy as well as faith-based and community actors); and (3) nonviolence and the common good (ethical traditions, Catholic social teaching, and practical strategies that seek security without dehumanization). Students will engage theological and ethical texts alongside real-world cases of conflict escalation, de-escalation, and peacebuilding. The seminar emphasizes ¿public theology¿ competencies such as clear analysis, persuasive communication, and discerning action through structured discussions, practitioner engagement, and applied writing (e.g., a policy memo, public-facing essay, or strategic peacebuilding proposal). Learning outcomes By the end of the course, students will be able to: 1. Critically analyze how theological claims about God, interpretation of religious texts, and religious identity shape public life and influence pathways toward conflict, diplomacy, and peace. 2. Evaluate the roles, limits, and ethical stakes of diplomatic action across state and civil-society actors, using at least one contemporary case to justify a peacebuilding approach. 3. Design a context-specific ¿disarming peace¿ strategy/peace project (pastoral, civic, or policy-facing) that integrates nonviolent practice and common-good reasoning into a feasible plan for action and communication.

Miguel Diaz

Th 7:00PM - 9:30PM

08/24/2026 - 12/12/2026

HyFlex

Water Tower Campus

Water Tower Campus

Open

3

27

30

0

0