Peacebuilding and Spirituality in El Salvador

This course explores the way theological ideas become operationalized in a social movement, using El Salvador as a case study.  Students will visit El Salvador under the guidance of Chance Alas, who used the tenets of liberation theology to establish the first Christian base communities in El Salvador and continues to work on El Salvadoran religious peacebuilding.  Subjects covered include the implication of theology in the colonization of Latin America, the emergence of liberation theology and Christian base communities , and current activities in peacebuilding involving theology, economics, ecology, and Mayan and settler spirituality.  Students must attend a day of preparation, seven days of travel in El Salvador, and a day of post-travel debriefing.  This course counts as a designated elective in Church and Community OR Spirituality (at Emmanuel).