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People

THE PEOPLE WHO MAKE THE JIM FOREST INSTITUTE for RELIGION, PEACE & JUSTICE HAPPEN

CORE FACULTY

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PROFESSOR of THEOLOGY & RELIGIOUS STUDIES

ST. STEPHEN'S UNIVERSITY

 

e. bjersak@ssu.ca

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)

 
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DIRECTOR of THE JIM FOREST INSTITUTE

PROFESSOR of RELIGION & PEACE STUDIES

ST. STEPHEN'S UNIVERSITY

 

e. andrewklager@ssu.ca

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)

 

AFFILIATE FACULTY

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Emily Stanton, PhD

AFFILIATE INSTRUCTOR of PEACE AND CONFLICT STUDIES

ST. STEPHEN'S UNIVERSITY

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Walter Thiessen, ThD

PROFESSOR of PSYCHOLOGY

ST. STEPHEN'S UNIVERSITY

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Laurens van Esch, PhD

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR of POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY

ST. STEPHEN'S UNIVERSITY

GUEST LECTURERS

The following are guest lecturers in the online Certificate in Religion, Peace & Justice that is offered by the Jim Forest Institute. They provide a recorded lecture in each course that they are listed in and many of them spend one hour with students via Zoom 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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Ron Dart, PhD (h.c.)

 

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.

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Mary Emily Duba, PhD

 

GUEST LECTURER IN THEOLOGY OF PEACE AND JUSTICE

 

Associate Professor of Theology, University of Dubuque Theological Seminary

 

For more on Mary Emily's experience and expertise, click here.

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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 and here.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Ted Grimsrud, PhD

 

GUEST LECTURER IN THEOLOGY OF PEACE AND JUSTICE

 

Emeritus Professor of Peace Theology, Eastern Mennonite University

 

For more on Ted's experience and expertise, click here and here.

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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 and here.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Safi Kaskas, DBA

 

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.

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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.

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Rev. David Moore, PhD

 

GUEST LECTURER IN THEOLOGY OF PEACE AND JUSTICE

 

Author, activist, and Affiliate Faculty of Theology & Culture at St. Stephen's University, New Brunswick

 

For more on David's experience and expertise, click here.

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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.

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Wendy Kroeker, PhD

 

GUEST LECTURER IN PRACTICAL NONVIOLENCE AND PEACEBUILDING

 

Associate Professor of Peace and Conflict Transformation Studies, Academic Director of CSOP, Canadian Mennonite University

 

For more on Wendy's experience and expertise, click here.

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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 and here.

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Wayne Northey

 

GUEST LECTURER IN PRACTICAL NONVIOLENCE AND PEACEBUILDING

 

Author of Justice that Transforms; former Director of M2/W2 – Restorative Christian Ministries

 

For more on Wayne's experience and expertise, click here and here.

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Lisa Schirch, PhD

 

GUEST LECTURER IN PRACTICAL NONVIOLENCE AND PEACEBUILDING / RELIGION, PEACE & CONFLICT

 

Senior Research Fellow, Toda Peace Institute; Senior Fellow, Alliance for Peacebuilding

 

For more on Lisa's experience and expertise, click here.

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Walter Thiessen, D.Th

 

GUEST LECTURER IN THE INNER TRANSFORMATION OF A PEACEMAKER

 

Professor of Psychology at St. Stephen's University 

 

For more on Walter's experience and expertise, click here and here.

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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.

Past Guest Lecturers

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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

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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

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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

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