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January 01, 1970

Matthew Bersagel Braley

About Matthew Bersagel Braley

Dr. Matthew Bersagel Braley serves as an associate professor in the Ethics, Culture, and Society Department and Director of the Honors Program at Viterbo University. He teaches undergraduate and graduate courses on racial reconciliation, social justice, peacemaking, ethics, religion, and global health. He is passionate about getting students out of the classroom and into the community to serve and learn– locally and globally through study away courses. Currently, he is working on a project highlighting creative ways persons overcome barriers to participating in the central social institutions of U.S. society - a project informed by his fellowship with the Leading Causes of Life Initiative, an international network of scholars and practitioners committed to organizing our institutions and communities around that which promotes human flourishing.

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  1. Thank you, Matthew, for a thoughtful reflection on your experiences with this class of students. You’ve provided us with important points to consider as we move forward in reaffirming and strengthening our commitment to to democracy in this country. These include things like allowing and valuing the knowledge contributions of each citizen, as Allen might put it, or allowing ourselves to be transformed by the “other,” as St. Francis might put it. Of course, students themselves also need to feel as though they have something original to contribute first, I would guess (rather than just repeating what they’ve heard). I’m wondering if and hoping that courses that use a seminar format can help foster this personal sense of agency.

    Thank you again for sharing. I very much enjoyed reading the piece.

    Reply

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