Tapestry of Faith: What We Choose: An Adult Program on Ethics for Unitarian Universalists

Faith In Action: Civil Disobedience and Virtue

Part of What We Choose

Materials for Activity

Preparation for Activity

  • Talk with your minister, religious educator, congregational leadership, or social justice committee to learn about contemporary national or local issues where nonviolent resistance, civil disobedience, or noncooperation with injustice is a possible strategy.
  • Invite someone from the congregation or an organization the congregation supports to share their experience in participating in nonviolent resistance.
  • If no guest speaker is available, plan to lead a discussion based on Handout 2, Twenty-nine UUs Arrested in Phoenix Protests, and Handout 3, It Takes a Village to Hold a Protest. Read both handouts. Research ways individuals might participate in or support similar or follow-up actions. Copy both handouts for all participants.

Description of Activity

Participants examine ways congregational and/or Unitarian Universalist movement-wide nonviolent resistance actions are grounded in the practice of virtue ethics.

Invite a member of the congregation or an organization the congregation supports to share their experience of engaging in or supporting nonviolent resistance. Ask your guest how they prepared or cultivated themselves before engaging in the action. Find out how individuals can participate in or support similar or follow-up actions. What is required? What virtues would one need to cultivate?

Variation

If you do not have a guest speaker, distribute handouts 2and 3 and invite participants to read them. Discuss how people who engaged in civil disobedience prepared themselves for the action and how those who supported the civil disobedience prepared themselves. Share what you have learned about follow-up or similar actions. Discuss how individuals can participate in or support such actions: What would be required? What virtues would need cultivation?