Upcoming Events and News
BU Faculty Combine Academics and Activism—with Social Justice at the Core
Dr. James McCarty, Director of the Tom Porter Religion and Conflict Transformation Program, was profiled in Bostonia Magazine along with several other BU faculty for their activism and its relationship to their academic work. An excerpt of the article is below: James McCarty, a School of Theology assistant clinical professor of religion and conflict transformation, has also spent years building relationships with local communities. The director of theTom Porter Program on Religion & Conflict Transformation, McCarty is a restorative justice, transformative justice, and conflict transformation practitioner and researcher—that is, he works with people and organizations to repair harms caused by racism, violence, and oppression. As a Korean American, McCarty has always felt a commitment to racial justice. In 2014, he started as a chaplain at Seattle University. Not long after, Eric Garner was killed by a New York City police officer, and the Black Lives Matter movement gained national attention. In response, he... More
Dr. David Anderson Hooker Serving as Visiting Professor of Religion and Conflict Transformation
Boston University School of Theology is pleased to announce the appointment of David Anderson Hooker as visiting associate professor of religion and conflict transformation for the fall 2023 semester. Dr. Hooker will be teaching two courses this fall, TC 871 Spiritual Formation for Peacebuilders and TS 807 Transitional Justice and Reconciliation: Healing and Collective Wounds. Dr. Hooker is a lawyer and former community psychologist with more than 35 years’ experience as a mediator, trainer, and community builder, and his life’s work will be integral for students who wish to learn restorative and healing justice processes. “Dr. Hooker brings global perspectives and hands-on engagement with communities across the world to his teaching,” says G. Sujin Pak, dean of the School of Theology. “Drawing upon his knowledge, skills, and expertise in theology, law, and public health, he implements an exquisite framework and set of practices that wrestle with issues of memory, historical harms, and the role of narrative in shaping human beliefs... More
Congratulations to Our 2023 Certificate Recipients!
We had thirteen students graduate with the Religion and Conflict Transformation Certificate in Spring 2023. Congratulations to each of you! The names of those who completed all requirements for the certificate are listed below: Barton, Rachel, Judith (BU, 2023) Blair, David (BU, 2023) Bryans, Darrah (BU, 2023) Carman, Daniel, Anthony (BU, 2023) De Grood, Anine (BU, 2023) Gosen, Evan (BU, 2023) Kelly, Kasey (BU, 2023) Ney, Christopher (BU, 2023) Park, Yewon (BU, 2023) Perry, Cynthia (BU, 2023) Reynolds, Adam (BU, 2023) Saha, Rumni (BU, 2023) Yuen, Stacey (BU, 2023)
Leading in a Good Way
Director McCarty led the Anna Howard Shaw Thursday lunch lecture series on February 16, 2023 by introducing the group to peacemaking circles. He offered a primer on what peacemaking circles are and some key principles of leading a circle to be a healing tool in a community.
Director McCarty Elected to SCE Board of Directors
James McCarty, Assistant Clinical Professor of Religion and Conflict Transformation and Director of the Tom Porter Religion and Conflict Transformation Program The Society of Christian Ethics (SCE) announced in a recent social media post that Assistant Clinical Professor of Religion and Conflict Transformation James McCarty has been elected to their Board of Directors. The non-denominational SCE was founded in the 1950s and today has more than 850 active members, including professors of ethics and clergy members, as well as scholars of social policy. The Society promotes research in the fields of Christian ethics and moral theology, among others, as well as addresses global and local contextual issues of human rights and social justices. “I am excited to join the board of the largest and most prestigious organization devoted to the work of Christian ethics,” says Prof. McCarty. “The SCE has been an intellectual and spiritual home for my entire career and serving in this leadership position... More
Director McCarty Featured in BU Today
The following is an excerpt from BU Today’s article “Why We Need More MLK in Schools” by Steve Holt, featuring Assistant Clinical Professor of Religion and Conflict Transformation James McCarty, published on November 29, 2022. Click here to read the full article. BU Today: As a King scholar, what was your first reaction to hearing that initial drafts of Virginia’s public school curriculum mostly erased King from its K-5 history and social sciences requirements? McCarty: My initial thoughts are that it is truly incredible to think that King, perhaps the most recent addition to the pantheon of American democratic heroes (if the Washington Mall is any indication), is not appropriate for students preparing to become citizens. King was a Christian pastor, a champion of democracy who secured voting rights for millions, quoted Thomas Jefferson regularly, and is an internationally influential voice for peace—but he’s too dangerous for youth to learn about? It raises the question of what is actually so dangerous about... More
BUSTH Welcomes New Director of Tom Porter Religion and Conflict Transformation Program
May 2022 – Boston University School of Theology (BUSTH) is pleased to announce the appointment of new full-time faculty member James (Jimmy) McCarty, who will begin at the end of July 2022. Dr. McCarty will join the faculty as Assistant Clinical Professor of Religion and Conflict Transformation and Director of the Tom Porter Religion and Conflict Transformation Program. Read more here.
Interview with Bishop Susan Hassinger
In appreciation of Bishop Hassinger’s teaching and mentoring at STH, and her longstanding leadership with the RCT program, Oscar Guana, MDiv, RCT Research Assistant, conducted the following interview in celebration of her retirement this summer. To read the interview with Bishop Hassinger, click here.
Upcoming Events
Tues. Jan. 29th - "A New Religious Call for the Elimination of Nuclear Weapons" - a lecture and conversation with James Carroll; STH 325, 4pm Thurs. Jan. 31st - Partakers Info Session and Orientation; STH 111B, 3:30p
Upcoming Events
November 10th - RCT Fall Retreat Guest Speaker: Rev. Cornell Brooks
Upcoming Events
Wed. October 3rd – Conversation with Rev. Jedediah Mannis, Pastor of the Outdoor Church of Cambridge, on his experience of ministry with men and women experiencing homelessness. Muelder Chapel, 1-2:30p. Wednesdays mornings in October – Free Aikido Lessons with Brian Blancke, Ph.D., Shodan and instructor at Aikido Tekkojuku of Boston. 7:30am each Wednesday at the Rec Center. Wed. October 24th – “Transforming Conversations in Divisive Times: Meeting the Challenge in Communities of Faith” – 9a – 4:30p at Hebrew College. A day-long workshop with leading practitioners in facilitating dialogues in our polarized communities. Sat. November 10th -- RCT Annual Fall Retreat at STH
Upcoming Events
Upcoming Events 2018 September 17th, 6p-8p -- Welcome Back potluck & social for RCT students and faculty; At the home of co-director Tom Porter in Wellesley