We are living in an era when violence feels increasingly casual — and increasingly contagious.

Many of us know how to name its patterns clearly. We can point to the polarization, scapegoating, dehumanization, and retaliation, and yet we feel uncertain about how to respond without descending into reactivity or numbness. We recognize what violence is doing. What’s less clear is how to live in ways that disrupt its escalation.

Creative Interruption is a one-day gathering for anyone ready to move beyond analysis. Hosted by Theology & Peace and designed for aspiring peacemakers who want to respond to violence without reproducing it, this special event brings together theological depth, historical nuance, lived practice, and ethical imagination in a setting designed for thoughtful engagement and community conversation.

If you’re curious about how active nonviolence, witness, and testimony can break cycles of harm in real communities and restore a sense of hope in the face of human violence, this event is for you.

What You Can Expect

A full day of in-person, participatory learning
Creative exercises alongside historical models
Space for reflection, writing, and conversation
A community of people committed to practicing peace

What you should not expect:

Easy answers
Quick fixes
Performative optimism
A checklist for saving the world

Still curious?

Held in advance of the Colloquium on Violence and Religion (COV&R), Creative Interruption offers a fresh perspective on the power of human mimesis to prevent violence — not just to produce it.

COV&R helps us understand how violence works.

This day is about discovering how we can interrupt it.

We encourage participants to consider additional attendance at COV&R for an immersive dive into the dynamics that underpin escalating violence. This year’s theme of Arts & Architecture offers a not-to-be-missed experience of the theaters, music, and buildings of Chicago.

Join Us

If you’re searching for a space that takes violence seriously without surrendering to it
If you’re curious about what peace looks like when it goes beyond discussion into practice
If you’re already planning to attend COV&R and want to jumpstart the week oriented toward hope

Creative Interruption welcomes you!

Register now to join us for this day of listening, learning, and asking good questions in good company.

Contact the host of Creative Interruption: Transformative Testimony in Violent Times

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