Just Peace

“As Christians around the world re-examine tired and obsolete Western notions of just war, here are surprising and intriguing alternative ways of thinking about conflict and peace from the deep theological wells of Orthodox Christian traditions. I recommend them as a resource for reflective Christians.”

—Olav Fykse Tveit, General Secretary, World Council of Churches

Despite their largely pacifist origins, Christianity and Christian traditions can claim only limited success in their efforts to conciliate conflict, avoid violence, and stop war. Perhaps it is time, say the eminent contributors to this deeply reflective volume, to look at Eastern and Oriental traditions, to the very different perspectives of Orthodox Christian on issues of war, peace, and the justice that must undergird peace.

Writing from Europe and Russia, as well as the Middle East and Asia, two dozen Orthodox theologians and church people cast the classic dilemmas of war and peace, military service, just war, and religious nationalism into a deeper theological framework. Contents include historical characterizations of Orthodox in a variety of settings and nations (Greece, Oriental Christianity, Bulgaria, Armenia, Western Europe, etc.), dilemmas of nationalism for the churches, the invasion of Iraq, globalization, fundamentalisms, interreligious tensions, the ecclesial vocation of peacemaking.

PART ONE: Orthodox Peace Ethics in Eastern and Oriental Christianity

PART TWO: Orthodox Contribution to a Theology of Just Peace: Developing the Principles of Just Peace

Semegnish Asfaw is Research Associate in the World Council of Churches program The Decade to Overcome Violence.

Alexios Chehadeh is Exarchos of the Antiochian Church and the Institute for Theology and Peace, Hamburg, Germany.

Marian Gh. Simion is Associate Director of the Boston Theological Institute and founder of the Institute for Peace Studies in Eastern Christianity, Boston.