Next month Whitworth University will welcome Whitworth alumna and assistant professor of political science at Oklahoma State University Laura Thaut Vinson to campus for a lecture, “When Religion Becomes a Source of Violence: Insights from Muslim-Christian Communal Violence in Northern Nigeria.”
Trying to predict and prevent all acts of violence is impossible, whether in a mosque or a church, a movie theater or a school. But developing strategies to prevent and intercept the threat of an active shooter or other potential violent attacks has increasingly become a priority for America’s houses of worship.
In another post on this website Eric Blauer has shared his struggle with the relationship between violence and faith. If you haven’t read it, please do; it is an important statement. My own journey has led me to a conclusion that might or might not be different from Eric’s, but it feels to me like it is in the same neighborhood.