Sem: Heroes of Faith and Justice in the 20th Century

  • UH 300
  • Teacher: Thomas Herwig
  • Term: spring 2020
  • Credits: 3

This course introduces three distinguished symbolic figures for the commitment to faith, peace, and justice and the specific context of the conflicts with which they are associated. While the name of M.K.Gandhi is connected to the decolonization of India, D.Bonhoeffer was a prophetic figure within the resistance against National-Socialism in Germany. M.L.King Jr. symbolizes the fight for equal rights of the African-American minority in the USA. These men represent three continents (Asia, Europe, America), two religions (Christianity and Hinduism), and one vision (freedom and justice). Finally, they shared the fate of becoming martyrs because of their call to speak the truth and to encourage others not to reconcile themselves to unjust conditions. Building on the studies on life, achievements, and doctrines of the three selected historical persons, we will look at contemporary conflicts and reflect about what we may be able to take away from the historical conflicts for their solutions.