Home > 01-03 > Academic Departments > Peace Studies

Peace Studies

Department Chair: Jeffrey Anderson

Faculty: Jeffrey Anderson, Daniel Buchanan, Kelly Kraemer, Rene McGraw OSB, Ronald Pagnucco, Lawrence Sutin

What gives rise to any new field of study? A need to know. In the midst of a world of violence, technologized violence, rapid violence, instant awareness of violence, the human race needs to know about violence and nonviolence. Where is violence coming from? Can we find any way to overcome violence? Out of this need to know a new field of studies is emerging from the ashes of burnt cities and the disappearance of forests and the pollution of water. From the modern technologies of military destruction arises the need to know. As Jews and Arabs face each other across the banks of the Jordan comes the feeling, "We've got to understand this." Those who hear Christians and Jews and Muslims fighting one another in the name of God and fighting each other in the name of their sect feel the need to understand so that someday things may be different. From the death chambers deep inside of prisons comes the question, "Why this?" We need to understand so that our world and our neighborhood may be different.

Out of this need has emerged the relatively new field of peace studies. Out of this need comes the attempt to look at the history of violence and nonviolence in our world. From this need comes the desire to see how poverty and pollution and inequality generate violence. From the violence of crime and prison emerges the question of why. These "whys" of violence lead quickly to the question, "Well, now what shall we do?" Negotiation? Faith-based non-violence? Just war? Development techniques? Structural analysis of violence and nonviolence and the technologies which feed both?

The six required courses which touch on these questions are completed by a concentration in some specific arena of conflict looked at through the lenses of the humanities or the social sciences or the natural sciences.