“We now have three kinds of ethical theory to deal with the threat of war: pacifism, just war theory, and just peacemaking theory. The development of just peacemaking theory is a response to clear need, and increasingly so in our time. An ethic of peace and war that still operates with only pacifism and just war theory is outdated.” (Stassen 1)
So begins the introduction to Just Peacemaking: Ten Practices for Abolishing War. It proceeds with an overview of terrorism, and how it is necessary to develop an ethic that discusses not only why terrorism is unjust, but also (and more significantly): how can we prevent terrorism?
We tend to approach terrorism with just war theory, whose “function is to condemn terrorism, justify appropriate military action against terrorists, and rule out inappropriate military action. But effective action against terrorism requires much more than relying on military action alone.” Stassen (and twenty-two other collaborators, all responsible for the book) criticizes this approach, and notes, “If the only ethical theory we have is one that focuses on when military action is right or wrong, its tendency is to focus our discussion on military action and away from other effective actions.” (Stassen 2)
These twenty-three scholars approach the question “What practices of war-prevention and peacemaking should we be supporting?” in their work, and write, “our vision is grounded in three theological convictions” which I will directly quote below:
- Initiatives: A biblically informed concept of discipleship and peacemaking initiatives grounded in the life, teachings, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
- Justice: A church committed to seek the peace of the city where its people dwell (Jer. 29:7); to further God’s reign, not by withdrawal or quietism or by uncritical support of or reliance on the government, but by engaging the issues of peace and justice—especially justice—actively within the brokenness of the world.
- Love and community: The church community as the eschatological sign of God’s love and reign in the world, embodied in a concrete gathering of persons who seek to discern together what just peacemaking means and to model peacemaking practices in our corporate and individual lives.
The fruits of these scholars’ convictions are appropriately balanced in the following pages, with a little extra time spent discussing justice. The scholars begin on the foundation that “to make peace, we must make justice” (19). They propose that there are two sets of efforts which will bring us to a more just world, and these practices “(1) promote democracy, human rights, and religious liberty and (2) foster just and sustainable economic development.” (19) Their image of justice is grounded in scripture, as they write, “Jesus stands in solidarity with the marginalized,” (the essence of liberation theology). They elaborate, “Those who are treated as outcasts within the social context of Jesus’ time are jus thte ones upon whom he has compassion: the poor, widows, the sick, Samaritans, those labeled sinners. Jesus’ attitude and behavior toward women and children is revolutionary, particularly when viewed in the cultural context of first-century Palenstine.” (21) The church exists, the authors conclude, “to participate in the liberating power of God’s reign in the world.” (21) The authors back this up with scripture. Luke 4:18-19 (which is a reference to Isaiah 61:1-2) reads:
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” (21)
With these points in mind, the book outlines its ten practices for abolishing war, grounding each in historical successes. They are as follows:
- Support nonviolent direct action.
- Take independent initiatives to reduce threat.
- Use cooperative conflict resolution.
- Acknowledge responsibility for conflict and injustice and seek repentance and forgiveness.
- Advance democracy, human rights, and religious liberty.
- Foster just and sustainable economic development.
- Work with emerging cooperative forces in the international system.
- Strengthen the United Nations and international efforts for cooperation and human rights.
- Reduce offensive weapons and weapons trade.
- Encourage grassroots peacemaking groups and voluntary associations.
Some of these I find quite interesting, and will detail in future entries. My Christian Ethics course studied these ten practices, and the class’s consensus was that these practices were not viable. Students said that these ideas were too idealistic and would never work “in real life.” The idea that war is inevitable was generally accepted amongst students, even those who thought that war could never be justified.
While I’m not sure whether or not I agree with the statement that these practices are not viable, implementing (or at least attempting to implement) some or all of these ideas will serve the purpose of helping us to view conflict differently, remembering that “if the only ethical theory we have is one that focuses on when military action is right or wrong, its tendency is to focus our discussion on military action and away from other effective actions.”
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