Certificate Courses
Peacemaking and Justice in the Palestinian Context 1 and 2 are asynchronous, guided, online courses that introduce key concepts in both the theory and practice of peacemaking and justice in the context of Palestine and Israel and as expressed by Palestinian Christians and other international scholars. Combined with the Summer Intensive in Bethlehem, these two courses comprise the Certificate Program in Peacemaking and Justice in the Palestinian Context. These courses are open to both undergraduate, graduate, and auditing students. These are three credit/hour courses offered in the Fall and Spring semesters and are 14 weeks in duration. The Fall semester course begins in mid-September and ends mid-December. The Spring semester course begins mid-January and ends mid-April.
The courses are conducted online on the learning platform of Bethlehem Bible College, ItsLearning. Lectures are delivered through recorded videos by the lecturers (see below) so participants can access the lectures at their own convenience. Students respond weekly to reflection questions posed by the lecturers. Students collaborate in teams on final “conflict mapping” projects which explore various global conflicts. The course reading material is provided online. The reading and research project assignments are adjusted for the academic level. The weekly reading assignment will be approximately 30-50 pages for undergraduate and graduate students 60-100 pages. The course instructor interacts with the students throughout the course.
Enrollment Options and Costs
Option one: Audit (non-credit basis)
Students selecting this option have no academic requirements. Auditing students have access to the video-recorded lectures and the assigned reading material without obligation to complete the writing assignments or final project. The instructor will check in with the audit students but largely they work at their own pace. The cost of tuition to audit is $240.00 for each semester-length (3 credit) course.
Option two: Credit Basis
Students selecting this option have the option to take the courses individually for credit without the obligation to take more than one course (3 credit hours) or enroll in the Summer Intensive in Bethlehem. The cost of tuition for credit is $495.00 for each semester-length (3 credit) course.
Each lecture introduces a rich perspective on the holistic discipline of peace studies
Peacemaking and Justice in the Palestinian Context 1 explores fundamental concepts in peacemaking and justice, the history of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict and present realities on the ground; Biblical theologies of peace; reflections on peace and justice from the perspective of Judaism and Islam; non-violence and peacemaking; the practice of sulha in Arab societies and how it relates to other models of reconciliation; conflict and identity in the Palestinian context; the importance of indigenous narrative; the pursuit of social justice for minority peoples in Myanmar; and the possibilities for peace and justice for all the people of Palestine and Israel.
Peacemaking and Justice in the Palestinian Context 2 builds on Peacemaking and Justice in the Palestinian Context 1 but also may be taken as a stand-alone course. This course will continue the introduction to essential tools for peacemakers in contexts of conflict throughout the world. It will explore the importance of culture in peacemaking, steps in reconciliation, the pursuit of justice for Dalits (untouchables) in India, and racial justice in South Africa; the importance of Christian and Muslim dialogue in the Middle East; Western Christian and Palestinian Christian perspectives on the Palestinian/Israeli conflict and prospects for peace; international law, human rights, and peace and justice; women in peacemaking in Israel and Palestine; spirituality and the peacemaker; and current grassroots peace initiatives in Israel and Palestine.
Lecturers in Peacemaking and Justice in the Palestinian Context 1 and 2
Palestinian Faculty
- Dr. Rula Mansour, Director, Peace Studies, Nazareth Evangelical College, Nazareth, Israel
- Dr. Salim Munayer, Founder, Musalaha, Bethlehem
- Shireen Awwad Hilal, Director, Community Outreach and Development, Bethlehem Bible College, Bethlehem
- Rev. Dr. Munther Isaac, Dean of Bethlehem Bible College, Director, Christ at the Checkpoint, Bethlehem
- Dr. Hanna Katanacho, Dean of Nazareth Evangelical College, Nazareth, Israel
- Atty. Jonathan Kuttab, Member, Board of Directors, Bethlehem Bible College, and Human Rights Attorney, Palestine
International Faculty
- Dr. Martin Accad, Chief Academic Officer, Arab Baptist Theological Seminary, Beirut, Lebanon
- Rev. Dr. Andrew F. Bush, Director, Bethlehem Institute of Peace and Justice, Professor Emeritus, Eastern University, St. David’s, Pennsylvania
- Rev. Dr. Mae Cannon, Director Churches for Middle East Peace, Washington D.C.
- Rev. Frank Chikane, Member, African National Congress, Chair, Board of Directors of the Apostolic Faith Mission Theological College, South Africa
- Rev. Dr. LaSeng Dingrin, Eastern University, St. David’s Pennsylvania
- Dr. David Elcott, Taub Professor of Practice in Public Service and Leadership at the Wagner School of Public Service at New York University
- Lisa Loden, Co-chair of the Lausanne Initiative for Reconciliation in Israel and Palestine
- Rev. Vincent Manoharan, Founder, National Campaign on Dalit Human Rights, Delhi, India
Summer (May) Intensive in Bethlehem
About the Intensive
The purpose of the two-week residential Summer (May) Intensive in Bethlehem is to provide students a first-hand experience of the challenges of peacemaking and of pursuing justice in the context of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. The intensive will help students bridge the divide between the theory they have learned in the semester-length courses and actual peacemaking on the ground. Most of the ten days of the intensive are structured around a morning time for spiritual reflection, several hours of lecture and/or field trip, followed by a debriefing about the field trip. Students will have scheduled conversations with Christian, Muslim, and Jewish leaders, peacemakers, and organizations. Students are free to explore on the weekend.
Academics
Students (taking the course for credit) will earn 6 credits for participation in the Summer Intensive. The credits will be based on the hours of classroom lectures, field experience, and reading. A final reflection paper, due two weeks after the end of the Intensive, will complete its academic requirements. The topics of the lectures and workshops will include learning to appreciate different expressions of peacemaking, the importance of spirituality and resilience in contexts of conflict, healing from trauma, culture and peacemaking, and more. Outings will include the a comprehensive tour of Jerusalem, Jericho, Bethlehem, the divided city of Hebron, a refugee camp in Bethlehem, and important peacebuilding organizations in Bethlehem and the area. On the free weekend, students are encouraged to visit places of worship and explore Bethlehem and Jerusalem. Preliminary readings and short essays will be assigned which is to be completed before students arrive at the Intensive for all course participants, both credit and audit. A final reflection paper is also assigned for credit students.
Location and Logistics
The Summer Intensive is based at Bethlehem Bible College which is in downtown Bethlehem. Students stay in the College’s guest house and have meals in its cafeteria. The room, meals during the week, and local travel for field trips are included in the local cost which is in addition to the tuition. The lectures are in the College’s classrooms. The college is located centrally in Bethlehem, so students in their free time can explore the city including the Church of the Nativity which alleges to be built over the place of Jesus’ birth. Students may extend their stay at the College after the conclusion of the Summer Intensive but should make arrangements in advance with the College to do so.
Travel Logistics
International students, unless they are traveling from Jordan, should arrive at Ben Gurion Airport during the weekend before the Intensive. The College can help arrange transportation directly from the airport to the College campus in Bethlehem. The cost of the transportation will be the student’s responsibility. More information will be provided about immigration at the Tel Aviv airport closer to the date of the Intensive.
The application deadline is April 15 for the Summer Intensive which is conducted in the last two weeks of May (approximately May 15-26) .Students should arrive on the Sunday before the beginning of the Intensive, or earlier. The cost of the Summer Intensive includes tuition for 6 credits for either Audit or Credit is $990. Local costs (guest house – double room, two meals per day during the week, and transportation on field trips) is $1300. Note: Costs may be adjusted before May 2023.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can the courses be taken out of order?
A: Yes, Courses can be taken out of order; however, preference is given for admissions to the Summer Intensive to those who are enrolled in the Certificate Program and/or already have taken the semester-length courses.
Q: Do you have to listen to the lectures at fixed times?
A. No. The lectures are pre-recorded and so can be viewed at the student’s convenience; however, students need to view the lectures within the weekly schedule.
Q: About how many hours per week do the courses require?
A: As with any university-level course, each credit hour corresponds to a minimum of 3 hours of student engagement per week. Of course this is an average over the semester. So some weeks may require less time.
Q. What is required of auditing students?
A: Audit students are those who take the course without being required to complete the assignments. They have access to all the lectures and reading as do the students taking the course for credit.
Q. Does Bethlehem Bible College issue an a transcript for the courses taken?
A: Yes, for students who have taken the course for credit, an official transcript will be provided upon request which facilitates the transfer of credits to another academic institution.