Theology and Peace -- Home

Theology and Peace gathers theologians, pastors, activists, and others interested in applying the insights of mimetic theory for the formation of an authentic and effective theology of peace.

The vision of Theology and Peace is that, with God’s grace:

A transformation of North American Christianity is necessary and possible;
We can grow beyond our historic collusion with structures of empire and violence in ecclesial, cultural and political realms;

We can grow congregations that are genuine communities of peace, nonviolence and true humanity as revealed in the ministry and person of Jesus;

Our means for such transformation include spiritual formation and education for laity and clergy rooted in the theological and anthropological understandings made available through mimetic theory.

ANTHONY BARTLETT

Anthony Bartlett studied at the Jesuit Athaneum, Heythrop Oxon, England, and Heythrop, University of London, followed by a year at the Lateran University, Rome. He got his Ph.D. at Syracuse University NY, 1999. Ordained a Roman Catholic priest in 1973 he resigned the priesthood in 1984. He worked as director of a shelter and rehab center for homeless men in London's East End. He taught as Assistant Professor of Theology at Bexley Hall Episcopal Seminary, Rochester NY, continues to teach in local priestly formation and as adjunct with GTS. With his wife, Linda, he is founder of Wood Hath Hope, a bible study community in Syracuse (www.woodhathhope.com). He is author of Cross Purposes, The Violent Grammar of Christian Atonement. His forthcoming title is Virtually Christian, How Christ Changes Human Meaning & Makes Creation New (O Books, 2010).

TONY CICCARIELLO

Tony Ciccariello is a retired dentist and spends his time volunteering in a free dental clinic in his home town of Elmira, NY . Here he treats people in great need of dental care. He also volunteers with an international organization, MEDICO, whose goal is to treat people in developing counties that do not have access to medical or dental care. These experiences have opened him to the transformative insights of mimetic theory. He is a member of COV&R and looks forward to add to the dialogue within the community of Theology & Peace.

ADAM ERICKSEN

Adam Ericksen graduated from Linfield College in McMinnville, Oregon with a BA in Religious Studies and a minor in History. He furthered his studies at Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary in Evanston, IL. At Garrett, Adam received a Masters in Theological Studies, with a concentration in Theology and Ethics. His Master's Thesis was entitled, "Love and Nonviolence in Christianity and Islam." Adam is the Educational Director at the Raven Foundation, a not for profit educational organization that seeks to foster an understanding of social influences and positive ways of addressing conflict by advancing the awareness of René Girard's insights into mimetic theory among the general public. For more information, please visit www.ravenfoundation.org.

LISA HADLER

A native of Iowa who has lived in Iowa or Illinois most of her life, Lisa holds a BA from Illinois State University in history and attended Andover Newton Theological School in Newton Center, MA. At Andover Newton, Mark Heim was her academic advisor, which would be an important step toward her interest in Mimetic Theory. Ordained to the Christian ministry in the United Church of Christ, she has served congregations in eastern Illinois. In 1995, as the director of the Victim Offender Reconciliation Program (VORP) of Champaign County, she began to think the role of the Church was to stand with victims, whether victims of crime, or the victim of cultural issues. Understanding the problems with the retributive justice system, and the ways in which the whole system is built on coercion and violence, Lisa has continued to be involved in these issues, currently as a member of the State's Attorneys Juvenile Justice Council of LaSalle County.

This work connecter her to the Christian Vegetarian Association, and its founder, Stephen Kaufman, MD. Lisa continues to be impressed with Steve's deep commitment to justice for animals, for creation, and for all victims of violence. Lisa was honored to be invited to proof Steve's book, Guided by the Faith of Christ: Seeking to Stop Violence and Scapegoating. Proofreading his book, along with some articles in the Christian Century around the same time, introduced Lisa to the work of Rene Girard. Mimetic theory allows her to see the Gospel in a way which spoke for the victims of violence, something she had really been seeking since working with VORP.

Lisa continues to read the works of Girard and others, to make use of the exegetical work of Michael Hardin and Paul Neuchterlein in doing her own exegesis and sermon preparation, and to help the Church to move away from the idea of sacred violence, and toward the peace which, too often, passes our understanding.

MICHAEL HARDIN

Michael Hardin is the Executive Director of Preaching Peace: www.preachingpeace.org. He is a long time member of the Colloquium on Violence and Religion and has published numerous essays on the mimetic theory. Michael is the author of The Jesus Driven Life (JDL Press, 2010) and co-Editor of Stricken by God? Nonviolent Identification & the Victory of Christ (Eerdmans, 2007), Peace Be With You: Christ's Benediction amid Violent Empires (Cascadia, 2010) and Compassionate Eschatology (Wipf & Stock, forthcoming 2011). He lives with his wife Lorri in Lancaster, PA and enjoys exploring the natural world, NFL football, reading and composing songs on his guitar.

REV. MARY McKINNEY

Mary McKinney is Registrar and Treasurer of Theology and Peace. After 20+ years in the pastorate, Mary McKinney took a sabbatical from ministry and worked in the private sector. When an opportunity arose to reenter ministry in the United Church of Christ, with books packed in storage Mary surfed the net for sermon preparation resources. She stumbled upon preachingpeace.org, whose founders opened to her the world of mimetic theory and the work of Rene Girard. She has since participated in three Making Peace Conferences, events at the Raven Foundation and other offerings within the field. She currently serves as our treasurer and registrar for events and membership. Mary lives with her partner, Goldy, in DeKalb, Illinois. Both of her daughters will soon be in college. Her son serves with the First Calvary as an Army Private in Iraq.

PATRICK SHANNON MULLEN

Pastor P. Shannon Mullen is a Lutheran pastor serving St. John's Lutheran, ELCA in Beaufort SC. He came to Girardian Mimetics via Paul Neuchterlein's website, Girardian Reflections. Finding a Biblical and theological hermeneutic by which to bring Jesus' proclamation of love, grace, and peace to the interpretative task has been a life-changing experience for Pastor Mullen. He has found that yes, the followers of Jesus do care about atonement theory and transformative anthropology - once it is put into everyday language!

DOROTHY WHISTON

Dorothy Whiston, D.Min., is a spiritual director with an ecumenical spirituality center called Soul Friends in Iowa City, IA and works with Kairos Restorative Justice Ministry in Iowa prisons. A practicing Roman Catholic, she is the Director of Spiritual Formation for a local Disciples of Christ church. She teaches and preaches on mimetic theory in churches and at conferences and incorporates mimetic anthropology into her spiritual guidance work. Dorothy is on the Board of the Colloquium on Violence and Relgion, the academic organization related to mimetic theory. She earned her D.Min in Spiritual Direction from the Graduate Theological Foundation in South Bend, IN.