Center for Theology and Social Analysis--Essays

An Interesting Arrival

Sat, 05 Jul 2008 01:23:07 GMT

Palestine, Jerusalem, the Middle East�all conjure up various images and thoughts. For me, it�s the birthplace of my parents and the part of my heritage that I�ve grown up with through photographs and stories, the language and food, and, most outwardly, through the conflict that has been stewing for more than half a century as noted in our history books and the media. I felt like I already knew this place, but I had never visited it until last year. This past summer, my family was able to...

A Preferential Option for the Iraqi People

Sun, 02 Dec 2007 02:40:32 GMT

Here is the last paragraph of Dahr Jamail�s book, Beyond the Green Zone: Dispatches from an Unembedded Journalist in Occupied Iraq:

If the people of the United States had the real story about what their government has done in Iraq, the occupation would already have ended. As a journalist, I continue to hold out hope that if people have knowledge of what is happening, they will act accordingly. If people in my country could hear the stories of life...

Jimmy Carter and Rachel Corrie

Sat, 17 Mar 2007 00:21:37 GMT

I am thinking of Jimmy Carter and Rachel Corrie, in how they are quite similar. Not on the surface, for who could more dissimilar: A young college student and an august former statesman. But I can think of two ways, and the first way leads to the second way of similarity. I am fond of quoting Vietnamese Buddhist teacher Thich Nhat Hanh�s 4th precept from his Order of Interbeing: "Do not avoid contact with suffering or close your eyes before suffering. Do not lose awareness of...

I'm Tired of Debating

Fri, 12 Jan 2007 04:17:33 GMT

Nina sends this to us from Philadelphia. She graduated from SLU in 2003. Born in Iran, she has memories of what war is like. For a moment close your eyes and think of an event�happy or sad. An event that shaped who you are today�An event that was so powerful that it was forever frozen in your memory�Think of the psychological power this event had on you�did it influence your personality�.your view of the world, your cynicism or optimism?

A Letter to Sister Helen Prejean

Thu, 11 Jan 2007 04:08:20 GMT

Dear Sr. Helen, My name is Megan Heeney, I am a senior studying theology at St. Louis University. I am writing to you because I have heard you speak many times, but most recently I heard you at the School of Americas Vigil in Georgia. I attended a break-out session you held on about helping you write your next book.

A Letter To Donnie Jones

Wed, 10 Jan 2007 04:11:54 GMT

April 2006 El Salvador �And that my veins don�t end in me, but in the unanimous blood of those who struggle for life.� --Roque Dalton, Como Tu. Dear Donny, I am writing this letter to say thank you for all that your life, your friendship taught. I need to express what your experience has resurrected within me this past year. A year ago we were saying our goodbyes. We stood outside where they issued your injections, three in a row, real quick so that people...

A Semester at Karen House

Mon, 08 Jan 2007 03:06:12 GMT

A sophomore at Saint Louis University, Gabrielle volunteered at Karen House in the fall of 2006 when she was taking Social Justice class. In spring of 2007, she will be studying in Mexico. My time spent at the Karen House was scheduled through the visits of Saint Louis University�s volunteer organization SLUCAP (Saint Louis University Christian Action Program) on Saturday mornings. Instead of sleeping in and savoring the first full day of the weekend like most college students, I...

Nunca Mas

Sat, 16 Dec 2006 04:35:12 GMT

Liz wrote the following essay for her Social Justice class at Saint Louis University in fall 2006. Before coming to Saint Louis University and really before Social Justice class, I didn�t know about the School of the Americas. Through being educated by Social Justice class, Pax Christi, and a few select individuals, I expanded my knowledge of the SOA. Through knowledge expansion, my opinion became stronger and I decided that I would go to Georgia. I wanted to see what it was all about....

From Darfur to Palestine

Wed, 29 Nov 2006 15:22:58 GMT

Recently the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, DC sponsored an unusual exhibit, "Darfur: Who Will Survive Today?" Photographic images of the genocide in Darfur are flashed to incredible size at night outside on the wall of the Museum.

Remembering the Palestinian Catastrophe

Mon, 27 Nov 2006 12:53:04 GMT

Wednesday 29 November marks the passage of the 1947 United Nations General Assembly Resolution 181. As the result of the deliberations of this body, historic Palestine, which had most recently been under a British Mandate, was divided into three parts. Two states were created, an Arab one comprising 42% of the land, and a Jewish one, receiving 56%; the third part, the remaining 2% centered around Jerusalem and was to come under international governance.