At Peace and UnafraidPublic Order, Security, and the Wisdom of the Cross edited by Duane K. Friesen and Gerald W. Schlabach |
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Many Mennonites are clear about avoiding the violence of war and some types of police activities. Less clear, though, is the extent to which Mennonites should participate in the coercive systems needed for safe, stable and peaceful communities. This book provides theological reflection on this and other questions of Mennonite nonviolent ethics.
At Peace and Unafraid explores principles and practices to guide Christians in living out Jesus's way of nonviolent love in societies that often do not share their convictions. Commissioned by Mennonite Central Committee, the authors ask what faithfulness to Christ means in the context of:
- violent conflict in Colombia?
- church congregations responding to sexual offenders?
- the Palestinian/Israeli conflict?
- the post-9/11 challenges to democracy in the United States and Canada?
The authors bring to these issues expertise from the disciplines of theology, ethics, the social sciences, law, social work, pastoral ministry, public office and other professions. The essays explore the multi-lingual wisdom that pacifist Christians need to live out Jesus’s way of nonviolent love in societies that do not fully share their convictions.
"In a time of terror, this book explores nonviolent peacemaking and deserves to become the center of a new national, ecumenical debate. According to these contributors, being a Christian peacemaker demands crafting nonviolent policies and constructing public institutions that enable friends and enemies to live in peace. Stanley Hauerwas and Michael Baxter take note! This is a book that the whole Christian community should be debating, and that both preachers and politicians will be studying for years to come." - Drew Christiansen, S.J., Editor in Chief, America