Timothy Seidel

Timothy Seidel is an associate professor of peacebuilding, development, and global studies. His peacebuilding and development experience includes serving for several years with Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) in Palestine-Israel, as director for Peace and Justice Ministries in the U.S., and as director of the Center for Interfaith Engagement at EMU. Seidel previously taught at American University and Lancaster Theological Seminary, and has organized and led several learning delegations from the United States to Palestine-Israel for organizations such as MCC, Interfaith Peace-Builders, Lancaster Theological Seminary, and EMU. He holds an MTS from Wesley Theological Seminary and a PhD from the School of International Service at American University in Washington, DC. He is co-editor of Resisting Domination in Palestine: Mechanisms and Techniques of Control, Coloniality, and Settler Colonialism (I. B. Taurus/Bloomsbury, 2024) and Political Economy of Palestine: Critical, Interdisciplinary, and Decolonial Perspectives (Palgrave Macmillan, 2021). 

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• "History, Development, and Dispersion of Peace and Conflict Studies," International Studies Association, San Francisco, CA, April 2024.
• "Racial Hierarchies and Accountability: The Place of Palestine in the International" (roundtable), International Studies Association, San Francisco, CA, April 2024. 
• "Sumud and Solidarity: Violence, Nonviolence, and Resistance in Palestine” (invited), Eastern Mennonite University Colloquium, Harrisonburg, VA, September 2023 [EMU Podcast]. 
• "Settler Colonialism, Non/Violence, and Struggle: Politics and Theologies of Steadfastness Against Replacement," International Studies Association, Montreal, QC, March 2023.
• “Political Economy of Palestine: Critical, Interdisciplinary, and Decolonial Perspectives” (with Ibrahim Shikaki), Peace and Justice Studies Association, University of Mount Union, OH, October 2022.
• "From Violence to Peacebuilding: Mennonite Peace Theology and Peace Practice” (invited), Catholic University of America’s Institute for Interreligious Study & Dialogue, Washington, DC, May 2022.
• “Settler Colonial Violence and Indigenous Struggle: Land and Subjectivity, Resistance and Refusal,” International Studies Association, Nashville, TN, April 2022.
• “Settler States and Indigenous Struggles: Theologies of Replacement and Political Economies of Steadfastness” (invited), Theology and Peacebuilding in Anabaptist Perspective: Consultation II, Eastern Mennonite University, Harrisonburg, VA, April 2022 & Anabaptist Center for Religion and Society, Harrisonburg, VA, October 2021.
• “Settler Colonialism, Political Economy, and Land-Based Struggle in Palestine,” Middle East Studies Association, Montreal, QC, October 2021 & International Studies Association, [online], April 2021.
• “‘No Act of Nonviolence Ever Goes Unpunished’: Representations of Violence, Nonviolence, and Political Subjectivity in Palestine,” International Studies Association, Honolulu, HI, March 2020.
• “Theology and Peacebuilding: Decolonial and Postsecular Explorations?” (invited), Theology and Peacebuilding (Consultation), Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary (AMBS), Elkhart, IN, March 2020.
• “Violence, Nonviolence, and the Work of Binaries in Peace and Conflict Studies” (invited), Peace and Conflict 3.0: Redefining Knowledge and Practice in our Field (Consultation), George Mason University and Middlebury College, Washington, DC, October 2019.
• “Book Talk: Palestine and Rule of Power: Local Dissent vs. International Governance” (invited), Palestine Center, Washington, DC, May 2019.
• “Borders, Barriers, and Walls that Act upon Flesh: The Violence of Borders, the Politics of Movement in the Palestine-Israel and U.S.-Mexico Borderlands,” International Studies Association, Toronto, ON, March 2019.
• “Violence, Nonviolence, and the Possibilities of Political Subjectivity,” Peace and Justice Studies Association, Philadelphia, PA, September 2018.
• “‘Emigrantes, Palestinos, Estamos Unidos’: Anti-Colonial Connectivity and Resistance along the ‘Palestine-Mexico’ Border,” International Studies Association, San Francisco, CA, April 2018.
• “Sovereign Bodies, Sovereign States: The Violence and Visibility of Resistance in Palestine,” International Studies Association, San Francisco, CA, April 2018.
• “Neoliberal Developments, National Consciousness, and Political Economies of Resistance in Palestine,” International Studies Association, Baltimore, MD, February 2017.
• “‘Improving People’s Lives Is Resistance’: Geographies of Violence and Resistance in Palestine,” International Studies Association, Baltimore, MD, February 2017.
• “The Claims of Modernity: Liberal Peace, Sacred Violence, and State Sovereignty,” International Studies Association, Atlanta, GA, March 2016.
• “‘Occupied Territory Is Occupied Territory’: James Baldwin, Palestine, and the Possibilities of Transnational Solidarity,” International Studies Association, Atlanta, GA, March 2016 & Peace and Justice Studies Association, Harrisonburg, VA, October 2015.

• Chair/Vice-Chair, Global Development Section (GDS), International Studies Association, 2022-2024.
• Steering Committee, Mennonite Action, 2024-present.
• Board of Directors, Fairfield Mediation Center, Harrisonburg, VA, 2023-present,
• Teaching Assistant, Skyline Literacy, Harrisonburg, VA, 2023.
• Anti-oppression and Racial Equity Task Force/Committee (chair), Community Mennonite Church, Harrisonburg, VA, 2019-2021.
• Teacher, Christian Education Program, Community Mennonite Church, Harrisonburg, VA, 2017-2021.
• Board of Directors, Peace and Justice Studies Association, 2014-2018.
• Steering Committee, Mennonite Palestine Israel Network, 2013-2017.
• Intergroup Dialogue Facilitator, Center for Diversity and Inclusion, American University, Washington, DC, 2014-2015.
• Teacher, Christian Education Program (Senior Youth and Adult), Community Mennonite Church, Lancaster, PA, 2013-2016.
• Delegation Leader, Interfaith Peace-Builders, Washington, DC-Palestine-Israel, 2012.
• Justice and Spirituality Committee (chair), Community Mennonite Church, Lancaster, PA, 2010-2012.
• Board of Directors, Lancaster Interchurch Peace Witness, Lancaster, PA, 2009-2012.
• Historic Peace Churches/ Fellowship of Reconciliation Consultative Committee (chair), 2009-2012.

• THEORY Edited Volume, Special Issue, or Symposium Award (with Alina Sajed), Theory Section, International Studies Association, 2024.
• Visiting Researcher, Birzeit University, 2023.
• Lilly Faculty Fellow, Eastern Mennonite University, 2020-21.
• Teaching and Learning for Campus-wide Interfaith Excellence Grant (Project Director), Association of American Colleges & Universities and Interfaith Youth Core, 2020-21.
• Undergraduate International Studies and Foreign Languages Grant (Project Director), U.S. Department of Education, 2018-20.
• Dissertation Award, Peace and Justice Studies Association, 2017.
• Edward Said Award, Global Development Studies Section, International Studies Association, 2016.
• Alan Taylor Memorial Award for Excellence in Middle Eastern Studies and University Service, American University School of International Service, 2016.
• Randall Research Scholarship, Nonviolence International, 2014-15.

International Studies Association (ISA)
Peace and Justice Studies Association (PJSA)
Middle East Studies Association (MESA)
Palestinian American Research Center (PARC)

"Exploring Conflict and Peace."
"Introduction to Global Studies."
"Social and Political Economy."
"History of the Middle East."
"Understanding Violent Conflict."
"Globalization and Justice."
"Social Sciences Capstone."
"Global Development."
"Foundations for Justice and Peacebuilding II" (co-instructor).
"Global Challenges, Local Struggles." 
"International Intercultural: Middle East" (six-week travel, co-instructor and co-organizer).