These pieces were written in a Bates Religious Studies course this past spring called “Religion, Violence and Nonviolence” that explored relationships among religious beliefs, violence and nonviolence in a variety of traditions and contexts, both local and global. 

As part of the course, students interviewed local community members involved in religiously based peace-building and social-justice activities and produced public-awareness materials, like these essays, to help highlight some of the important work being done in our own backyard.