Nonviolence Through the Ages

Martin Luther King Jr., Atlanta GA Southern Christian Leadership Conference office 1966. Photograph by Bob Fitch

This week, Nonviolence Radio brings together four voices, each one exploring a different aspect of nonviolence. We hear from religion scholar, activist and writer, Francesca Po; advisor to the Secretary General of Pax Christi International, Marie Dennis; pastor at Clackamas United Church of Christ, Adam Ericksen; and senior lecturer in the Peace, Justice and Conflict Studies Program at DePaul University, Ken Butigan. 

Their varied interests help us to trace the deep roots of nonviolence in our history; to understand how contemporary, post-New Age ‘Self Religion’ breeds curiosity and tolerance; to see the ways the Catholic Church is becoming (again) a source of and support for nonviolence education; and finally, to recognize that the ‘scapegoat mechanism’ rests on a misunderstanding of scripture and can be fruitfully replaced with an empowering model of nonviolent action.

These four speakers, given their distinct perspectives, enlarge and enrich our understanding of nonviolence and reveal it to be a dynamic and powerful force, one with a long past and an increasingly mighty present.

Transcript archived at Waging Nonviolence