Faith and Social JusticeThe Office of the Chaplains collaborates with many different departments and student organizations to promote justice, both at Gustavus and around the world.

Annual Events

The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration

The annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Lecture emphasizes the continuing struggle for civil rights. This year, the lecture will take place on Monday, January 15th, 2018 at 10:00 AM in Christ Chapel. The keynote address will be given by civil rights activist and sociologist Joyce Ladner and is titled "The Civil Rights Movement, Still Marching After All These Years". More information can be found at https://gustavus.edu/events/mlk/. 

Building Bridges

Building Bridges is a student organization at Gustavus Adolphus College that focuses on educating and informing community members on issues relating to social justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion. Building Bridges’ signature event is the annual Building Bridges Conference, which takes place every spring. The conference is completely organized and run by students, who choose the focus of each year’s conference. The conference aims to educate the community through keynote speakers, a series of workshops and an interactive action piece. Past topics have included: the war on drugs (2016), rape culture (2015), environmental justice (2014), and mass incarceration (2013). More information about Building Bridges can be found at https://gustavus.edu/diversity/buildingbridges/.

MAYDAY! Peace Conference

The annual MAYDAY! Peace Conference was established at Gustavus in 1981. It was founded and is sustained by the generosity of Florence and the late Raymond Sponberg of North Mankato, MN.

The Conference occurs on the last Wednesday in April or the first Wednesday in May each year. Classes are suspended or shortened so that students and faculty may attend the 10 a.m. opening convocation and keynote in the Chapel, the afternoon keynote and workshops, and the closing reception. The MAYDAY! Peace Conference is open to the public, and no fees or reservations are required to attend.

Past conference themes include:

• What Would You Do? Mass Surveillance and the Citizen (2017)
• Divestment and Reinvestment: Making Money Count (2016)
• The War Within: Can the Soldier Be at Peace? (2015)
• Tibet: Finding Hope in Exile (2014)
• Decision: Roe v Wade (2013)
• Multi Cultural Sweden (2012)
• Executing Justice—Debating Capital Punishment (2011)
• Imagining Peace (2010)
• Tiananmen +20 Years (2009)
• Troubled Water (2008)
• Community Food Security (2007)
• AIDS + AFRICA: The Unfolding Crisis (2006)
• Energy for Peace (2005)
• The United Nations at the Crossroads (2004)
• World Religions: Waging War or Promoting Peace (2003)
• Sanctions and Beyond: What is the Human Price? (2002)
• Revisiting the Treaty of Traverse des Sioux after 150 Years (2001)
• Vietnam: 25 Years On (2000)
• Toward a World Ban on Landmines (1999)
• Immigration and Social Justice (1998)
• The Family and Public Policy (1997)
• Land Rights, Land Use, and Social Justice (1996)
• The Challenge of Building a Non-Violent Global Community (1995)
• Building Community from the Inside Out (1994)
• Overcoming Violence in Our Lives (1993)
• Food for a Peaceable World (1992)
• U.S. Policy in the Middle East: What Roads to Peace? (1991)
• Making Peace with the Earth (1990)
• Other Voices„Global Perspectives on the Arms Race (1989)
• Building on Hope: Working for Peace (1988)
• Wages of War, Profits of Peace (1987)
• Schooling for Peace (1986)
• To Negotiate a Peace (1985)
• Making Peace in a War-Keeping World (1984)
• Seeing through and beyond the Mushroom Cloud (1983)
• The Response of Faith to the Nuclear Dilemma (1982)
• Arms Control-MAYDAY! MAYDAY! (1981)

Regularly Scheduled Events

Daily Sabbath

Daily Sabbath is a good and beautiful gift; it is a time to pause from our regular work and tend to our spiritual and relational wellbeing. The Bonnier Multifaith Center hosts opportunities to come together every weekday morning and engage in a variety of spiritual and religious practices. Daily Sabbath takes place from 10:00 AM to 10:20 AM Monday through Friday. 

Fall 2018 Weekly Schedule

Monday: Resiliency Practices

We can learn to be well and to bounce forward after challenges and disappointments. Leaders will engage the community in practices that build resilience, based on the research of Professor Michele Rusinko. 

Tuesday: Students on Justice and the Arts

Join students from the Diversity Center showcasing their gifts with a touch of fun! Different kinds of events will creatively explore the theme of Social Justice, Civil Rights and the Arts. For details on specific Tuesdays, see the weekly calendar outside the Multifaith Center or the college calendar. 

Wednesday: Mindfulness Meditation

Meditation calms our bodies and minds and cultivates compassion for ourselves and others. Counseling Center staff will lead the community in loving kindness and mindfulness meditation practices. No prior experience with meditation is required. 

Thursday: Sabbath Yoga

Yoga cultivates mindfulness through movement and breath. Kelly Karstad and other experienced yoga practitioners will lead the community in a gentle yoga practice. Come as you are, no need to change. Mats provided. Daily Sabbath is an opportunity to pause from our regular work and tend to our spiritual and emotional well-being.

Friday: In Our Own Voice: Students on Religion

Students from different religious communities and worldviews share their traditions. Come listen and learn about a variety of beliefs and practices. For details on specific Fridays, see the weekly calendar outside the Multifaith Center or the college calendar. Daily Sabbath is an opportunity to pause from our regular work and tend to our spiritual and emotional well-being.