Given the individualistic, divisive, revenge-oriented environment in which we find ourselves, Jesus’s blessing upon “the peacemakers” at the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:9) may sound unrealistic and out of touch. Are Jesus’s disciples to be tangibly involved in peacemaking, or is Jesus articulating a theoretical and aspirational ideal? In short, is peacemaking central to the missional calling of Jesus’s followers? Join us as we explore the Sermon afresh during these fraught and challenging times.

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR
Michael Barram, PhD is a professor in the Department of Theology & Religious Studies at Saint Mary’s College of California. In addition, he is a member of and regularly teaches at First Presbyterian Church of Berkeley. As a biblical scholar, Barram’s work focuses on the formative function of biblical texts for moral and economic reasoning—and on the emerging subfield of biblical interpretation known as missional hermeneutics. He is the author of Mission and Moral Reflection in Paul (Lang, 2006); Missional Economics: Biblical Justice and Christian Formation (Eerdmans, 2018); co-editor of the recently-released anthology, Reparations and the Theological Disciplines: Prophetic Voices for Remembrance, Reckoning, and Repair (Lexington, 2023); and co-author of the forthcoming Liberating Scripture: An Invitation to Missional Hermeneutics (Cascade, 2024).

LOCATION: First Presbyterian Church Berkeley

Fee: $35 general admission, or a "living lightly" rate of $15. Students are free.

Light refreshments will be provided.
Other details to follow.