Palestine (MNN) — Against a backdrop of frequent shootings and explosions in the West Bank, the Bethlehem Institute for Peace and Justice (out of Bethlehem Bible College) works for non-violence.
Andrew Bush talks about the new Master of Arts in Peace and Justice. “This is a program, an innovative, accredited, and primarily online degree is offered in partnership with St. Stephen’s University in New Brunswick, Canada. We’ve been working on this project for about three years.”
The MAPJ is a 2-year, 39-credit program. It offers courses about peacemaking and justice in the Palestinian context. Bush says, “Then, provided by St. Stephen’s University, there are courses such as The Inner Transformation of a Peacemaker (speaking of the inner spiritual development of a peacemaker).”
Other courses cover the biblical theology of peace and justice, peace and violence in the Old and New Testaments, practical non-violence, and how peacebuilding interacts with religion.
Take the course
People anywhere in the world can take this course. Interested? Visit bipj.org to learn more or to sign up.
Most of the course is fully online. Students can access lectures at their convenience. In the second year of the program, students will visit the BBC campus for a two-week field study. They will visit Bethlehem, Jericho, Hebron, Jerusalem, Nablus, and Nazareth.
Who will benefit from these courses? Bush says, “This will help people in any context. They can develop their understanding of peacemaking, reconciliation, and the complex art, so to speak, of pursuing peace and justice.”
Many students who have taken the BIPJ certificate program have gone on to work with refugees and human rights in the Middle East.
Header photo courtesy of Bethlehem Bible College.
