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CMU Press Publishes Gordon Zerbe Book on Apostle Paul

IMG_5287Gordon Zerbe webJanuary 31, 2013 – CMU PRESS is pleased to announce the publication of Citizenship: Paul on Peace and Politics, by Gordon Zerbe. Citizenship is a collection of essays that offers “a revisiting of Paul’s theological  vision and practical activism around the theme of citizenship.”

Gordon Zerbe is Professor of New Testament at Canadian Mennonite University (CMU), Winnipeg, Manitoba. He is the author of Non-Retaliation in Early Jewish and New Testament Texts, as well as numerous articles in books and journals. Zerbe recently contributed two essays in The Colonized Apostle: Paul through Postcolonial Eyes (edited by Christopher Stanley; Fortress Press, 2011): “The Politics of Paul: His Supposed Social Conservatism and the Impact of Postcolonial Readings;” and “Constructions of Paul in Filipino Theology of Struggle.”

Mark Reasoner, author of Romans in Full Circle: A History of Interpretation, describes this book as “a wonderful introduction to social and political issues in the Pauline corpus, making a significant contribution in Pauline studies and in political theology.”

Neil Elliott, author of The Arrogance of Nations: Reading Romans in the Shadow of Empire, describes these essays as “exegetically judicious and boldly creative,” and adds that “by organizing these essays around aspects of ‘citizenship,’ Zerbe provides the most nuanced and compelling description we have yet seen of the political dimensions of the apostle’s thought and praxis.”

The chapters in the book are organized according to the citizenship themes of loyalty, mutuality, and security. Essays in the first section, “loyalty,” draw attention to the fundamental personal and corporate dynamics of citizenship in the context of Paul’s ecclesial politics. The second section, “mutuality,” is centred mainly on the internal features of the Messianic assembly as a citizen community, including its approach to social diversity and economic disparity. The third section, “security,” includes essays that investigate the questions of violence, peace, and warfare in and pertaining to Paul’s writings. A last section, “affinities,” engages Paul’s perspective with broader conversation partners beyond the fields of biblical and theological studies.

Zerbe attributes his most significant inspiration for the interpretation of Paul to four years of learning and teaching in the Philippines, as visiting professor at Silliman University Divinity School, Dumaguete City (1996-98, 2002-04). Born and raised in Japan, Zerbe continues to take an interest in inter-cultural engagement, having completed an MA in Cultural Anthropology from Western Washington University (1987).

Professor Gordon Zerbe holds a PhD in New Testament from Princeton Theological Seminary (1991) and has taught at CMU since 1990.

CMU PRESSis an academic publisher of scholarly, reference, and general interest books at Canadian Mennonite University. Books from CMU Press address and inform interests and issues vital to the university, its constituency, and society. Areas of specialization include Mennonite studies and works that are church-oriented or theologically engaged. Visit www.cmupress.ca

For more information about Citizenship: Paul on Peace and Politics, or to request a review copy, contact:

Paul Friesen at cmupress@cmu.ca or 1-204-885-2565 ext. 659.

Citizenship: Paul on Peace and Politics is available from theCMU Bookstore, locatedat 500 Shaftesbury Blvd., Winnipeg.

Contact cmubookstore@cmu.ca; telephone 204.487.3300.

The book can also be ordered online at cmupress.ca

Citizenship:

Paul on Peace and Politics

Gordon Mark Zerbe

CMU Press, 2012 | xii + 276 pages, paper | $26.00

ISBN 978-0-920718-93-3

 

An Excerpt from the Introduction

From Citizenship: Paul on Peace and Politics (CMU PRESS)

While the specific language of citizenship may not be frequent in Paul’s writings, I am increasingly finding it to be a vital framework for understanding Paul’s apostolic letters, and for reflecting on the contemporary implications of his legacy. Indeed, whereas discipleship (or “following,” German “Nachfolge”) has been the core watchword in my own Anabaptist-Mennonite tradition, I find that word easily susceptible to an individualist interpretation or practice. The notion of citizenship, however, not only conjures up the crucial element of personal loyalty and practice, but also that of a social and global-ecological vision, formation, and identity (even if an identity that confounds prior identities, or undermines the very notion of identity)—that is, altogether, a politics.

In the usage of this volume, politics does not refer narrowly to the business of governing or to relating to a government. Rather, it is used in its more general sense as being and forming a polity, a citizen-community, participating in a social formation, whether as a particular community, or in relation to a society (and its ruling, political structures) or the global neighbourhood more generally. The Jewish historian Josephus (ca. 37-100), a near contemporary of Paul and similarly both a Pharisee and a dual citizen of Judea and Rome, is the first writer to use the Greek term “theocracy” (theokratia), as a way to describe the distinctive polity of Israel-Judea, relative to other political formations (e.g., kingship, democracy, oligarchy). This notion involves the basic concept of all of life under the rule of God, and roughly a synonym of “the kingdom of God.”

As with Josephus, the kind of personal and global vision that motived Paul cannot be subsumed under the constricted category of what we think of as “religion,” having to do with what is specifically spiritual or narrowly supernatural, or that which pertains to matters of personal, private encounter in relation to the divine, as somehow sequestered from other arenas of living and interacting. Instead, the horizon of both Josephus and Paul is much better described as “theo-political,” and in Paul’s case, the particular polity under construction could be called a “christo-cracy”—a specifically Messianic political formation, something that would have made the elite, high-priestly Josephus uncomfortable. Granted, in both Josephus and Paul, the “ruling power” (kratia, whence “-cracy”) of God is mediated: for Josephus, it was properly mediated through high-priestly oligarchs (and thus represents what the Greeks called “aristocracy,” the “rule of the best, most worthy”); for Paul, it is mediated directly through Messiah, although that direct rule also requires a kind of interim, provisional mediation (a flexible leadership structure gifted through the Spirit, and otherwise anarchic), insofar as it is socio-political formation, as Christ’s very body, yet to be fully realized. While Josephus and Paul may have agreed in principle on the notion of “theocracy,” their visions diverge dramatically. Paul’s Messianic politics is a world-transforming (not world-ending) vision of politics from below, from the margins, from the inside, or as he also puts it “from above” (“from heaven,” Phil 3:20; “from Zion,” Rom 11:26)—a radical future impinging on the present (1 Cor 7:29-31; 10:11). It is oriented to the “Jerusalem above,” God’s “free city,” the “mother” city (Gal 5:26) of a domain that will one day reunite the entire world (1 Cor 15:24-28; Col 1:15-20). The sacerdotal, high-priestly politics of Josephus is much more a politics as usual, not needing to embrace the radically disruptive. Still, the common Christian slogan—that the Jews longed for a purely political Messiah, whereas Christ was a merely spiritual Messiah—is actually wrong on both sides of the comparison.

Endorsements

Citizenship provides a wonderful introduction to social and political issues in the Pauline corpus, making a significant contribution in Pauline studies and in political theology. In ways at once accessible and profound, Zerbe articulates pressing questions and meta-questions in the ongoing quest to read Paul’s letters in light of their contexts and message for the church.

     Mark Reasoner, Associate Professor of Theology, Marian University, author of Romans in Full Circle: A History of Interpretation

These exegetically judicious and boldly creative essays spring from Zerbe’s sustained reflection, over a number of years, on the challenge that contemporary national claims on our allegiance pose to the higher claims of baptismal commitment. By organizing these essays around aspects of “citizenship,” Zerbe provides the most nuanced and compelling description we have yet seen of the political dimensions of the apostle’s thought and praxis. This welcome volume deserves the close attention of every interpreter of Paul. The Arrogance of Nations: Reading Romans in the Shadow of Empire

     Neil Elliott, adjunct instructor, Metropolitan State University and United Theological Seminary, author of The Arrogance of Nations: Reading Romans in the Shadow of Empire

With scholarly rigor and keen insight, Zerbe has captured a striking angle on Paul’s vision of the new messianic community of Jesus, too often overlooked or minimized in Pauline studies. Citizenship identifies Paul’s multi-faceted plea to adopt only one pledge of allegiance in the world of competing powers and politics: God’s Messiah-Jesus. Inquiring readers will find this exposition of “loyalty,” “mutuality,” “security,” and “affinity” in Paul’s writings richly rewarding.Jesus and Paul before Christianity

     V. George Shillington, Professor Emeritus of Biblical and Theological Studies, Canadian Mennonite University, author of Jesus and Paul before Christianity

In this stimulating volume Zerbe has brought together the fruit of a long scholarly engagement with Paul. Fully conversant with contemporary scholarship, both within and outside the church, Zerbe explores Paul’s thought with a clear and sharp eye, looking for what “citizenship” looks like for members of “Messiah’s global politics.” He succeeds brilliantly in “un-domesticating” Paul, only to reintroduce the prophetic envoy of the Messiah to those struggling to be loyal to Jesus within a world of power and violence.

     Thomas Yoder Neufeld, Professor of Religious Studies and Theological Studies, Conrad Grebel University College, author of Killing Enmity: Violence and the New Testament

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CONNECT Campaign Reaches $8.4-Million

CONNECT CMU exterior night 5webJanuary 29, 2013 – Thanks to its committed volunteer fundraisers and donors, Canadian Mennonite University’s Board of Directors has unanimously agreed to move ahead with plans for construction of the CMU Library & Learning Commons and Bridge in 2013. The Board’s decision was prompted in part by positive momentum in fundraising which saw gifts and pledges grow from approximately $5.4-million in October 2012 to $8.4-million as of January 1, 2013.

“Our CMU Board concluded that the time is right to move ahead, thanks to the generous commitments thus far of a diverse and growing community of supporters,” says CMU President Cheryl Pauls in announcing the Board’s decision to proceed. “Our constituencies are clearly behind this project and want it to proceed at the earliest possible time, as a means to benefit both our University and the broader community.”

“It is gratifying to reach the $8.4-million level this early in the public phase of our CONNECT capital campaign,” says Campaign Chair Elmer Hildebrand, who is C.E.O. of Golden West

Broadcasting Co. Ltd. “While the end-goal of the CONNECT campaign remains set at $12.6- million, the generosity of CMU supporters puts the University in a position to move confidently into the building phase and the final stretch of fully funding this important project. This Board decision will continue to build positive momentum for the Campaign.”

Next steps are for the project architects (ft3) to complete final drawings by March 1.

“At that point, we will seek City of Winnipeg permits and put the project out to tender through the builder, Concord Projects Ltd.,” says Pauls. “Once the tenders come in, we will establish the construction start date, which is likely to be early summer 2013.”

“We have reached this phase thanks to the remarkable support of our donors and the excellent leadership by our CONNECT Campaign cabinet members – Chair Elmer Hildebrand, Art DeFehr, Philipp R. Ens, Bill Fast, Janice Filmon, Bert Friesen, Charles Loewen, Jake Rempel, and Tamara Roehr,” says Pauls. “There is a groundswell of support as a result of people across the country catching the vision of what this project can be. Now that we are close enough for people to know that this is really happening, it is helping our campaign.”

The CONNECT Campaign will establish a Library & Learning Commons at the heart of CMU’s Shaftesbury campus in south Winnipeg, generating vital resources and services, study and collaborative spaces, and welcoming the constituency and broader community into the life of the University. The project integrates CMU’s Bookstore with Mennonite Church Canada’s Resource Centre, and in addition includes a cafe and a pedestrian bridge to span Grant Avenue, connecting the new library to CMU’s south side campus and providing safe passage for the CMU University community.

For Campaign information:

Visit CMU’s CONNECT campaign website: www.cmu.ca/connect

Contact CMU Director of Development Abe Bergen | agbergen@cmu.ca

 

 

 

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CMU Congratulates Hildebrand, Filmon, Boldt

January 14, 2013  – His Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston, Governor General of Canada, on December 30, 2012 announced 91 new appointments to the Order of Canada. The new appointees included two Companions (C.C.), 33 Officers (O.C.) and 56 Members (C.M.).

Of particular pleasure to Canadian Mennonite University (CMU), the recent appointments to Members of the Order of Canada included Mr. Elmer Hildebrand, C.M., O.M., and Ms Janice Filmon, C.M., O.M., two Manitobans who are special friends to CMU and who serve as volunteer Cabinet Chair and volunteer Cabinet member, respectively, for Canadian Mennonite University’s CONNECT Campaign.

Also honoured, receiving the appointment of Officer of the Order of Canada, is highly decorated Paralympian Arnold Boldt, O.C., of Saskatchewan, who is a CMU alumnus. Boldt is a 1981 graduate of Canadian Mennonite Bible College, a founding college of CMU, and is a legendary athlete and role model in Canada’s athletic community.

“CMU cherishes its connections to friends and alumni,” says CMU President Cheryl Pauls. “We take particular pleasure in seeing fine Canadian citizens such as these receiving recognition for all that they do for their communities through the many civic causes to which they lend their leadership and efforts. We extend our congratulations to Elmer Hildebrand, Janice Filmon, and Arnold Boldt for the high distinction they have received through their Order of Canada appointments.”

The Order of Canada was established in 1967, Canada’s centennial year, by Queen Elizabeth II. Appointments are made upon the recommendation of the AdvisoryCouncil for the Order  of Canada. The motto for the Order of Canada is the Latin phrase, desiderantes meliorem patriam – “they desire a better country.” There are three levels of service within the Order of Canada – Companion, Officer, and Member. Services of investiture will be held in 2013.

A Christian university in the Anabaptist tradition, CMU offers undergraduate degrees inarts, business, humanities, music, sciences, and social sciences, as well as two graduate degree programs. CMU has over 1,600 students, including Menno Simons College and Outtatown students, and is a member of the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC). 

 

Government of Canada Citations*

 

MEMBERS OF THE ORDER OF CANADA

Elmer Hildebrand, C.M., O.M. – Winnipeg, MB

For his contributions to the development of community service radio in western Canada and to various charitable causes.

 

Janice Filmon, C.M., O.M. – Winnipeg, MB

For her tireless commitment to a variety of charitable causes, ranging from cancer research and treatment to youth and human rights.

 

OFFICERS OF THE ORDER OF CANADA

Arnold Boldt, O.C. – Saskatoon, SK

For his achievements in sport and for his contributions as a role model for people with disabilities.

 

 *http://www.gg.ca/document.aspx?id=14904

 

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Weaver and Campbell Perform “Paraguay Primeval” at CMU

Weaver, on piano, and Campbell
Weaver, on piano, and Campbell

January 11, 2013 – CMU welcomed guest artists Carol Ann Weaver, composer and pianist, from Conrad Grebel College, University in Waterloo, Ontario, and Rebecca Campbell, singer and songwriter, to present their unique recital, titled, “Paraguay Primeval.” The recital took place on January 11, 2013 in CMU’s Laudamus Auditorium before an appreciative audience.

“Paraguay Primeval” by Carol Ann Weaver is a musical work featuring stories of Mennonites who fled to Paraguay from Russian and Canada in the 1920s and beyond.

“The January 2013 Manitoba tour takes this music to some of the very people who were born in Paraguay but have moved back to Canada,” says Dean of CMU’s School of Music, Dr. Janet Brenneman. The hope is that the stories will be thus celebrated.

Recently released on CD, “Paraguay Primeval” helps to tell the extraordinary story of Mennonites finding new “Promised Land” by moving to Paraguay from Canada in order to retain their own schools, and from Russia to flee the Bolshevik Revolution and the Stalinist regime. Once in Paraguay, theseMennonites settled in the “green hell” of the Chaco, suffering typhoid and other illnesses, but ever building colonies, growing crops, and maintaining livestock, while creating schools, churches, hospitals, and industries that lured back many indigenous peoples.

Weaver says about the work: “My brief visit to the Chaco, in July, 2009, following the Mennonite World Conference in Asuncion, Paraguay, was a moving experience. What stole my heart, while travelling to these colonies, was a sense of incredible dedication to this new land as voiced by these Mennonites in their strong singing. I was particularly struck by a statue of a woman behind a plow, representing women who had lost their husbands during Stalin years in Russia.”

Weaver notes that texts are derived from Rudy Wiebe’s Blue Mountains of China (with its vivid and poetically written Paraguayan sections), Dora Dueck’s Under The Still Standing Sun, and Henry and Esther Regehr’s translated Schoenbrunn Chronicles, compiled by Agnes Balzer and Lieselotte Dueck and written by Paraguayan Mennonite settlers. “Basic journal entries (in Schoenbrunn Chronicles) yield starkly perfect lyrics,” says Weaver, “especially those recounting deaths in the Harms family, or adventures of Uncle Hans in the well.”

Carol Ann Weaver is an eclectic composer, pianist, writer, and music professor atConrad Grebel University College, University of Waterloo. Her music has been heard throughout North America, in Europe, Africa, Korea and Paraguay.  She has produced seven CDs and tours extensively with vocalist Rebecca Campbell, often doing African or Mennonite-themed music. She previously taught at WLU, at [then] Mennonite Brethren Bible College (a founding college of CMU) in Winnipeg, and at EMU in Virginia.

Acclaimed singer and songwriter Rebecca Campbell is one of the most evocative, exquisite vocalists in Canada. Singing professionally since 1986, she has toured extensively with Justin Haynes, Jane Siberry, Fat Man Waving, Three Sheets to the Wind, Lynn Miles, Ian Tamblyn, and Carol Ann Weaver. She has performed across Canada, the United States, England, Ireland, Spain, and Trinidad-Tobago. Her CDs receive high critical acclaim.

For a description of the project and performers, recital schedules, and information on purchasing CDS, visit

http://arts.uwaterloo.ca/~caweaver/concert.html

 

 

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CSOP Instructor Ouyporn Khuankaew – Activist, Peace Trainer, Role Model

CSOP 2012 Instructor Ouyporn Khuankaew
CSOP 2012 Instructor Ouyporn Khuankaew
CSOP 2012 Instructor Ouyporn Khuankaew

January 11, 2013 – Ouyporn Khuankaew travelled a long way to teach at the 2012 Canadian School for Peacebuilding (CSOP) at Canadian Mennonite University (CMU) last summer – and she says that it was well worth her journey.

Khuankaew is a Buddhist feminist peace trainer who has been working with activists in South and Southeast Asia since 1995. In 2002, she co-founded International Women’s Partnership for Peace and Justice (IWP) which runs its own center and workswith activists in Burma, India, Sri Lanka, and Thailand, teaching Buddhist peacebuilding, non-violent action, counselling for trauma survivors, leadership for social change, gender, and sexuality, feminism and Buddhism for change, and meditation retreats for activists. On a personal level, she is a domestic trauma survivor – and that experience, along with the injustices and gender inequality she has witnessed in South and Southeast Asia – led her to pursue a life dedicated to peacebuilding, and to inspiring a new generation of women to do the same.

“My experience at the Canadian School of Peacebuilding was wonderful,” Khuankaew shares. “I loved how the event was organized, with an emphasis on small groups and integrating diverse groups of people. Everyone was so welcoming, so eager to know each other. We were really able to accomplish a lot in a very short period of time. The students especially were very analytical and engaged – especially the young women – and it was exciting to see.”

“I hope that the course that I taught inspired them,” she continues. “When I was young, we didn’t have role models for women doing this kind of work. I hope that I can be that kind of mentor, increasing women’s confidence and helping them connect with likeminded people so they don’t feel alone in their passions and their efforts. I feel a responsibility to help create a space for women to feel connected and empowered. No one is alone.”

“Peacebuilding has become one of the major issues of this generation. We are all in need of peace, whether in family conflicts or widespread war,” says Kuankaew. “I admire CMU’s commitment not just to peace, but to peacebuilding, and the way they are involving women in the solution. In my work, I have seen the impact of feminine involvement. In Burma, when we teach women to be peacebuilders, they can go back and teach men and women, and they help to increase the role and status of women in their communities.”

Khuankaew feels strongly about equipping women as leaders in the peacebuilding process. “In our culture, we assume that women are natural peacemakers,” she says. “We see this role at work in our families – and as important as that is, this role should not be confined to the home. We need it on a global level. A woman’s perspective and approach is different than a man’s. We are uniquely qualified to be peacebuilders. From a young age, we are trained through gender roles to be caring and loving, to share and listen and experience – and that is the foundation of peacemaking. It doesn’t need to be taught. We intuitively understand the emotional and psychological aspects of peacebuilding. We need to be committed to deliver the training required to empower women to take that understanding and use it to impact the world around them.”

“We need to use our hearts, and use more than intellect and logic to solve our issues,” says Khuankaew. “Our world is in trouble because we use our heads without our hearts. When we use our hearts, there’s no argument or anger there – it equalizes us. Women are more in touch with that. But in the end, we all need to work together. It’s not a matter of men versus women, it’s humans working toward a solution, together.”

Canadian Mennonite University, through its Menno Simons College (located at The University of Winnipeg) and its Winnipeg Shaftesbury campus, and through CSOP, offers one of the most comprehensive undergraduate programs in peace and conflict studies in the world. Located in Manitoba, CMU has over 1,600 students enrolled through its two campuses and its Outtatown discipleship program. CMU is a member of the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada. Visit www.cmu.ca

For CSOP 2013 information:
Visit www.csop.cmu.ca or contact: csop@cmu.ca

Article: by Linsday Wright for CMU

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Students Thank Donors on Tuition Freedom Day

IMG_5247.JPG John,Katie Epp & grandd Becky Longhurst 144KBDecember 13, 2012 – Canadian Mennonite University gathered on November 26, 2012 to celebrate Tuition Freedom Day, recognizing the assistance of donors and of the Government of Manitoba for their generous contributions in support of higher education throughout the year.

Tuition Freedom Day is the time of year by which revenues from student tuition fees would technically run out, in terms of   paying actual costs for the student’s university education, and support from the community essentially kicks in to pick up budget costs  for the remainder of the year. From Tuition Freedom Day forward, money from government grants, from donor gifts, and funds from University’s operating budget are utilized to make higher education possible for CMU students.

CMU President Cheryl Pauls welcomed guests and brought greetings to the event from Manitoba’s Minister of Higher Education and Literacy, Hon. Erin Selby. Pauls noted that CMU operates with a budget of $13.4-million, out of which approximately $4.7 M (35%) is paid through student tuition and fees.  The Manitoba Government supports CMU with an annual grant of approximately $4.0 M (30%) while $2.9M (22%) is raised through ancillary business, meal plans, and campus rentals. The final 13% of CMU’s budget, $1.8M, reflects the generous giving of individual donors and businesses along with the undergirding of Mennonite Church Canada and Mennonite Brethren Church congregations, together supporting the Annual Operating Fund and designating support to student scholarships and bursaries. In sum, the combined gifting of government, donors, and the Church is truly significant in support of the learning of CMU’s students.

“I am honoured to be here on behalf of the CMU student body to say thank you to all of those who so generously support our education,” says fourth-year  CMU student Gabrielle Lemire, who iscompleting her Bachelor’s degree in Bible and Theology and Mathematics. “Education is so much more than just information or the way to get a job. Education has the potential to help us learn who God has created us to be in a supportiveenvironment. And this is exactly the kind of environment that CMU provides.”

“This is a time not only to celebrate what a great university CMU is; this is a time to highlight the importance of having a community to surround the students, staff, and faculty at CMU,” says Lemire, addressing the large Tuition Freedom Day gathering in CMU’s Chapel. “Going to CMU would not be possible for many of us if it weren’t for the financial support that our broader community has given. On behalf of all the studentshere at CMU, thank you for investing in us, and entrusting us with this precious gift.”

Dave Bergen, representing Mennonite Church Canada, spoke at the event on behalf of the church ownership bodies. In addressing CMU’s students, Bergen says: “It is a privilege to be here at this annual event celebrating the different partnerships and connections that make it possible for you as students to receive university education at CMU, and to be forming your understandings of vocation and life through the lens of Christian faith and theological understandings.”

MC Canada, he notes, is simultaneously an owner, a donor, and a huge cheerleader for the work of CMU. “We are one of a number of partners who believe in and support Canadian Mennonite University and its mission,” says Bergen.  “We are proud that CMU is deeply rooted in the church, and that its graduates are inspired to engage in the mission of God in many different ways. We thank God for the opportunity to be partners with you in this amazing educational endeavor.”

As part of this year’s Tuition Freedom Day 2012, CMU’s Development Office featured a special announcement of a generous endowment fund that has been created through donations from Portage Mennonite Church, which closed in July 2012. The endowed funds will generate two annual scholarships of $2,500 each for future CMU students. CMU Church Relations Director Abram Bergen was pleased to introduce Gerald and Grace Loeppky, Alma Pankratz, Tony and Astrid Peters, and Margaret Thiessen, congregational members from Portage Mennonite Church who were present to represent their church for this important announcement.

“This ‘small church that could’ leaves a large legacy, as it will support the training of future leaders and musicians at CMU,” says Bergen.

Each year, over a thousand individualdonors support CMU. Representing this important group was retired pastor couple John Epp (MBBC ’53) and Katie Epp, former music faculty member at Mennonite Brethren Bible College. The Epps have served in a number of Mennonite churches in Winnipeg since 1976.

“We are thankful to be regular and faithful donors,” says John Epp. “We support CMU with prayer and finances because it is a place of learning committed to seeking, teaching, and living the truth, as a Christian university of the church for the world.”

In 2003, he comments, the colleges Mennonite Brethren Bible College, (MBBC, a CMU predecessor college) and CMBC jointly planned and celebrated their 50th anniversary on the CMU campus. “We were two small classes with a combined total of 27 graduates, which by 2003 had shrunk to less than 20.  At our 50th celebration, we established the Class of ‘53 bursary fund of $20,000. Over the intervening years,” says Epp, “we have assisted nine students with a total of $5,836.” Eligibility for this bursary is open to all disciplines of studies.

“Our personal support for CMU combines prayer and finances,” says Katie Epp. “Scholarship and prayer are mutually complimentary, so we support and pray that all life and learning at CMU will be imbued with the heart and mind of Christ. God bless you as you keep on making it happen.”

The Epps were joined by their granddaughter, CMU student Rebecca Longhurst, at the Tuition Freedom Day celebration.

CMU Student Council President Brent Retzlaff, in closing the event, thanked guests and the CMU community for their participation and support.

Photo: Long-time donors and friends of CMU Katie Epp and John Epp, with CMU Student and granddaughter of the Epps, Rebecca Longhurst

 

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CMU Students Thank Portage Mennonite Church

IMG_5240 Portage la Prairie donors 112KB webDecember 13, 2012 – Portage Mennonite Church in Portage la Prairie may have had a small congregation, yet the vision of its members in leaving a legacy for the next generation is both generous and far-sighted. As a gift to CMU, Portage Mennonite Church, which closed on July 1, 2012, has created an endowed fund  that will generate two annual scholarships of $2,500 each to support the studies of future CMU students.

This special announcement was made by CMU Church Relations Director Abram Bergen as the Canadian Mennonite University community gathered to acknowledge appreciation to donors on November 26, 2012 at its annual Tuition Freedom Day celebration. This special student-run event recognizes the assistance of donors and of the Government of Manitoba for their generous contributions in support of higher educationthroughout the year.

“Portage Mennonite Church nurtured a small and faithful community for over thirty-five years,” notes Church Relations Director Abram Bergen. Exceptionally active for its size, it sent members to work with MCC, Canadian Foodgrains Bank, and Mennonite Church Canada programs, says Bergen.

Bergen was pleased to introduce Portage Mennonite Church congregation members Gerald and Grace Loeppky, Alma Pankratz, Tony and Astrid Peters, and Margaret Thiessen, who attended the celebration as representatives from their church.

One of the two annual awards will be given to an international student or to a student who is involved with a first or second generation church in Canada, and who will be entering or continuing full-time studies in CMU’s Master of Arts (Theological Studies or Christian Ministry) program, with the intent of preparing for a church leadership role.

The other award to be made annually will be for a full-time student entering or continuing in the Music Therapy program at CMU.

Awarding of the scholarships will begin in September 2013, continuing annually.

“We are grateful that Portage Mennonite Church has established this significant endowment to fund scholarships for our students,” says CMU President Cheryl Pauls. “This is a wonderful legacy by a caring church that clearly understood the value of higher education in a Christian setting. Thank you, friends of CMU.  Your gifts are deeply appreciated.”

 

Photo: Portage Congregation members accompanied by students and faculty and staff at CMU during their November 2012 scholarship announcement. Back row, l to r: CMU students Sheralynn Neff, Angela Neufeld, Arlana Mueller, Andrew Brown, Dean of Music Dr. Janet Brenneman, Margaret Thiessen. Front row, l to r: CMU Graduate School of Theology and Ministry Director Dr. Karl Koop, Astrid Peters, Tony Peters, Gerald Loeppky, Grace Loeppky, Alma Pankratz, and Church Relations Director Dr. Abram Bergen. 

 

 

 

 

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Conversations on Food, Faith, Eating, and the City

December 5, 2012 – On World Food Day 2012, Canadian Mennonite University (CMU) was excited to co-host the second event in the Germinating Conversations series on Food, Faith, Eating, and the City. The series is a partnership between CMU, the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) Manitoba Peace Program, and A Rocha Prairie Canada.

The October 16 event presented perspectives from five different urban dwellers, reflecting on their faith and how that impacts their food choices. They all answered the question: As an eater, what do you wish food growers understood about how you buy and eat food?

“We wanted to include diverse perspectives – from people who subscribe to the 100 Mile Diet to people who are fast food regulars,” said Kenton Lobe. “The idea was to bring these people together with food growers and other consumers and to create an environment for listening and learning.”

Deanna Zantingh, a CMU student, was one of the presenters. “As a rural farm girl turned urban eater, I have come to appreciate both sides of this complex conversation. My presentation was based on my ‘Alice in Wonderland’ experience of existing in two very different worlds that don’t always understand each other. Going in, my hope was to function as a bridge builder and lay a foundation for truthful engagement that incorporated all stakeholders – eaters and growers – without backing away from tough issues. I walked away very encouraged.”

Another presenter, DeLayne Toews, works at CMU Farms and Winnipeg Harvest. He shared his journey to incorporate the principles of Micah 6:8 – “…to do justice and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God” – in all areas of his life, including how he eats. “I’ve come to see that the food I eat is a way that I can live these passages out,” he explained. “For me, food has become one of those places where I can grasp how faith interacts concretely in my everyday life. I try to beenvironmentally and socially responsible in my choices, buying locally and directly whenever possible, and looking for products that are organic and fair trade. That said, there is so much to learn from nearly every place on the spectrum. God is at work at many places in the food system.”

“It was so encouraging to see the dialogue that came out of this event,” Lobe continued. “After the presentations were over, I watched as one of the Province’s largest conventional farmers and an organic 100-mile eater got into a really friendly conversation. It was wonderful to see.”

The event’s organizing partners are working to make the presentations available online and are considering future events. Visit www.mccmanitoba.ca for details.

A Christian university in the Anabaptist tradition, CMU offers undergraduate degrees in arts, business, humanities, music, sciences, and social sciences, as well as two graduate degree programs. CMU has over 1,600 students, including Menno Simons College and Outtatown students, and is a member of the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC).

Article written by Lindsay Wright for CMU.

 

 

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Renowned Instructors Join in CSOP 2013

December 4, 2012 – Canadian School of Peacebuilding (CSOP), an annual summer peace and justice program of Canadian Mennonite University (CMU), in 2013 welcomes seven renowned instructors over two weeks, each to teach a week-long intensive course that will engage participants in issues related to peace, justice,   and conflict resolution.

“I continue to be amazed by the quality of our students, who arrive ready to listen and to learn from one another,” says CSOP Co-Director Valerie Smith, noting that the peace-justice summer school is now in its  fifth year of operation. “We draw students from around the world, coming from diverse backgrounds. They    are incredible people.  They arrive ready to engage with one another  and it is amazing to see the depth of their conversations by the end of a week together. CSOP’s first session, June 17-21, features three courses: “Healing the Wounds: Peacebuilding through Transformative Theatre,” led by Armand Volkas; “Human Rights and Indigenous Legal Traditions,” by Val Napoleon; and “Collaborative & Culturally Responsive Partnerships,” by Wendy Kroeker.

Courses in the second session, June 24-28, are: “Train the Trainer: Working for Conflict Transformation,” led by Karen Ridd; “Reconciliation & Forgiveness: Exploring Biblical & Contemporary Understandings,” by Ched Myers and Elaine Enns; and “Finding Your Voice: Understanding Nonviolent Action for Today’s Complex World,” by Mubarak Awad.

The Canadian School of Peacebuilding aims to educate on peace and justice issues and encourage discussion in a collaborative environment. The goal is for participants to leave these sessions with a new understanding of emerging ideas in peace studies, encouraged to take these practices into their daily living.  In addition to the CSOP summer program, courses are available year-round at CMU’s Shaftesbury and Menno Simons College campuses.

Through its Menno Simons College campus at The University of Winnipeg and its south Winnipeg Shaftesbury campus, CMU offers one of the most comprehensive undergraduate programs in peace and conflict studies in the world.  Located in Winnipeg, Manitoba, CMU has over 1600 students in its programs. CMU is a member of the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada.

 

Canadian School of Peacebuilding Instructors, June 2013

Mubarak Awad is the founder of the National Youth Advocate Program in different locations in United States, which provides alternativefoster care and counseling to “at risk” youth and their families. He is also the Founder of the Palestinian Center for the Study of Nonviolence in Jerusalem, Palestine, and was deported by the Israeli Supreme Court in 1988after being jailed for organizing activities involving nonviolent civil disobedience. Mubarak has since formed Nonviolence International, which promotes peace education and nonviolent action in dealing with political and social issues and works with various movements and organizations across theglobe. He has also been an adjunct professor at the American University in Washington, DC since 1989 at the School of International Studies, focusing on promoting dialogue and transforming post-conflict societies and teaching graduate courses on Methods and Theory of Nonviolence. Mubarak was born in Jerusalem, Palestine and currently resides in Gaithersburg MD, USA.

Elaine Enns has been working in the field of restorative justice and conflict transformation since 1989 as a victim-offender dialogue facilitator, consultant, educator and trainer. She provides mediation and consultation services for individuals, churches, schools, community organizations, and businesses, and travels throughout North America teaching and training. Enns teaches part time at the Peace and Justice Academy of Pasadena, CA and is a co-founder of the Word and World School for faith based activists. Born and raised in Saskatoon, SK, she currently lives in Oak View, California, where she serves as the Program Director for the Restorative Justice Program with Bartimaeus Cooperative Ministries (BCM). She holds an MA in Theology and Peacemaking from the Mennonite Brethren Biblical Seminary in Fresno. From 1995 to 1999, Elaine served as faculty at the Center for Peacemaking and Conflict Studies, Fresno Pacific University, Fresno.  Her most recent publication is Ambassadors of Reconciliation: A New Testament Theology and Diverse Christian Practices of Restorative Justice and Peacemaking with Ched Myers (Orbis Books, 2009).

Wendy Kroeker is currently employed at Canadian Mennonite University in the Peace and Conflict Transformation Studies department and is a doctoral student at the University of Manitoba in Peace and Conflict studies.  She came to CMU from the field of international development as the Latin America Program Manager for Canadian Lutheran World Relief. As well, Wendy brings long-term experience as a  workplace/community mediator in North America and facilitator at international peacebuilding schools such as the Mindanao Peacebuilding Institute and the Northeast Asia Regional Peacebuilding Institute.  Wendy holds an M.A. in Theology from MBBS (Mennonite Brethren Biblical Seminary) , a certificate in mediation from Mediation Services and course work in the area of Religion and Conflict at the EMU (Eastern Mennonite University) Summer Peacebuilding Institute.  Wendy has facilitated trainings with community organizations in the Philippines, Burma/Myanmar, Indonesia, Cambodia, Bangladesh, India and other locations in Asia.  In 2011, Wendy served as Co-Director of the Canadian School of Peacebuilding.

Ched Myers is an activist theologian who has worked in social change movements for 35 years. With a degree in New Testament Studies, he is a popular educator who animates scripture and issues of faith-based peace and justice. He has authored over 100 articles and more than a half-dozen books, including Binding the Strong Man: A Political Reading of Mark’s Story of Jesus (Orbis, 1988/2008); The Biblical Vision of Sabbath Economics (Tell the Word,2001), Ambassadors of Reconciliation: A New Testament Theology and Diverse Christian Practices of Restorative Justice and Peacemaking (with Elaine Enns, Orbis, 2009), and most recently, Our God is Undocumented: Biblical Faith and Immigrant Justice (Orbis, 2012). Most of Myer’s works can be found at www.ChedMyers.org. Myers is a co-founder of the Word and World School (www.wordandworld.org), the Sabbath Economics Collaborative (www.sabbatheconomics.org), and the Center and Library for the Bible and Social Justice (http://clbsj.org/). He and his partner Elaine Enns, a restorative justice practitioner, live in the Ventura River watershed in southern California and work with Bartimaeus Cooperative Ministries (www.bcm-net.org).

Val Napoleon was appointed Law Foundation Professor of Aboriginal Justice and Governance at the Faculty of Law, University of Victoria, in January 2012. She is from northeast British Columbia (Treaty 8) and is a member of Saulteau First Nation. She is also an adopted member of the Gitanyow (Gitksan) House of Luuxhon, Ganada (Frog) Clan. Prior to joining the Faculty of Law at UVIC, she was an associate professor, cross- appointed with the faculties of native studies and law at the University of Alberta. Napoleon worked as a community activist and consultant in northwestern BC for over 25 years, specializing in health, education, and justice issues. She has also worked with a number of regional, provincial, national, and international projects relating to indigenous legal traditions, conflict management, education, and citizenship. Her dissertation on Gitksan law and legal theory was awarded the UVIC Governor General’s Gold Medal for best dissertation in 2009.

Her current research focuses on indigenous legal traditions, indigenous legal theory, indigenous feminism, citizenship, self-determination, and governance. Two major initiatives include the JID (joint JD and indigenous law degree) program and establishing an indigenous law clinic.

For fifteen years, Karen Ridd has been effectively using alternative teaching methodology while teaching in the Conflict Resolution and International Development Studies programs at Menno Simons College of the Canadian Mennonite University. Ridd is also a mediator, teacher, and speaker with over 20 years’ experience. Her work with Peace Brigades International was recognized with the 1992 Governor-General’s 125th Anniversary Medal, the 1990 Canada YM/YWCA Peace Medal, and the 1989 Manitoba Human Rights Achievement Award. Ridd excels in alternative pedagogy, and has worked in a wide variety of settings, including Latin America, South East Asia, and First Nations Territories.

Armand Volkas is a psychotherapist, drama therapist, and theatre director. He is clinical director of the Living Arts Counseling Center in Oakland, California. He is also associate professor in the Counseling Psychology Program at California Institute of Integral Studies and adjunct professor at John F. Kennedy University and Institute for Transpersonal Studies.

Volkas, the son of Auschwitz survivors and resistance fighters from World War II, created Healing the Wounds of History, a therapeutic approach in whichtheatre techniques are used to work with groups of participants from two cultures with a common legacy of violent conflict and historical trauma. He was moved by his personal struggle to address the issues that arose from his own legacy, including victimization and perpetration, identity, meaning and grief. Healing the Wounds of History has received international recognition for its work in bringing together groups in conflict: Descendants of Holocaust survivors and The Third Reich; Palestinians and Israelis; Japanese, Chinese, and Koreans on their legacy of WWII; Armenians and Turks on the legacy of genocide; African-Americans and European-Americans on the legacy of slavery; Tamil and Singhalese in the aftermath of the Sri Lankan Civil War and between the factions involved in the Lebanese Civil War. Volkas is also Artistic Director of The Living Arts Playback Theatre Ensemble, which is in now in its 23rd year of existence. At the heart of Armand’s work is a profound respect for the power of personal story to build bridges between people and cultures.

Volkas has an MFA in Theatre/Acting from the University of California, Los Angeles, and an MA in Clinical Psychology/Drama Therapy from Antioch University. He is a registered drama therapist and a board certified trainer with the National Association for Drama Therapy.

 

 

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Shadrack Mutabazi Maintains Hope for Congo

December 4, 2012 – Shadrack Mutabazi is a Canadian Mennonite University (CMU) student who is doing his best to concentrate on his studies and embrace his family’s new Canadian home. It’s an everyday challenge for him because even oceans can’t separate him from the trauma he’s faced in his lifetime – and the trauma that continues to plague his family  and his country.

Mutabazi was born into the Banyamulenge minority tribe in the Democratic Republic of Congo – which is to say, he was born into persecution and violence. He lived for ten years in exile in Rwanda and five years as a refugee in Uganda,  spending his life as the victim of xenophobic persecution and life threatening circumstances, witnessing unspeakable atrocities, and losing many loved ones along the way.

“I have lost many relatives – parents, uncles, brothers, cousins, colleagues, and friends – and I have narrowly escaped life threatening incidents myself. I grew up with no peace, no hope for stability,” he said.

While he’s been victimized, Mutabazi is anything but a victim. In Africa, he became an ordained pastor and founded the HOPU Organization to bring hope and peace to hurt and suffering people – both those who have been persecuted and the persecutors themselves. “Deep inside, we all have interest in finding reconciliation and forgiveness. Even the perpetrators don’t live in peace,” said Mutabazi. “HOPU uses music to repair and restore, building bridges between groups of people who have been fighting for their entire lives. We want to see reconciliation. And we will get there someday. But first, we focus on just getting people sitting in the same room together and finding some common ground – through music, poetry, and other cultural activities.”

This married father of six children has moved his family – including some of his siblings, for a total of eleven people – to Winnipeg in search of the peace and stability he’s been looking for his entire life. At CMU, he is studying Peace and Conflict Transformation Studies and he also attended CMU’s Canadian School of Peacebuilding this past summer. He hopes that advanced education will help him continue to lead his people in healing and restitution.

“One of the most important things I’ve learned during my time at CMU so far has been the power of love and forgiveness,” he said. “It sounds so simple, but I’ve discovered that you must go inward first to find love and healing so that you can help others to do the same. This truth has been profound in my life.”

His work has continued here in Winnipeg, through Shalom Christian Outreach and Heritage Outreach, and Mutabazi plans to use his degree to continue promoting peace, unity, and social justice as both a church and a community leader.

When asked about his home country and the atrocities that continue there today, Mutabazi – holding onto his innate strength and optimism – said, “I see great possibilities for peace and reconciliation in the Congo.”

“The complexity of the real situation has been unrecognized – or undermined – by the organizations that have been trying to help there,” Mutabazi explained, “but God knows what is happening in the Congo. From my experience, I know that with deep spiritual maturity, we can remain positive and learn the process that can support resolution.”

“I am one of many who have experienced this extremely challenging journey,” he said. “What has happened in my life – the killing, the fear – surpasses all human understanding. But we can still preach the message of peace, love, and justice. God promises us, in John 14:27, a ‘peace that the world cannot give.’ Peace comes from God, and God has a wonderful plan for the Congo.”

This past week, increased tensions in the eastern Congo have sent some of the remaining members of Mutabazi’s family fleeing for their lives. Some are safe for now, but have been separated from their families and fears run high. Mutabazi is looking for ways to bring more of his family into Canada.

Article written by Lindsay Wright for CMU