Suzanne Ross
Suzanne is an author, workshop leader, Montessori teacher, and proud grandma who advocates for nonviolence, community transformation, and peace with justice.
Shaped by her dialogues with scholars, artists and peace activists, and grounded in the insights of René Girard’s mimetic theory, Suzanne explores a "wicked truth" about human nature: When we are convinced of our own goodness, "good people” do some very bad things.
To her delight, she found the musical Wicked – which tells the story of the Wonderful Wizard of Oz from the point of view of the Wicked Witch – challenged what she thought she knew about who was good and who was wicked. It provided her with a fun yet profound way to examine what it takes to be truly good this side of the rainbow, leading to her book, The Wicked Truth: When Good People Do Bad Things (2007).
The second edition of The Wicked Truth reflects how culture has shifted since the first edition was published twenty years ago. It contains contemporary examples, opportunities for reflection, and a study guide for group discussion. The book is an invitation to journey to a place where our own certainty about goodness is challenged, and true goodness can take root.
Suzanne’s journey began when she heard her pastor shocked her with a message that the violence in the Bible and at the Cross was entirely human, not ordained by God. For a long time, she had been unable to believe in a God who commanded genocide or demanded his son’s death; now, she felt her faith coming back to life. Soon she was reading and teaching books about the nonviolence of God. Her journey led to friendships with scholars, theologians, and nonviolent practitioners, many of whom gather annually at the meetings of the Colloquium on Violence & Religion (COV&R).
Suzanne’s husband Keith shared in her discoveries and growing friendships. Together they co-founded two not-for-profit organizations: the Raven Foundation, a resource for nonviolent theology, and unRival Network which hosts articles about peace practices and profiles of peacebuilders. Her work continues with The Wicked Truth newsletter and workshops, as well as through Third Things First, a podcast about the art and practice of nonviolence. She and Keith live in Glenview, IL near their two children and 7 grandchildren, and travel often to Utah to renew and relax amid the beautiful Wasatch Mountains.
