Christian Pacifism for an Environmental Age

Mark Douglas is Professor of Christian Ethics at Columbia Theological Seminary. He is the author of Confessing Christ in the Twenty-First Century (2005) and Believing Aloud: Reflections on Being Religious in the Public Square (2010).

'Twenty-first century Christians desperately need to understand our tradition's legacies of pacifism in order to respond thoughtfully to the complex violence of the contemporary world, including environmental degradation. Christian Pacifism for an Environmental Age offers the understanding we need, combining careful historical study with insightful interpretation and contemporary analysis to develop informed and constructive ethics. Scholars and students interested in how to think about Christian responses to violence, how to thoughtfully engage tradition, or how to respond to contemporary challenges have much to learn from this is well-written book!' Kevin O'Brien, Pacific Lutheran University, Washington

• Introduction: climate, conflict, and the conventional narrative of Christian pacifism; Part I. The Church and Nonviolence Before Constantine: 1. The silences of the second century; 2. Mixed motives and conflicts over conflicts in the second and third centuries; 3. Church, state, and a 'Constantinian fall'; Part II. The Church and Nonviolence after Constantine: 4. Christian pacifism and Constantine; 5. Pacifist interpretations of 1500 years of faith, community, and nonviolence; 6. Pacifisms after 1865; Part III. Re-narrating the History of the Church and Nonviolence: 7. Time and tradition in a theological context; 8. Re-narrating the Christian pacifist tradition.