THE PEOPLE WHO MAKE THE INSTITUTE FOR RELIGION, PEACE AND JUSTICE HAPPEN
Core Faculty
ANDREW PHILLIP KLAGER, PhD
PROFESSOR OF RELIGION AND PEACE STUDIES
DIRECTOR – INSTITUTE for RELIGION, PEACE AND JUSTICE
ST. STEPHEN'S UNIVERSITY
Post-Doctoral Research Fellowship, CSRS, University of Victoria (2014)
PhD, Religious Studies and History, University of Glasgow (2011)
MA, Christian Studies (History), McMaster Divinity College (2006)
BA, Biblical Studies, Columbia Bible College (2003)
BRADLEY JERSAK, PhD
PROFESSOR OF RELIGIOUS STUDIES
CORE FACULTY – INSTITUTE for RELIGION, PEACE AND JUSTICE
ST. STEPHEN'S UNIVERSITY
Post-Doctoral Research Fellowship, University of Nottingham (2014)
PhD, Theology and Religious Studies, Bangor University, Wales (2013)
M.Div., Biblical Studies, Trinity Western University/ACTS (1995)
MA, Biblical Studies, Briercrest Seminary (1988)
BRE, Biblical Studies, Briercrest Bible College (1986)
Staff
MARISA LAPISH
CONTEMPLATIVE PRACTICES FACILITATOR
INSTITUTE for RELIGION, PEACE AND JUSTICE
ST. STEPHEN'S UNIVERSITY
Marisa is an IRPJ alumna, a certified Spiritual Director through Sustainable Faith, the Director of Selah Spiritual Wellness Practice (selahspiritualwellness.com), a member of Spiritual Directors International, and an ordained licensed community service chaplain with the International Alliance of Community Chaplains.
Guest Lecturers
Guest lecturers offer a recorded lecture in each course that they are listed in and many of them spend about one or two hours with students via video conference during the week in which their lecture is posted. Students therefore get the rare opportunity to converse with and ask questions to many of these wonderful scholars and practitioners when completing the online Certificate in Religion, Peace and Justice.
James Alison, PhD
GUEST LECTURER IN THEOLOGY OF PEACE AND JUSTICE
Catholic theologian, priest, and author; one of the world's foremost scholars of René Girard, Fellow of Imitatio
For more on James' experience and expertise, click here.
Stephen Backhouse, D.Phil
GUEST LECTURER IN THEOLOGY OF PEACE AND JUSTICE
Author, Director of Tent Theology, and former Director of Graduate Studies and Lecturer in Social & Political Theology at St Mellitus College
For more on Stephen's experience and expertise, click here and here.
Fr. John Chryssavgis, D.Phil
GUEST LECTURER IN THEOLOGY OF PEACE AND JUSTICE
Theological advisor on the environment to the Ecumenical Patriarch, Bartholomew I.
For more on Fr. John's experience and expertise, click here.
Shane Claiborne
GUEST LECTURER IN THEOLOGY OF PEACE AND JUSTICE
Activist, speaker, author. Founder of The Simple Way in Philadelphia and Director of Red Letter Christians.
For more on Shane's experience and expertise, click here, here and here.
Malika Cox
GUEST LECTURER IN PEACE & VIOLENCE IN THE NEW TESTAMENT
Writer, researcher, speaker, and activist, consultant on Racial Reconciliation and Criminal justice Reform
For more on Malika's experience and expertise, click here.
Ron Dart
GUEST LECTURER IN RELIGION, PEACE & CONFLICT
Associate Professor of Political Science and Religious Studies, University of the Fraser Valley
For more on Ron's experience and expertise, click here and here.
Mary Emily Duba, PhD
GUEST LECTURER IN THEOLOGY OF PEACE AND JUSTICE
Assistant Professor of Theology, University of Dubuque Theological Seminary
For more on Mary Emily's experience and expertise, click here.
Peter Enns, PhD
GUEST LECTURERS IN PEACE & VIOLENCE IN THE OLD TESTAMENT
Author and Abram S. Clemens Professor of Biblical Studies, Eastern University
For more on Peter's experience and expertise, click here, here, and here.
Cherith Fee Nordling, PhD
GUEST LECTURER IN PEACE & VIOLENCE IN THE NEW TESTAMENT
Theologian, author, Associate Professor at the Robert E. Webber Institute for Worship Studies and Visiting Professor at Regent College.
For more on Cherith's experience and expertise, click here.
Imbenzi George, PhD
GUEST LECTURER IN PRACTICAL NONVIOLENCE AND PEACEBUILDING
President / Chief Executive Officer of MYERT Corps Inc.; Assistant Sessional Professor, Trinity Western University
For more on Imbenzi's experience and expertise, click here.
Phileena Nikole
GUEST LECTURER IN THE INNER TRANSFORMATION OF A PEACEMAKER
Author, speaker, and spiritual director; Co-founder of Gravity: A Centre for Contemplative Activism
For more on Phileena's experience and expertise, click here and here.
Cherie Enns, PhD
GUEST LECTURER IN PRACTICAL NONVIOLENCE AND PEACEBUILDING
Associate Professor, Geography and the Environment, University of the Fraser Valley
For more on Cherie's experience and expertise, click here and here.
Derek Flood
GUEST LECTURER IN PEACE & VIOLENCE IN THE OLD TESTAMENT
Author of 'Disarming Scripture'; Blogger at The Rebel God, Red Letter Christians, and Huffington Post
For more on Derek's experience and expertise, click here, here, and here.
Kim Franklin, Ed.D.
GUEST LECTURER IN THE INNER TRANSFORMATION OF A PEACEMAKER
Writer, contemplative, retired Associate Professor of Education, Trinity Western University
For more on Kim's experience and expertise, click here and here.
Ted Grimsrud, PhD
GUEST LECTURER IN THEOLOGY OF PEACE AND JUSTICE and PEACE & VIOLENCE IN THE NEW TESTAMENT
Emeritus Professor of Peace Theology, Eastern Mennonite University
For more on Ted's experience and expertise, click here, here, and here.
Cece Jones-Davis, M.Div
GUEST LECTURER IN PEACE & VIOLENCE IN THE NEW TESTAMENT
Worship leader, speaker, social advocate, Princeton University’s Black Theology Leadership Institute
For more on Cece's experience and expertise, click here.
Safi Kaskas
GUEST LECTURER IN RELIGION, PEACE AND CONFLICT
Thinker, organizer, strategist. Author of The Qur'an a Contemporary Understanding and co-author of The Qur'an with References to the Bible.
For more on Safi's experience and expertise, click here.
Jonathan Martin
GUEST LECTURER IN PEACE & VIOLENCE IN THE NEW TESTAMENT
Speaker, Author, and Lead Pastor at The Table, a church that embodies the radical inclusive love of Jesus' table
For more on Jonathan's experience and expertise, click here.
Brian McLaren, D.D.
GUEST LECTURER IN RELIGION, PEACE & CONFLICT
Author, speaker, activist and public theologian; Senior Fellow at Auburn Theological Seminary
For more on Brian's experience and expertise, click here and here.
Wayne Northey
GUEST LECTURER IN PRACTICAL NONVIOLENCE AND PEACEBUILDING
Author on restorative justice themes, including Justice that Transforms; former Director of M2/W2 – Restorative Christian Ministries
For more on Wayne's experience and expertise, click here and here.
Matthew Lynch, PhD
GUEST LECTURER IN PEACE & VIOLENCE IN THE OLD TESTAMENT
Assistant Professor in Old Testament, Regent College, Vancouver, BC
For more on Matthew's experience and expertise, click here.
Jarrod McKenna
GUEST LECTURER IN PRACTICAL NONVIOLENCE AND PEACEBUILDING
Australian peace award-winning activist, preacher, and founding CEO of Common Grace and First Home Project for refugees
For more on Jarrod's experience and expertise, click here.
Rev. David Moore, PhD
GUEST LECTURER IN THEOLOGY OF PEACE AND JUSTICE
Author, activist, and Adjunct Professor of History at St. Stephen's University, New Brunswick
For more on David's experience and expertise, click here.
Betty Pries, PhD
GUEST LECTURER IN THE INNER TRANSFORMATION OF A PEACEMAKER
Co-Founder and CEO at Credence & Co. and Sessional Faculty of Peace and Conflict Studies at Conrad Grebel University College
For more on Betty's experience and expertise, click here and here.
Fr. Richard Rene, PhD (ABD)
GUEST LECTURER IN RELIGION, PEACE & CONFLICT
Orthodox priest, prison chaplain at a maximum security institution, and author
For more on Fr. Richard's experience and expertise, click here and here.
Walter Thiessen, D.Th
GUEST LECTURER IN THE INNER TRANSFORMATION OF A PEACEMAKER
Dean of Arts and Professor of Psychology at St. Stephen's University
For more on Walter's experience and expertise, click here and here.
Lisa Schirch, PhD
GUEST LECTURER IN PRACTICAL NONVIOLENCE AND PEACEBUILDING and RELIGION, PEACE & CONFLICT
Senior Research Fellow, Toda Peace Institute; Senior Fellow, Alliance for Peacebuilding
For more on Lisa's experience and expertise, click here.
Brian Zahnd
GUEST LECTURER IN PEACE & VIOLENCE IN THE NEW TESTAMENT
Lead Pastor of Word of Life Church (St. Joseph, MO), author, teacher, and speaker
For more on Brian's experience and expertise, click here.
Stanley Hauerwas, PhD
GUEST LECTURER IN THEOLOGY OF PEACE AND JUSTICE
Theologian, Ethicist, Author, Public Intellectual
Emeritus Gilbert T. Rowe Professor of Theological Ethics at Duke Divinity School
Rhonda Carriere
GUEST LECTURER IN THEOLOGY OF PEACE AND JUSTICE
President of the Friends of Louis Riel, Program Manager of the Certificate in Indigenous Public Health at UBC, and former Associate Director of the Native Ministries Program at VST
Matt Balcarras, PhD
GUEST LECTURER IN THEOLOGY OF PEACE AND JUSTICE
Associate Dean of Arts and Professor of Psychology at St. Stephen's University
Terry LeBlanc, PhD
GUEST LECTURER IN THEOLOGY OF PEACE AND JUSTICE
Mi'kmaq-Acadian, Director of NAIITS/ Faculty of Theology and Anthropology, CEO of Indigenous Pathways