EVENTS

What does it really mean to “love our enemies”—and how can such a command take root in our lives today? Jesus’s call to love one’s enemies extends far beyond loving those who might seem easy to love or who pose no threat to our wellbeing. Together, we’ll explore this challenging teaching through the lens of theological ethics, engaging Christian thought on what it means to have an enemy, beyond simply enduring malice or ill will. Alongside voices from the tradition, we will wrestle with how to recognize “enmity” and how the call to love our enemies might be lived in practice. Consider how this radical command might reshape our understanding of love, deepen our moral imagination, and transform the way we relate to our neighbors in a complex world.

Benjamin Durheim, PhD is an assistant professor of theology at the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University in Minnesota, where he teaches courses on social ethics, rural ministry, and liturgy. He has published articles at the intersection of social ethics and liturgy, on ecumenism, and on rural Christianity. His most recent book, Each in Our Own Language, deals with the ways social ethics takes shape in rural America.