RELI 287 - Theology of the Prison

Semester Offered: Spring
1 unit(s)

How might the experience of imprisonment have influenced the development of Christian ideas about the body, salvation, and justice? Is it possible that the contemporary crisis of America’s “prison-industrial complex” demands a recovery of this aspect of the Christian tradition? In this course, students analyze the experience and representation of imprisonment in influential theological, philosophical, and literary texts from antiquity to the present. At the same time, we examine how inmates in contemporary American prisons are using a wide range of theologies and spiritual practices to heal, gain perspective, and critique unjust institutions. Doing so allows us to assess how the Christian tradition may be used to interpret and challenge American notions and policies regarding punishment and rehabilitation. Klaus Yoder.

Two 75-minute periods.