TKUC LogoTHE KING'S UNIVERSITY

COURSE NUMBER: POLI 373
COURSE TITLE: War and Peace
NAME OF INSTRUCTOR: Michael DeMoor, William Van Arragon
CREDIT WEIGHT AND WEEKLY TIME DISTRIBUTION: credits 3(hrs lect 3 - hrs sem 0 - hrs lab 0)
COURSE DESCRIPTION: Blessed are the peacemakers, said Jesus, and this course offers an interdisciplinary inquiry into the issues of war and peace in the Western tradition. The course will mix philosophical and theological approaches (just war theory, humanitarian intervention, and Christian non-violence, for example) with historical case studies (especially the Crusades and the Second World War but also reaching to contemporary conflicts such as the "War on Terror"). This will be a seminar-style course based on weekly discussion of a common set of readings. The goal is to provide students with a heightened awareness of the range of perspectives on war and peace both in the past and in our world today.

Same as HIST 373.

Prerequisites: HIST 204 or POLI 205
REQUIRED TEXTS:
  • Arthur F. Holmes, editor. War and Christian Ethics: Classic and Contemporary Readings on the Morality of War (2005)
  • Erich Maria Remarque, All Quiet on the Western Front (1928)
MARK DISTRIBUTION IN PERCENT:
Reading responses (4) 20%
Paper 1 - Book Response (1500 words)
25%
Paper 2 - Book Review (2000 words) 30%
Final Exam25%
100%
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
  • To introduce students to the major ideas regarding war and peace in the Western tradition.
  • To enable students to understand how these historic ideas influence the contemporary world.
  • To enable students to engage and critically interact with these ideas from a Christian perspective.
COURSE OUTLINE:
  • Sept 12 Introduction
  • Sept 19 Film and Discussion:  The Fog of War
  • Sept 26 Peace, War, and the Early Church:  Response #1 due in class
  • Oct 3 The Crusades:  Response #2 due in class
  • Oct 10 NO CLASS—Thanksgiving Day
  • Oct 17 The Reformation Era:  Response #3 due in class
  • Oct 24 Modernity:  Response #4 due in class 
  • Oct 31 The Thirty Years War of the Twentieth Century
    • Guest Speaker:  Dr. Mark Sandle
  • Nov 7 Conscientious Objection and Pacifism
    • Guest Panel:  Drs. Jeff Dudiak, Joanne Moyer, Scott Key, Doug Harink, Randy Haluza-Delay
  • Nov 14 Film and Discussion:  Restrepo.  Paper #1 due in class.
  • Nov 21 WMDs, Drones, and the Future
  • Nov 28 Humanitarian Intervention and RTP


Required texts, assignments, and grade distributions may vary from one offering of this course to the next. Please consult the course instructor for up to date details.

© The King's University
Maintained By Glenn J Keeler