(Source: Pax Christi International)
Pax Christi International, the global Catholic peace movement which celebrates its 75th anniversary this year, is pleased to announced the publication of Advancing Nonviolence and Just Peace in the Church and the World, the culmination of an unprecedented three-year global conversation among church leaders, community organizers, activists, social scientists and theologians to discern the Catholic Church’s de-centering of just war doctrines and to explore how the church might return to its Gospel nonviolence roots.
Editors Marie Dennis (Pax Christi International), Rose Marie Berger (Sojourners) and Ken Butigan (DePaul University, Pace e Bene Nonviolence Service) and 120 contributors have crafted a book which shares the experiences of on-the-ground nonviolent interventions, explores the scriptural, theological and historical foundations of nonviolence, reviews the most current social science on how nonviolence has been effectively employed, and outlines a vision for how the Church might embrace active nonviolence into every aspect of its life.
The innovative conversations derived from Pax Christi’s unique global process prepare the church and world to meet the “change of era,” as Pope Francis describes.
Read affirmations for Advancing Nonviolence and Just Peace
Advancing Nonviolence and Just Peace is a biblical, theological, ethical, pastoral and strategic resource for anyone seeking to understand or expand Catholic thinking on nonviolence.
It answers commonly asked questions about active nonviolence and Catholic social teaching, including:
- Does nonviolence work to resolve conflict?
- What did Jesus and the Bible say about nonviolence?
- What has the Church taught about nonviolence?
- Is nonviolence the same as pacifism? How are they different?
Advancing Nonviolence and Just Peace explores the foundations of Catholic thinking about nonviolence.
It includes reviews of papal statements and church documents, a survey of the biblical teaching from the Hebrew Bible and Christian scriptures, a review of contemporary theological research on nonviolence, and dozens of recommendations for further discernment on how the Church might live into its Gospel nonviolence mandate.
This is an essential resource for moving forward the dialogue on how the Church can lead, teach and respond to conflict in the world.
Supplemental documents
- The failure of war and its weapons, Paul Rogers, Bradford University
- “Following her lead”: Women, faith and nonviolent action to transform violence, Susan Hayward., U.S. Institute of Peace
- Nonviolence and creation care/climate justice, Amy Woolam Echeverria, Global Catholic Climate Movement
- The Catholic practice of nonviolence, Ken Butigan and Rev. John Dear
- Nonviolence in the Hindu, Jain and Buddhist traditions, Rev. Vincent Sekhar, SJ
- Nonviolence in the Islamic tradition, Rev. Jan Peters, SJ
CNI roundtable papers:
- Toward a foundational theology of nonviolence
- Jesus’ nonviolence according to the Gospels
- Nonviolence and just peace: A new moral framework
- “Nonviolence is a crop that can feed the whole world”
Advancing Nonviolence and Just Peace in the Church and the World is poised to become a seminal text for seminaries, theological schools, Catholic universities, international NGOs, and people around the world who are exploring the theological frame of just peace rather than just war – and are looking for effective and cost efficient ways to prevent, interrupt, and repair harm after outbreaks of violence.
