Department of Religion

Profile

Victor Thasiah teaches at the intersection of religion, ethics, politics, and philosophy. His areas of interest include: political theology; Christian ethics; global justice; human rights; religion, memory, identity, conflict, and violence; Christianity and Africa; Christianity and capitalism; and contemporary forms of anarchism. Dr. Thasiah is currently working on a book project called Rwandan Political Theology, which engages the political implications of Christianity for both church and society drawn by Rwandan Lutheran Christian communities before (as refugees) and after (as rebuilders) the 1994 genocide. He is also working on an anarchist ecclesiology.

Dr. Thasiah regularly speaks to community groups. To arrange for a speaking engagement, email him at vthasiah@callutheran.edu.

Education

• Ph.D., Theology, Oxford University (2007)
• Research Fellow, University of Tuebingen (1998)
• M.Div., Princeton Theological Seminary (1997)
• B.A., Psychology, University of California at Santa Cruz (1994)

Expertise

Courses

Early Church History and Theology (Oxford University)

The Problem of Evil, Terrorism, and Torture (Elmhurst College)

Global Ethics, Human Rights, and Religion

Violence, Religion, and Ethics

Introduction to Christianity

Contemporary Christian Ethics 

Christianity and Global Politics (2013)

Publications

Selected Articles

"Washing Your Ears: On Inter-Religious Friendships," Journal of Lutheran Ethics 11:3 (May/June 2011).

"Voluntary Poverty in the Economy of the Spirit," Journal of Lutheran Ethics 10:6 (June 2010).

"Trustworthiness: Infrastructuring a Better Chicago," AREA (Art, Research, Education, Activism) 10 (October 2010).

Selected Papers

"Ethical, Religious, Anarchist Politics," Third International Conference on Religion and Spirituality in Society, March 9, 2013.

"Second Realities: Karl Barth's Ethics and Socially-Engaged Art," Society of Christian Ethics (Pacific Meeting), February 10, 2012.

"Comprehensive Immigration Reform," Society of Christian Ethics Annual Meeting, January 8, 2010.

"Faith and Immigration Reform," Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service Briefing, Washington, D.C., October 14, 2009.

Selected Reviews

Review Essay: Christian Ethics as Witness, D. Haddorff (Cascade Books, 2010); and The Analogy of Grace, G. McKenny (Oxford University Press, 2010), Journal of the Society of Christian Ethics (forthcoming).

Holy Scripture: A Dogmatic Sketch, J. Webster (Cambridge University Press, 2003)International Journal of Systematic Theology 6:4 (October 2004) 466-469.

Admiration and Challenge: Karl Barth's Theological Relationship with John Calvin, S. Chung (Peter Lang, 2002) International Journal of Systematic Theology 6:1 (January 2004) 97-98.

Policy Studies

Proposed Social Statement on Criminal Justice (Chicago: Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, 2013). Advisor.

Draft Social Statement on Criminal Justice (Chicago: Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, 2012). Advisor.

Hearing the Cries: Faith and Criminal Justice (Chicago: Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, 2011). Editor and Contributor.

Toward Compassionate, Just, and Wise Immigration Reform (Chicago: Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, 2010). Author.