Pacifism

Review of Michael L. Gross's: Moral Dilemmas of Modern War: Torture, Assassination, and Blackmail in an Age of Asymmetric Conflict.

by Jacob Held

Follow the link to find it on-line in Philosophy in Review

Review of Michael L. Gross's: Moral Dilemmas of Modern War: Torture, Assassination, and Blackmail in an Age of... more Review of Michael L. Gross's: Moral Dilemmas of Modern War: Torture, Assassination, and Blackmail in an Age of Asymmetric Conflict.

As the War Machine Keeps Turning: Just War Theory, Pacifism, and the War on Terror

by Jacob Held

Draft of a chapter in the upcoming: Black Sabbath and Phlosophy, edited by William Irwin (Wiley-Blackwell). This book is going to be wonderful. Check it out.

Using Black Sabbath's iconic anti-war anthem, "War Pigs" I discuss and explain traditional war theory and... more Using Black Sabbath's iconic anti-war anthem, "War Pigs" I discuss and explain traditional war theory and pacifism. I conclude by applying traditional just war theory to the "war on terror" and argue that pacifism is the only morally sound response to terrorism.

Violence, Nonviolence and the Temple Incident in John 2:13-15

by Andy Alexis-Baker

Alexis-Baker, Andy. "Violence, Nonviolence and the Temple Incident in John 2:13–15." Biblical Interpretation 20 (2012): 73–96.

The temple incident has been a popular episode in Jesus’ ministry from which Christians since Augustine have drawn to... more The temple incident has been a popular episode in Jesus’ ministry from which Christians since Augustine have drawn to justify Christian violence ranging from punishing schismatics and heretics to justifying war and the death penalty. However, another tradition of reading this passage nonviolently began well before Augustine. Whether contextualizing the passage in a narrative reading so that it would have spiritual meaning or seeing the Greek grammar as disallowing that Jesus hit people with the whip, these nonviolent strategies effectively undercut any notion that Jesus’ action could provide a model for Christian violence. A close reading of the Greek text, I believe, supports these nonviolent strategies for reading the text, which simply denies based on Greek grammar that Jesus used his whip on any person.

The League of Nations: A Retreat from International Law?

by Stephen Wertheim

forthcoming in Journal of Global History Vol. 7 No. 2 (2012)

During the First World War, civil society groups across the North Atlantic put forward an array of plans for recasting... more During the First World War, civil society groups across the North Atlantic put forward an array of plans for recasting international society. The most prominent ones sought to build on the Hague Conferences of 1899 and 1907 by developing international legal codes and, in a drastic innovation, obligating and militarily enforcing the judicial settlement of disputes. Their ideal was a world governed by law, which they opposed to politics. This idea was championed by the largest groups in the United States and France in favor of international organization, and they had likeminded counterparts in Britain. The Anglo-American architects of the League of Nations, however, defined their vision against legalism. Their declaratory design sought to ensure that artificial machinery never stifled the growth of common consciousness. Paradoxically, the bold new experiment in international organization was forged from an anti-formalistic ethos — one that slowed the momentum of international law and portended the rise of global governance.

'Aviation Will Either Destroy or Save Our Civilization': Proposals for the International Control of Aviation, 1920-45

by Waqar Zaidi

Published in the Journal of Contemporary History (2011) 46:5

Martin Wight on War: Towards a Better Understanding of the Enigma

by Lucas Freire

First draft only. ISA 53rd Annual Convention. San Diego: 1-4 April, 2012.

Martin Wight’s contribution to British IR is well-known. His radical defence of Christian pacifism is often contrasted... more Martin Wight’s contribution to British IR is well-known. His radical defence of Christian pacifism is often contrasted with his acute sense of ‘tragedy’ in the analysis of power politics. Such tension has been characterised as an ‘enigma’. Some have claimed that Wight changed his mind over time, labelling his position as ultimately ‘realist’ in the classical sense. However, this notion must be challenged in light of his own negative opinion on realism read against the religious and intellectual background of his work. In this paper it is argued that there is a considerable degree of continuity in Wight’s reflections on realism and war since the early pacifist phase. For this reason, judgement on whether or not Wight has abandoned pacifism later in his career should at least be suspended. However, a closer look at his statements which at first sight seem to support realism and to eschew pacifism actually opens up space for the opposing view that he remained sympathetic to pacifism and critical of realism even in the later years. In any case, it must be granted that his approach to activism considerably changed over time and that the whole issue was subsequently treated as a private matter.

'…(Excepting Barricades Erected to Prevent Us from Peacefully Assembling)': So-called 'Violence'in the Global North Alterglobalization Movement

by Amory Starr

2006 Social Movement Studies 5.1.

This paper examines ‘violence’ in the Global North alterglobalization movement. It reviews major theories of violence... more This paper examines ‘violence’ in the Global North alterglobalization movement. It reviews major theories of violence and non-violence used by social movements and their analysts, indexes the kinds of movement events which get described as violence, and then analyzes the significance both of the movement’s tactical experiences and of the discourse itself.

Why C. S. Lewis Was Wrong About Pacifism

by T. C. Moore

Written for Tanks to Tractors (TanksToTractors.org)

A critique of C. S. Lewis' essay "Why I Am Not A Pacifist" in _The Weight of Glory_. A critique of C. S. Lewis' essay "Why I Am Not A Pacifist" in _The Weight of Glory_.

Humanistas norteamericanos contra la guerra de Irak

by Alberto Hidalgo Tuñón

When God Became Poor

by Daniel Keeran MSW

by Daniel Keeran, MSW

When the Son of God was conceived in a young virgin Mary by the Holy Spirit, God entered humanity in a poor unwed... more When the Son of God was conceived in a young virgin Mary by the Holy Spirit, God entered humanity in a poor unwed mother who was delighted that the Lord had recognized the low status of His servant.

She declared that God has visited the poor and powerless and done the opposite of what was expected by the rich and powerful, in bringing His Messiah into the world. The theme of his life was to reach out to those in trouble and to the whole world separated from God by sin.

The hearer-reader is asked to be aware of thoughts and feelings that come up inside as God reaches out and acts in his and her experience.

Major Paper - Transcendence in Barth and Bonhoeffer

by Dean Marco Funk

The Gospel or a Glock? Mennonites and the Police

by Andy Alexis-Baker

Are the Teachings of Jesus Relevant for Today?

by Daniel Keeran MSW

by Daniel Keeran, MSW

In this brief review of the Sermon on the Mount and Sermon on the Plain, the teachings of Jesus are categorized as... more In this brief review of the Sermon on the Mount and Sermon on the Plain, the teachings of Jesus are categorized as Peace and Nonviolence, Psychological Well-Being, and Social Teachings.

'Buchan and the Pacifists', in Kate Macdonald (ed.), 'Reassessing John Buchan: Beyond "The Thirty-Nine Steps"' (London: Pickering & Chatto, 2009): 91-101

by Nathan Waddell

Transcendent Transexuality

by Riki Sarah Dennis

It was difficult for me to make the choice to ad this paper. It comes from my heart.

Reflections on Islam and Pacifism

by Malcolm Brown

Australasian Journal of Human Security, 2 (1): 5-18, 2006

This paper contends that the discourses that assume or assert that Islam and pacifism are incompatible are mistaken.... more This paper contends that the discourses that assume or assert that Islam and pacifism are incompatible are mistaken. They are premised on a homogenising discourse of Islam and of pacifism, inattention to Islam as an extant (rather than abstract) phenomenon, logical inconsistencies, and a limited Qur’anic hermeneutic. In contrast, I argue that Islam and pacifism are compatible, because pacifism has different meanings, because of de facto pacifism in Islam, because the logic of Islam, in certain cases, points towards pacifism, because pacifism can be discerned in the Qur’an and Hadith, because there is a concept of the secular within Islam that allows for pacifism, and because it is the image of Muslim violence that is primarily responsible for the belief that Islam and pacifism are incompatible.

William Lloyd Garrison and the United States Constitution: The Political Evolution of an American Radical

by Ronald Osborn

Journal of Law and Religion, Vol.24, No.1, 2009: 65-88

In this article I trace the development of William Lloyd Garrison's radical abolitionism, his politics of disunion,... more In this article I trace the development of William Lloyd Garrison's radical abolitionism, his politics of disunion, and his evolving critique of the United States Constitution. Flawed and problematic as Garrison's politics were, I argue, his Christian anarchist critique of the Constitution was based upon a realistic reading of the document as an inherently pro-slavery document. His case for disunion was also based upon a plausible political calculation of what might be done to end slavery without bloody civil war. Garrison did more to force the slavery issue into public debate and to galvanize the nation around the slavery issue than any other individual. There are ways to work to advance the Good Society, he demonstrated in the process, that do not involve compromises with massive injustice or sacrifice of nonviolent principles.

Working With Anger

by Daniel Keeran MSW

by Daniel Keeran, MSW, RMHC-S

Anger is an emotion often associated with violence, conflict, marriage and family breakdown, child abuse, and... more Anger is an emotion often associated with violence, conflict, marriage and family breakdown, child abuse, and bullying. Chronic anger toward self and others may lead to self-destructive patterns, addiction, assault, and suicidal behavior. Stress from chronic anger can contribute to changes in the central nervous system, depression, and physical illness. Adapted from the book "Effective Counseling Skills" by the author, this paper provides ideas for understanding and working with anger in ways that can be transformative and healing. Practitioners in the helping professions, couples and families, and people in the work place can benefit from this brief practical summary.

Destructive Obedience: U.S. Military Training and Culture as a Parody of Christian Discipleship

by Michael Iafrate

The Conrad Grebel Review 29.2 (Spring 2011): 4–30.

Using the theme of “discipleship” found in the witness of the peace churches but neglected in Roman Catholic theology,... more Using the theme of “discipleship” found in the witness of the peace churches but neglected in Roman Catholic theology, this paper interrogates concrete practices of military training and culture in the contemporary United States. Viewed through the lens of discipleship, military training is described as a process of discipleship in its own right, including practices of conversion and deliberate conscience (de-)formation that are fundamentally at odds with Christian discipleship and ultimately destructive to both the soldier and the victims of the US military. American Catholics can learn much from the peace churches in terms of ecclesial praxis for resisting the "destructive obedience" that is central to military discipleship.

Review of Daniel Berrigan, The Kings and Their Gods (Eerdmans, 2008)

by Michael Iafrate

published in the Catholic Register (Canada), June 1, 2008