Blessed are the Peacemakers? Rereading the Sermon on the Mount Today

ABOUT THIS SEMINAR

Given the individualistic, divisive, revenge-oriented environment in which we find ourselves, Jesus’s blessing upon “the peacemakers” at the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:9) may sound unrealistic and out of touch. Are Jesus’s disciples to be tangibly involved in peacemaking, or is Jesus articulating a theoretical and aspirational ideal? In short, is peacemaking central to the missional calling of Jesus’s followers? Join us as we explore the Sermon afresh during these fraught and challenging times.

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR

Michael Barram, PhD is a professor in the Department of Theology & Religious Studies at Saint Mary’s College of California. In addition, he is a member of and regularly teaches at First Presbyterian Church of Berkeley. As a biblical scholar, Barram’s work focuses on the formative function of biblical texts for moral and economic reasoning—and on the emerging subfield of biblical interpretation known as missional hermeneutics. He is the author of Mission and Moral Reflection in Paul (Lang, 2006); Missional Economics: Biblical Justice and Christian Formation (Eerdmans, 2018); co-editor of the recently-released anthology, Reparations and the Theological Disciplines: Prophetic Voices for Remembrance, Reckoning, and Repair (Lexington, 2023); and co-author of the forthcoming Liberating Scripture: An Invitation to Missional Hermeneutics (Cascade, 2024).

EVENT DETAILS

FPCB is located at 2407 Dana Street, Berkeley. Please join us in Geneva Hall, Room G208. This co-sponsored event includes free parking in the FPCB underground parking lot (on Channing Way). You must leave a note on your dashboard indicating the event you are attending. Light refreshments will be provided.

REGISTRATION

General Admission $35 or "Living Lightly Admission"of $15. Student Admission is Free.