Anglican Pacifist Fellowship
Encyclopedia
The Anglican Pacifist Fellowship (APF) is a body of people within the Anglican Communion
who reject war as a means of solving international disputes, and believe that peace and justice should be sought through non-violent means .
, in the United States of America. APF was founded as a specifically Anglican offshoot of Reverend Dick Sheppard
's secular Peace Pledge Union
. APF was formed by Anglican clergy and laity led by Sheppard who were intent on undertaking a torchlit peace march to Lambeth Palace
in 1937 as the threat of a Second World War loomed on the horizon. The aim of the march was to give Sheppard's colleague, the then-Archbishop of Canterbury
, Cosmo Lang
, a statement of pacifist conviction. This was at a time when many churchmen were intent on "trying to reconcile the teachings of Christ with the practice of war" http://www.ppu.org.uk/learn/infodocs/people/pst_dick.html.
Besides many priests and bishops, notable early members of the group included British Labour Leader George Lansbury
and famous literary figure Vera Brittain
. In 2006, songwriter and fellow Anglican Pacifist Fellowship member Sue Gilmurray wrote a song in Brittain's memory, entitled "Vera" http://www.abolishwar.org.uk/news8.pdf.
In addition to her famous novels, which were heavily imbued with pacifist ideology, Brittain was very much an active member of the "Ban the Bomber" campaign during the inter-war period, which sought to outlaw bomber aeroplanes as an illegal weapon of war, in recognition of the fact that they directly target civilian populations, beyond the frontline of conflicts and that they carry increasingly deadly payloads. This campaign had parallels to later attempts to ban nuclear weapons and ICBMs
http://www.spiritus-temporis.com/pacifism/pacifism-and-religion.html.
Lansbury was particularly active in this period, though his life was nearing its end. In contrast to Neville Chamberlain's policy of appeasement, Lansbury took a pro-active diplomatic approach towards preventing a war. He sought negotiation with all the major parties in order to arbitrate a peaceful settlement, as related in his book My Pilgrimage for Peace, published in 1938. His efforts were, however, in vain, and most APF members now acknowledge that, to counteract Hitler by non-violent means, Governments should not have allowed the economic and political situation of instability in the Weimar Republic
to arise in the first place. This issue is discussed at depth in APF's 1989 publication, What to Do About Hitler: A Pacifist Symposium. Notably, many early pacifists had argued against the excessively harsh terms of the Treaty of Versailles
from its inception.
It is notable that, by 1944, Vera Brittain was on Hitler's list
of those English people posing the greatest threat to his regime. The leader of the Reich clearly felt deeply threatened by her pacifism. Upon a successful Nazi invasion of Britain, the Gestapo were to arrest her immediately. Undaunted, she continued writing further tracts on the immorality of saturation bombing, as the British Royal Air Force undertook its campaign against target cities such as Dresden http://www.ppu.org.uk/learn/infodocs/people/pst_vera3.html, http://lachlan.bluehaze.com.au/books/fellowship_march1944/fellowship_march_1944.pdf.
Another famous female Christian to actively work for APF during the war period was the Anglo-Catholic intellectual, Evelyn Underhill
. Although initially opposed to pacifism (and, in fact, working for Naval Intelligence during World War I
), after much soul-searching, she found pacifism to be the correct Christian position by 1939 http://www.evelynunderhill.org/her_work/about_her_life.shtml and threw herself whole-heartedly behind APF's work, for "Not content to be merely a proclaimer of pacifism, Underhill tried to live by its principles" http://www.religion-online.org/showarticle.asp?title=1234.
Writing in a famous pamphlet for APF entitled Church and War (1940) http://disseminary.org/hoopoe/pubs/underhill.html, Underhill stated that, "If she remains true to her supernatural call, the Church cannot acquiesce in War for War, however camouflaged or excused, must always mean the effort of a group of men to achieve their purpose... by inflicting destruction and death on another group of men... it is often difficult to define the boundary which divides legitimate police action from military action; nevertheless, Christians must try to find that boundary and to observe it" http://www.religion-online.org/showarticle.asp?title=1234.
from St. Paul's Cathedral was in the forefront of the founding leadership of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament
(CND). The Revd. Sidney Hinkes
was an early Chairman of CND" http://www.peacetaxseven.com/anglican.html.
Hinkes' "theology was conservatively Catholic in what he regarded as essentials, yet his parochial and pastoral practice was radically open, both to the working-class culture and the ethnic diversity of the people in the areas in which he served" http://www.churchtimes.co.uk/content.asp?id=14957.
Hinkes was a leading member of APF during his lifetime, known for leading peace rallies and prayer vigils with his distinctive, large-sized version of the APF's emblematic blue and gold cross. He worked with the then-President of the Fellowship, Gordon Wilson
and APF counsellor Paul Oestreicher
on many strident campaigns for peace, his motto being "we put the 'fist' into pacifist!" http://www.churchtimes.co.uk/content.asp?id=14957.
This stance exemplified the proactive peacemaking stance and pacifism of APF and contrasted sharply with any accusations of "passivism." "To Sidney, peacemaking was anything but passive. His priesthood was a total commitment to the non-violent struggle to implement God's just and gentle rule. It was tough and demanding, but never embittered" http://www.churchtimes.co.uk/content.asp?id=14957.
Frustrated that the Church often saw peace-making as a marginal issue, Hinkes worked to ensure that it came to central prominence due to his diligent work on race-relations as Britain became more ethnically-diverse following the War. Up until his death, he worked for both APF and the Stop the War Coalition
to proactively pursue peace and an end to the 2003 Iraq War.
Oestreicher, an honorary doctor from the University of Sussex
http://www.sussex.ac.uk/press_office/bulletin/15jul05/article6.shtml, fled Nazi Germany as a child refugee. He grew up in New Zealand
and was for many years director of the Centre for International Reconciliation at Coventry Cathedral. Like many APF members, he also works for other peace organisations. In his case, he has worked for the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament and was also the founding chair for Amnesty International
. Though an Anglican priest, also holds a strong affinity for the Quaker religion http://www.sussex.ac.uk/press_office/bulletin/15jul05/article6.shtml.
He continues to write columns for the Guardian newspaper http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/pauloestreicher and occasionally returns to New Zealand to speak on peace issues http://www.converge.org.nz/pma/pauloes.htm.
The key beliefs of members of the Fellowship are:
http://www.anglicanpeacemaker.org.uk/
Today, pacifism is recognised as a mainstream Anglican position http://www.peacetaxseven.com/anglican.html, though it is not yet a dominant belief of the faith. "Numerous bishops have been Counsellors of APF and two, Wilfrid Westall, Bishop of Crediton
, and Colin Scott
, Assistant Bishop in the Diocese of Leicester
, have chaired the Fellowship" http://www.peacetaxseven.com/anglican.html.
The current chairperson of APF as of 2009 is Mrs Mary Roe http://www.anglicanpacifists.com/uploads/docs/23-TAP%20Dec%2008.pdf.
The 1968 Lambeth Conference saw a victory for conscientious objectors who finally had their rights recognised and upheld by the Church. The use of nuclear and bacteriological weapons was also "emphatically condemned" http://www.anglicanpacifists.com/uploads/docs/18-The%20Lambeth%20Conference%20-%20Draft%20Version.pdf. "Gordon Wilson of APF was pleased that there were no ‘but’s in the Conference’s anti-war statements" http://www.anglicanpacifists.com/uploads/docs/18-The%20Lambeth%20Conference%20-%20Draft%20Version.pdf.
During the 1978 Conference, after a pilgrimage to Dick Sheppard's grave, activists nailed Seven Theses to the door of Canterbury Cathedral
. "The theses reflected the theological approach of Gordon Wilson for whom Christ’s victory of love over violence on the cross was a fundamental principle" http://www.anglicanpacifists.com/uploads/docs/18-The%20Lambeth%20Conference%20-%20Draft%20Version.pdf. This action deliberately echoed Martin Luther
's famous nailing of The Ninety-Five Theses to the church door in Wittenberg
.
APF founded the Week of Prayer for World Peace, and continue to have close ties with it, now that it has expanded to become an inter-religious event http://nfpb.gn.apc.org/Prayer/. APF is also heavily involved in the Greenbelt Festival
and White Poppy
sales for protesting Remembrance Day, which APF members feel has become to much a celebration of the military.
Songwriter Sue Gilmurray, an APF member, is heavily involved in commemorations surrounding International Conscientious Objectors Day, held annually on May 15 at Tavistock Square
in London
http://www.abolishwar.org.uk/downloads/SongsForEducation.pdf, http://www.rrk.freeuk.com/.
She is also prominent in protests against the Faslane Naval Base, at which Trident Nuclear Weapons are situated http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/musicclub/doc_power.shtml.
Gilmurray is one of a number of APF members who showed support for the Baptist
peace activist and human shield
, Norman Kember
http://www.abolishwar.org.uk/downloads/SongsForEducation.pdf.
Several prominent APF members, such as Gilmurray and scientist Dr Tony Kempster are also involved in the secular Movement for the Abolition of War. Kempster has been a strident opponent of the weapons manufacturer, BAE http://www.anglicanpacifists.com/uploads/docs/9-TAP%20May%2008.pdf, http://www.abolishwar.org.uk/newsletters/news05.pdf, http://www.abolishwar.org.uk/newsletters/news12.pdf, http://www.paxchristi.org.uk/JustPeace/jp254_May_June06.pdf. Indeed, BAE considered Kempster such a threat that it infiltrated MAW and stole a membership database. Legal action against the arms manufacturer was pursued.
APF also supports peace museums with Reverend Clive Barrett being particularly involved in this type of education and awareness campaigning http://www.anglicanpacifists.com/uploads/docs/23-TAP%20Dec%2008.pdf. Elnora Ferguson also lead peace education in the British education system.
The Fellowship also focuses very much on the promotion of Peace Studies in British schools http://www.abolishwar.org.uk/downloads/SongsForEducation.pdf to counter attempts by the military to recruit English school students http://www.anglicanpacifists.com/uploads/docs/23-TAP%20Dec%2008.pdf.
Much time is also spent liaising with bishops and politicians and promoting the pacifist viewpoint in public forum debates and on representational committees.
In 2009, the Fellowship is supporting Red Hand Day
, to raise awareness of the plight of child soldiers in African conflicts http://www.anglicanpacifists.com/index.php?page=news&news_id=25, http://www.redhandday.org/.
. The New Zealand Chapter was initially established in Christchurch in 1948 http://www.converge.org.nz/pma/apf/apfmay07.pdf. The New Zealand Chapter have their own website and newsletter http://www.converge.org.nz/pma/apf/ and count a number of local bishops amongst their membership.
The prominence of the New Zealand branch was helped significantly by Sidney Hinkes' pilgrimages to that country during the branch's formative stages http://www.churchtimes.co.uk/content.asp?id=14957. The New Zealand Chapter was headed by Professor Margaret Bedggood and Chris Barfoot
throughout 2008 http://www.converge.org.nz/pma/apf/contact.htm. The previous head of the Chapter in this country had been Roger Baker
.
Bedggood, a Franciscan
, is a Professor of Law and was the Chief Commissioner of the New Zealand Human Rights Commission
, a member of Amnesty International
and a member of the New Zealand Film and Literature Review Board http://www.humanrights.co.nz/about/bios.html.
The Chair of the New Zealand Chapter for 2009 is Dr Jonathan Hartfield http://www.converge.org.nz/pma/apf/apfjan09.pdf.
. The most notable member of the organisation in this country was Margaret Holmes
, a lifelong peace activist, prominent in many anti-war organisations, notably the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom
. http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/PARLMENT/hansArt.nsf/V3Key/LC20060920045, http://www.greenleft.org.au/2006/679/7796. Author Michelle Cavanagh published a readily-available biography of Holmes in 2006 http://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/3638376. Margaret Holmes died on September 10, 2009, at the age of 100 http://www.smh.com.au/national/obituaries/powerful-voice-for-peace-and-freedom-20091002-ggg6.html.
For many years, the secretary of APF in Australia was a priest from Melbourne
, the Very Reverend David Thawley, a Second World War conscientious objector
who was proactive in promoting the organisation and working on various committees within the Church and alongside secular anti-war organisations http://www.peacecourier.com/terrorism.htm. Since 2005, the Secretary of the Australian Chapter has been the Bishop Philip Huggins, also from Melbourne
in Victoria
http://www.anglicanpacifists.com/index.php/7/worldwide.
Another member of APF in Australia is the young Anglican thinker and anti-military activist, David Le Sage http://www.anglicanpacifists.com/uploads/docs/9-TAP%20May%2008.pdf, who has organised fundraisers for African refugees and been involved in some protest activities in his native Tasmania
. David Le Sage has written academic research on the pacifist ideology of notable British writers of the 1930s http://www.research.utas.edu.au/warp/reports/individual.htm. A published author, from January 2009, he lead peace education
in a teaching role at a private Christian school in Brisbane before going onto work as a head technical writer for one of the world's leading software companies. Like Bedggood, David Le Sage has worked with Franciscans and Quakers.
who has helped to facilitate peace talks with rebel militia leaders and directly faced the problems of dealing with the Lord's Resistance Army
and their kidnapping of youth to pressgang them into becoming child soldiers http://www.anglicanpacifists.com/uploads/docs/4-TAP%20OCT07.pdf.
Dr Pararasan Arulanantham, originally from Sri Lanka, has helped to promote peace in that country http://www.anglicanpacifists.com/uploads/docs/28-TAP%20FEB%202009.pdf.
. The Fellowship is a member body of the Peace Education Network http://www.peaceeducation.org.uk/anglican-pacifist-fellowship, Network of Christian Peace Organisations, War Resisters International and of the International Peace Bureau
. Indeed, Roberta Bacic, a survivor of the Pinochet regime in Chile and President of WRI, has worked closely with Fellowship members http://www.anglicanpacifists.com/uploads/docs/9-TAP%20May%2008.pdf and written for the APF newsletter.
APF is also a sister of the Roman Catholic peace organisation, Pax Christi
, with which it has very close ties.
APF also publishes a range of leaflets on a variety of topics, from traditional Anglican pacifist tracts and an explanation of the Church's teachings on pacifism, through to articles discussing pragmatic pacifist responses to the problem of Hitler and alternatives to warfare. Pamphlets analyse the Bible in detail, with particular reference to the Sermon on the Mount
and the teachings and actions of Jesus Christ to show pacifism as the most Christian
response to warfare, such as how Jesus, through disarming Saint Peter
in the Garden of Gethsemane, thereby "disarms every soldier". They also depict the pacifist attitude of believers in the Early Church, prior to Christianity's acceptance by Constantine
http://books.google.com.au/books?id=DtYVfMkTDs4C&pg=PA32&lpg=PA32&dq=dick+sheppard+anglican+pacifist+fellowship&source=bl&ots=UCmDjj1188&sig=t_x3lNQcq-3oV2zovJ1z7_FHcPE&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=4&ct=result#PPA32,M1, http://www.catholicpeacefellowship.org/nextpage.asp?m=2479. Many of these educational pamphlets were written by Derek Savage
, a prominent British poet, APF member and Second World War conscientious objector.
One of Savage's tracts, Pacifism, Church and State, discusses one of the unique problems facing the Anglican Communion. As a State Church in England, the Anglican Church is often seen as part of "The Establishment" and, thus, critiquing Government policy and fully realizing the subversive, radical politics and social message at the heart of Jesus' Gospel
can be difficult. The Church can thus be criticised for excessive compliance to the Government and not living up to Christ's ideals as expressed in the Sermon on the Mount
, in which he criticises the power structures of this world, including the dominant military and economic force of His own time, the Roman Empire.
A topic often discussed amongst pacifists is that of how best they could respond to the emergence of Hitler, using non-violent means. Most APF members feel that the problem of Hitler could only have been settled earlier peacefully prior to 1939, via a more just and equitable Treaty of Versailles
and more work to promote a stable economic and political situation in the Weimar Republic
, as related in the pamphlet What to Do About Hitler: A Pacifist Symposium, published in 1989. The pamphlet also notes that whilst the Jews suffered horrific persecution under the Nazis during the 1930s, the Final Solution
could only occur under the cloud of wartime activity. Those who argue against fighting Hitler also note that the bombing of Dresden, Hiroshima and Nagasaki meant that the Allies sunk to the level of their opponents, whilst a campaign of non-violent resistance to any Nazi regime may have been more effective as such an overstretched empire would not be sustainable in the long run. The pamphlet argues that if Germany had been treated with greater dignity and been helped to recover more quickly after the 1918 defeat, the conditions that led Hitler to rise to power would not have occurred. Hence the Fellowship aims to work proactively in the world to determine and eliminate causes of warfare before conflict becomes inevitable.
Other notable tracts include:
Combined, these texts explore many of the issues surrounding a pacifism and intellectually engage the spiritual and pragmatic consequences of the ideology.
In 2000, the Fellowship released a compact disk of music, entitled Finest Hour, featuring music composed by Gilmurray, the renowned Anglican hymn writer Christopher Idle and John Bell
of the Iona Community
. The songs on the album promote pacifism and Christian fellowship by critiquing a number of issues and themes relating to war, arms manufacturing, American imperialism and corporate capitalism http://www.crossrhythms.co.uk/artists/Sue_Gilmurray/10892/.
A second recording by Gilmurray, The Way of Peace, was released in 2006 to recognise the United Nations
' Decade for the Promotion of a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence for the Children of the World
. It was accompanied by a Lent
en study book that contains poetry and passages of scripture. This album featured songs critiquing social issues such as the use of child soldiers in African combat zones and the depictions of violence in films and other media products marketed towards children http://www.paxchristi.org.uk/JustPeace/jp253_March-April06.pdf.
Anglican Communion
The Anglican Communion is an international association of national and regional Anglican churches in full communion with the Church of England and specifically with its principal primate, the Archbishop of Canterbury...
who reject war as a means of solving international disputes, and believe that peace and justice should be sought through non-violent means .
Origins and early history
The Anglican Pacifist Fellowship was established in 1937, and now has some 1,400 members in over 40 countries, as well as a sister organisation, the Episcopal Peace FellowshipEpiscopal Peace Fellowship
The Episcopal Peace Fellowship is a U.S. peace organization composed of members of the Episcopal Church. It was originally founded on November 11, 1939 as the Episcopal Pacifist Fellowship by Bishop William Appleton Lawrence, Mrs. Henry Hill Pierce, Rev. John Nevin Sayre and Bishop Paul Jones and...
, in the United States of America. APF was founded as a specifically Anglican offshoot of Reverend Dick Sheppard
Hugh Richard Lawrie Sheppard
Hugh Richard Lawrie "Dick" Sheppard was an English Anglican priest, Dean of Canterbury and pacifist....
's secular Peace Pledge Union
Peace Pledge Union
The Peace Pledge Union is a British pacifist non-governmental organization. It is open to everyone who can sign the PPU pledge: "I renounce war, and am therefore determined not to support any kind of war...
. APF was formed by Anglican clergy and laity led by Sheppard who were intent on undertaking a torchlit peace march to Lambeth Palace
Lambeth Palace
Lambeth Palace is the official London residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury in England. It is located in Lambeth, on the south bank of the River Thames a short distance upstream of the Palace of Westminster on the opposite shore. It was acquired by the archbishopric around 1200...
in 1937 as the threat of a Second World War loomed on the horizon. The aim of the march was to give Sheppard's colleague, the then-Archbishop of Canterbury
Archbishop of Canterbury
The Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. In his role as head of the Anglican Communion, the archbishop leads the third largest group...
, Cosmo Lang
Cosmo Lang
William Cosmo Gordon Lang, 1st Baron Lang of Lambeth GCVO PC was an Anglican prelate who served as Archbishop of York and Archbishop of Canterbury . His rapid elevation to Archbishop of York, within 18 years of his ordination, is unprecedented in modern Church of England history...
, a statement of pacifist conviction. This was at a time when many churchmen were intent on "trying to reconcile the teachings of Christ with the practice of war" http://www.ppu.org.uk/learn/infodocs/people/pst_dick.html.
Besides many priests and bishops, notable early members of the group included British Labour Leader George Lansbury
George Lansbury
George Lansbury was a British politician, socialist, Christian pacifist and newspaper editor. He was a Member of Parliament from 1910 to 1912 and from 1922 to 1940, and leader of the Labour Party from 1932 to 1935....
and famous literary figure Vera Brittain
Vera Brittain
Vera Mary Brittain was a British writer, feminist and pacifist, best remembered as the author of the best-selling 1933 memoir Testament of Youth, recounting her experiences during World War I and the beginning of her journey towards pacifism.-Life:Born in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Brittain was the...
. In 2006, songwriter and fellow Anglican Pacifist Fellowship member Sue Gilmurray wrote a song in Brittain's memory, entitled "Vera" http://www.abolishwar.org.uk/news8.pdf.
In addition to her famous novels, which were heavily imbued with pacifist ideology, Brittain was very much an active member of the "Ban the Bomber" campaign during the inter-war period, which sought to outlaw bomber aeroplanes as an illegal weapon of war, in recognition of the fact that they directly target civilian populations, beyond the frontline of conflicts and that they carry increasingly deadly payloads. This campaign had parallels to later attempts to ban nuclear weapons and ICBMs
Intercontinental ballistic missile
An intercontinental ballistic missile is a ballistic missile with a long range typically designed for nuclear weapons delivery...
http://www.spiritus-temporis.com/pacifism/pacifism-and-religion.html.
Second World War
During the war, "as well as campaigning for peace at every opportunity, APF had a support role for conscientious objectors... Anglican pacifists [also] became involved in social projects as an alternative to military duties" http://www.peacetaxseven.com/anglican.html.Lansbury was particularly active in this period, though his life was nearing its end. In contrast to Neville Chamberlain's policy of appeasement, Lansbury took a pro-active diplomatic approach towards preventing a war. He sought negotiation with all the major parties in order to arbitrate a peaceful settlement, as related in his book My Pilgrimage for Peace, published in 1938. His efforts were, however, in vain, and most APF members now acknowledge that, to counteract Hitler by non-violent means, Governments should not have allowed the economic and political situation of instability in the Weimar Republic
Weimar Republic
The Weimar Republic is the name given by historians to the parliamentary republic established in 1919 in Germany to replace the imperial form of government...
to arise in the first place. This issue is discussed at depth in APF's 1989 publication, What to Do About Hitler: A Pacifist Symposium. Notably, many early pacifists had argued against the excessively harsh terms of the Treaty of Versailles
Treaty of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles was one of the peace treaties at the end of World War I. It ended the state of war between Germany and the Allied Powers. It was signed on 28 June 1919, exactly five years after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. The other Central Powers on the German side of...
from its inception.
It is notable that, by 1944, Vera Brittain was on Hitler's list
The Black Book
The Black Book was the post-war name given to the Sonderfahndungsliste G.B. , the list of prominent British to be arrested in the case of a successful invasion of Britain by Nazi Germany in World War II.-Background:The list was similar to earlier lists prepared by SS like the Special Prosecution...
of those English people posing the greatest threat to his regime. The leader of the Reich clearly felt deeply threatened by her pacifism. Upon a successful Nazi invasion of Britain, the Gestapo were to arrest her immediately. Undaunted, she continued writing further tracts on the immorality of saturation bombing, as the British Royal Air Force undertook its campaign against target cities such as Dresden http://www.ppu.org.uk/learn/infodocs/people/pst_vera3.html, http://lachlan.bluehaze.com.au/books/fellowship_march1944/fellowship_march_1944.pdf.
Another famous female Christian to actively work for APF during the war period was the Anglo-Catholic intellectual, Evelyn Underhill
Evelyn Underhill
Evelyn Underhill was an English Anglo-Catholic writer and pacifist known for her numerous works on religion and spiritual practice, in particular Christian mysticism....
. Although initially opposed to pacifism (and, in fact, working for Naval Intelligence during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
), after much soul-searching, she found pacifism to be the correct Christian position by 1939 http://www.evelynunderhill.org/her_work/about_her_life.shtml and threw herself whole-heartedly behind APF's work, for "Not content to be merely a proclaimer of pacifism, Underhill tried to live by its principles" http://www.religion-online.org/showarticle.asp?title=1234.
Writing in a famous pamphlet for APF entitled Church and War (1940) http://disseminary.org/hoopoe/pubs/underhill.html, Underhill stated that, "If she remains true to her supernatural call, the Church cannot acquiesce in War for War, however camouflaged or excused, must always mean the effort of a group of men to achieve their purpose... by inflicting destruction and death on another group of men... it is often difficult to define the boundary which divides legitimate police action from military action; nevertheless, Christians must try to find that boundary and to observe it" http://www.religion-online.org/showarticle.asp?title=1234.
Historical opposition to nuclear proliferation
Some prominent members of APF were at the forefront of resistance to nuclear proliferation. "Canon John CollinsCanon John Collins
John Collins was an Anglican priest who was active in several radical political movements in the United Kingdom.Educated at Cranbrook School, Kent and the University of Cambridge, Collins served as a chaplain in the Royal Air Force during World War II and was radicalised by the experience...
from St. Paul's Cathedral was in the forefront of the founding leadership of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament
Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament
The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament is an anti-nuclear organisation that advocates unilateral nuclear disarmament by the United Kingdom, international nuclear disarmament and tighter international arms regulation through agreements such as the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty...
(CND). The Revd. Sidney Hinkes
Sidney Hinkes
Sidney George Stuart Hinkes was a pacifist and a priest in the Church of England.Hinkes was born in Dagenham. His father was a postman. He was educated at Dagenham County School from 1936 and was evacuated to Ilfracombe during the Second World War. He went on to serve with the 6th Airborne...
was an early Chairman of CND" http://www.peacetaxseven.com/anglican.html.
Hinkes' "theology was conservatively Catholic in what he regarded as essentials, yet his parochial and pastoral practice was radically open, both to the working-class culture and the ethnic diversity of the people in the areas in which he served" http://www.churchtimes.co.uk/content.asp?id=14957.
Hinkes was a leading member of APF during his lifetime, known for leading peace rallies and prayer vigils with his distinctive, large-sized version of the APF's emblematic blue and gold cross. He worked with the then-President of the Fellowship, Gordon Wilson
Gordon Wilson (peace campaigner)
Gordon Wilson was a draper in Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. During The Troubles Wilson was injured and his daughter Marie was killed in the Enniskillen Remembrance Day Bombing on 8 November 1987....
and APF counsellor Paul Oestreicher
Paul Oestreicher
Paul Oestreicher is an Anglican priest.-Life and work:In 1938, shortly after he began school, his family had to leave Germany due to the Jewish ancestry of his father, the paediatrician Paul Oestreicher . They moved to New Zealand, where he grew up...
on many strident campaigns for peace, his motto being "we put the 'fist' into pacifist!" http://www.churchtimes.co.uk/content.asp?id=14957.
This stance exemplified the proactive peacemaking stance and pacifism of APF and contrasted sharply with any accusations of "passivism." "To Sidney, peacemaking was anything but passive. His priesthood was a total commitment to the non-violent struggle to implement God's just and gentle rule. It was tough and demanding, but never embittered" http://www.churchtimes.co.uk/content.asp?id=14957.
Frustrated that the Church often saw peace-making as a marginal issue, Hinkes worked to ensure that it came to central prominence due to his diligent work on race-relations as Britain became more ethnically-diverse following the War. Up until his death, he worked for both APF and the Stop the War Coalition
Stop the War Coalition
The Stop the War Coalition is a United Kingdom group set up on 21 September 2001 that campaigns against what it believes are unjust wars....
to proactively pursue peace and an end to the 2003 Iraq War.
Oestreicher, an honorary doctor from the University of Sussex
University of Sussex
The University of Sussex is an English public research university situated next to the East Sussex village of Falmer, within the city of Brighton and Hove. The University received its Royal Charter in August 1961....
http://www.sussex.ac.uk/press_office/bulletin/15jul05/article6.shtml, fled Nazi Germany as a child refugee. He grew up in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
and was for many years director of the Centre for International Reconciliation at Coventry Cathedral. Like many APF members, he also works for other peace organisations. In his case, he has worked for the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament and was also the founding chair for Amnesty International
Amnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
. Though an Anglican priest, also holds a strong affinity for the Quaker religion http://www.sussex.ac.uk/press_office/bulletin/15jul05/article6.shtml.
He continues to write columns for the Guardian newspaper http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/pauloestreicher and occasionally returns to New Zealand to speak on peace issues http://www.converge.org.nz/pma/pauloes.htm.
Current status
APF currently has more than 1400 members in forty countries http://www.anglicanpacifists.com/index.php/3/about_us who have signed the pledge stating "that our membership of the Christian Church involves the complete repudiation of modern war, pledge ourselves to renounce war and all preparation to wage war, and to work for the construction of Christian peace in the world..." http://www.peacetaxseven.com/anglican.html.The key beliefs of members of the Fellowship are:
- that Jesus' teaching is incompatible with the waging of war.
- that a Christian church should never support or justify war.
- that our Christian witness should include opposing the waging or justifying of war.
http://www.anglicanpeacemaker.org.uk/
Today, pacifism is recognised as a mainstream Anglican position http://www.peacetaxseven.com/anglican.html, though it is not yet a dominant belief of the faith. "Numerous bishops have been Counsellors of APF and two, Wilfrid Westall, Bishop of Crediton
Crediton
Crediton is a town and civil parish in the Mid Devon district of Devon in England. It stands on the A377 Exeter to Barnstaple road at the junction with the A3072 road to Tiverton, about north west of Exeter. It has a population of 6,837...
, and Colin Scott
Colin Scott (bishop)
The Rt Rev Colin John Fraser Scott was the Suffragan Bishop of Hulme from 1984 until 1998. He was born on 14 May 1933 and educated at Berkhamsted School and Queens' College, Cambridge. After curacies at St Barnabas, Clapham Common and St James, Hatcham he was Vicar of St Mark, Kennington...
, Assistant Bishop in the Diocese of Leicester
Leicester
Leicester is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England, and the county town of Leicestershire. The city lies on the River Soar and at the edge of the National Forest...
, have chaired the Fellowship" http://www.peacetaxseven.com/anglican.html.
The current chairperson of APF as of 2009 is Mrs Mary Roe http://www.anglicanpacifists.com/uploads/docs/23-TAP%20Dec%2008.pdf.
Current activities in the United Kingdom
APF campaigns prominently at each Lambeth Conference http://www.anglicanpacifists.com/uploads/docs/18-The%20Lambeth%20Conference%20-%20Draft%20Version.pdf. This activism aims to make the Church uphold Resolution 25 of the 1930 Lambeth Conference http://www.lambethconference.org/resolutions/1930/1930-25.cfm and Resolution 5 from the 1978 Lambeth Conference http://www.lambethconference.org/resolutions/1978/1978-5.cfm that state that "war as a method of settling international disputes is incompatible with the teaching and example of our Lord Jesus Christ" http://www.lambethconference.org/resolutions/1930/1930-25.cfm. This Resolution overrules the older Article 37 of the 39 Articles of Anglican faith, which had stated that "It is lawful for Christian men at the commandment of the Magistrate to wear weapons and serve in the wars" http://www.eskimo.com/~lhowell/bcp1662/articles/articles.html#37. Making Bishops take practical steps to proclaim and uphold this Resolution is a key aim of APF.The 1968 Lambeth Conference saw a victory for conscientious objectors who finally had their rights recognised and upheld by the Church. The use of nuclear and bacteriological weapons was also "emphatically condemned" http://www.anglicanpacifists.com/uploads/docs/18-The%20Lambeth%20Conference%20-%20Draft%20Version.pdf. "Gordon Wilson of APF was pleased that there were no ‘but’s in the Conference’s anti-war statements" http://www.anglicanpacifists.com/uploads/docs/18-The%20Lambeth%20Conference%20-%20Draft%20Version.pdf.
During the 1978 Conference, after a pilgrimage to Dick Sheppard's grave, activists nailed Seven Theses to the door of Canterbury Cathedral
Canterbury Cathedral
Canterbury Cathedral in Canterbury, Kent, is one of the oldest and most famous Christian structures in England and forms part of a World Heritage Site....
. "The theses reflected the theological approach of Gordon Wilson for whom Christ’s victory of love over violence on the cross was a fundamental principle" http://www.anglicanpacifists.com/uploads/docs/18-The%20Lambeth%20Conference%20-%20Draft%20Version.pdf. This action deliberately echoed Martin Luther
Martin Luther
Martin Luther was a German priest, professor of theology and iconic figure of the Protestant Reformation. He strongly disputed the claim that freedom from God's punishment for sin could be purchased with money. He confronted indulgence salesman Johann Tetzel with his Ninety-Five Theses in 1517...
's famous nailing of The Ninety-Five Theses to the church door in Wittenberg
Wittenberg
Wittenberg, officially Lutherstadt Wittenberg, is a city in Germany in the Bundesland Saxony-Anhalt, on the river Elbe. It has a population of about 50,000....
.
APF founded the Week of Prayer for World Peace, and continue to have close ties with it, now that it has expanded to become an inter-religious event http://nfpb.gn.apc.org/Prayer/. APF is also heavily involved in the Greenbelt Festival
Greenbelt festival
Greenbelt Festival is a festival of arts, faith and justice held annually in England since 1974. Greenbelt has grown from a Christian music festival with an audience of 1,500 young Christians to its current more secular festival attended by around 20,000 - Christians and non-Christians.The festival...
and White Poppy
White Poppy
thumb|right|300px|Artificial poppies placed as [[Anzac Day]] tributes on a [[cenotaph]] in [[New Zealand]]; mostly [[red poppy#Symbol|red poppies]] marketed by the [[Royal New Zealand Returned and Services' Association]], with a lone [[White Poppy]]...
sales for protesting Remembrance Day, which APF members feel has become to much a celebration of the military.
Songwriter Sue Gilmurray, an APF member, is heavily involved in commemorations surrounding International Conscientious Objectors Day, held annually on May 15 at Tavistock Square
Tavistock Square
Tavistock Square is a public square in Bloomsbury, in the London Borough of Camden with a fine garden.-Public art:The centre-piece of the gardens is a statue of Mahatma Gandhi, which was installed in 1968....
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
http://www.abolishwar.org.uk/downloads/SongsForEducation.pdf, http://www.rrk.freeuk.com/.
She is also prominent in protests against the Faslane Naval Base, at which Trident Nuclear Weapons are situated http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/musicclub/doc_power.shtml.
Gilmurray is one of a number of APF members who showed support for the Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
peace activist and human shield
Human shield
Human shield is a military and political term describing the deliberate placement of civilians in or around combat targets to deter an enemy from attacking those targets. It may also refer to the use of civilians to literally shield combatants during attacks, by forcing the civilians to march in...
, Norman Kember
Norman Kember
Norman Frank Kember is an Emeritus Professor of biophysics at Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry and a Christian pacifist active in campaigning on issues of war and peace. As a Baptist, a long-standing member of the Baptist Peace Fellowship and the Fellowship of Reconciliation...
http://www.abolishwar.org.uk/downloads/SongsForEducation.pdf.
Several prominent APF members, such as Gilmurray and scientist Dr Tony Kempster are also involved in the secular Movement for the Abolition of War. Kempster has been a strident opponent of the weapons manufacturer, BAE http://www.anglicanpacifists.com/uploads/docs/9-TAP%20May%2008.pdf, http://www.abolishwar.org.uk/newsletters/news05.pdf, http://www.abolishwar.org.uk/newsletters/news12.pdf, http://www.paxchristi.org.uk/JustPeace/jp254_May_June06.pdf. Indeed, BAE considered Kempster such a threat that it infiltrated MAW and stole a membership database. Legal action against the arms manufacturer was pursued.
APF also supports peace museums with Reverend Clive Barrett being particularly involved in this type of education and awareness campaigning http://www.anglicanpacifists.com/uploads/docs/23-TAP%20Dec%2008.pdf. Elnora Ferguson also lead peace education in the British education system.
The Fellowship also focuses very much on the promotion of Peace Studies in British schools http://www.abolishwar.org.uk/downloads/SongsForEducation.pdf to counter attempts by the military to recruit English school students http://www.anglicanpacifists.com/uploads/docs/23-TAP%20Dec%2008.pdf.
Much time is also spent liaising with bishops and politicians and promoting the pacifist viewpoint in public forum debates and on representational committees.
In 2009, the Fellowship is supporting Red Hand Day
Red Hand Day
Red Hand Day, February 12 each year, is an annual commemoration day on which pleas are made to political leaders and events are staged around the world to draw attention to the fates of child soldiers, children who are forced to serve as soldiers in wars and armed conflicts...
, to raise awareness of the plight of child soldiers in African conflicts http://www.anglicanpacifists.com/index.php?page=news&news_id=25, http://www.redhandday.org/.
New Zealand
APF branches exist in all British Commonwealth countries but the Fellowship is particularly prominent in New ZealandNew Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. The New Zealand Chapter was initially established in Christchurch in 1948 http://www.converge.org.nz/pma/apf/apfmay07.pdf. The New Zealand Chapter have their own website and newsletter http://www.converge.org.nz/pma/apf/ and count a number of local bishops amongst their membership.
The prominence of the New Zealand branch was helped significantly by Sidney Hinkes' pilgrimages to that country during the branch's formative stages http://www.churchtimes.co.uk/content.asp?id=14957. The New Zealand Chapter was headed by Professor Margaret Bedggood and Chris Barfoot
Chris Barfoot
Chris Barfoot is a British actor, writer/director and producer of film productions.- Biography :...
throughout 2008 http://www.converge.org.nz/pma/apf/contact.htm. The previous head of the Chapter in this country had been Roger Baker
Roger Baker
Roger Lewis Baker is an American former handball player who competed in the 1972 Summer Olympics and in the 1976 Summer Olympics.He was born in Hood River, Oregon....
.
Bedggood, a Franciscan
Franciscan
Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
, is a Professor of Law and was the Chief Commissioner of the New Zealand Human Rights Commission
New Zealand Human Rights Commission
The Human Rights Commission is the national human rights institution in New Zealand. It is funded through the Ministry of Justice, but operates independently of the New Zealand Government...
, a member of Amnesty International
Amnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
and a member of the New Zealand Film and Literature Review Board http://www.humanrights.co.nz/about/bios.html.
The Chair of the New Zealand Chapter for 2009 is Dr Jonathan Hartfield http://www.converge.org.nz/pma/apf/apfjan09.pdf.
Australia
In contrast to New Zealand, APF have a much more low-key presence in AustraliaAustralia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. The most notable member of the organisation in this country was Margaret Holmes
Margaret Holmes
Margaret Joan Holmes , AM was an Australian peace activist, particularly during the Vietnam War and as part of the Anglican Pacifist Fellowship...
, a lifelong peace activist, prominent in many anti-war organisations, notably the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom
Women's International League for Peace and Freedom
The Women's International League for Peace and Freedom was established in the United States in January 1915 as the Woman's Peace Party...
. http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/PARLMENT/hansArt.nsf/V3Key/LC20060920045, http://www.greenleft.org.au/2006/679/7796. Author Michelle Cavanagh published a readily-available biography of Holmes in 2006 http://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/3638376. Margaret Holmes died on September 10, 2009, at the age of 100 http://www.smh.com.au/national/obituaries/powerful-voice-for-peace-and-freedom-20091002-ggg6.html.
For many years, the secretary of APF in Australia was a priest from Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, the Very Reverend David Thawley, a Second World War conscientious objector
Conscientious objector
A conscientious objector is an "individual who has claimed the right to refuse to perform military service" on the grounds of freedom of thought, conscience, and/or religion....
who was proactive in promoting the organisation and working on various committees within the Church and alongside secular anti-war organisations http://www.peacecourier.com/terrorism.htm. Since 2005, the Secretary of the Australian Chapter has been the Bishop Philip Huggins, also from Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
in Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
http://www.anglicanpacifists.com/index.php/7/worldwide.
Another member of APF in Australia is the young Anglican thinker and anti-military activist, David Le Sage http://www.anglicanpacifists.com/uploads/docs/9-TAP%20May%2008.pdf, who has organised fundraisers for African refugees and been involved in some protest activities in his native Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
. David Le Sage has written academic research on the pacifist ideology of notable British writers of the 1930s http://www.research.utas.edu.au/warp/reports/individual.htm. A published author, from January 2009, he lead peace education
Peace education
Peace education may be defined as the process of acquiring the values, the knowledge and developing the attitudes, skills, and behaviors to live in harmony with oneself, with others, and with the natural environment....
in a teaching role at a private Christian school in Brisbane before going onto work as a head technical writer for one of the world's leading software companies. Like Bedggood, David Le Sage has worked with Franciscans and Quakers.
Other countries
APF is very much active in a number of African countries and bishops and priests from this part of the world are members of the Fellowship, working to deal directly with conflict situations. An example is Bishop Nelson Onono Onweng of the Diocese of Northern UgandaUganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
who has helped to facilitate peace talks with rebel militia leaders and directly faced the problems of dealing with the Lord's Resistance Army
Lord's Resistance Army
The Lord's Resistance Army insurgency is an ongoing guerrilla campaign waged since 1987 by the Lord's Resistance Army rebel group, operating mainly in northern Uganda, but also in South Sudan and eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo...
and their kidnapping of youth to pressgang them into becoming child soldiers http://www.anglicanpacifists.com/uploads/docs/4-TAP%20OCT07.pdf.
Dr Pararasan Arulanantham, originally from Sri Lanka, has helped to promote peace in that country http://www.anglicanpacifists.com/uploads/docs/28-TAP%20FEB%202009.pdf.
Work with other groups
The American branch of APF is known as the Episcopal Peace FellowshipEpiscopal Peace Fellowship
The Episcopal Peace Fellowship is a U.S. peace organization composed of members of the Episcopal Church. It was originally founded on November 11, 1939 as the Episcopal Pacifist Fellowship by Bishop William Appleton Lawrence, Mrs. Henry Hill Pierce, Rev. John Nevin Sayre and Bishop Paul Jones and...
. The Fellowship is a member body of the Peace Education Network http://www.peaceeducation.org.uk/anglican-pacifist-fellowship, Network of Christian Peace Organisations, War Resisters International and of the International Peace Bureau
International Peace Bureau
International Peace Bureau is the world's oldest international peace federation. It was founded in 1891, and awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1910....
. Indeed, Roberta Bacic, a survivor of the Pinochet regime in Chile and President of WRI, has worked closely with Fellowship members http://www.anglicanpacifists.com/uploads/docs/9-TAP%20May%2008.pdf and written for the APF newsletter.
APF is also a sister of the Roman Catholic peace organisation, Pax Christi
Pax Christi
-History:Pax Christi was established in France in 1945 as a reconciliation work between the French and the Germans after the Second World War. In 2007, it existed in more than 60 countries...
, with which it has very close ties.
APF publications and resources
The Fellowship publishes a newsletter, The Anglican Peacemaker, which is available online or via mail subscription. Each newsletter explores a specific theme or current event and also contains a page depicting art, song lyrics and poetry that promote a culture of peace. Book and film reviews are also featured. The newsletter explores pragmatic, constructive ways of building peace as well as exploring the Christian spiritual foundations of pacifism. It frequently critiques the actions of the military and arms manufacturers in many parts of the world whilst exploring the reasons why the military still has such influence in society. The role of the media, environment, politics and capitalism are explored whilst ways of educating people about the immorality of military life are also discussed. Promotion of proactive peace-making and analysis of the causes of war and attraction of the military are key aims of the newsletter.APF also publishes a range of leaflets on a variety of topics, from traditional Anglican pacifist tracts and an explanation of the Church's teachings on pacifism, through to articles discussing pragmatic pacifist responses to the problem of Hitler and alternatives to warfare. Pamphlets analyse the Bible in detail, with particular reference to the Sermon on the Mount
Sermon on the Mount
The Sermon on the Mount is a collection of sayings and teachings of Jesus, which emphasizes his moral teaching found in the Gospel of Matthew...
and the teachings and actions of Jesus Christ to show pacifism as the most Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
response to warfare, such as how Jesus, through disarming Saint Peter
Saint Peter
Saint Peter or Simon Peter was an early Christian leader, who is featured prominently in the New Testament Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. The son of John or of Jonah and from the village of Bethsaida in the province of Galilee, his brother Andrew was also an apostle...
in the Garden of Gethsemane, thereby "disarms every soldier". They also depict the pacifist attitude of believers in the Early Church, prior to Christianity's acceptance by Constantine
Constantine I
Constantine the Great , also known as Constantine I or Saint Constantine, was Roman Emperor from 306 to 337. Well known for being the first Roman emperor to convert to Christianity, Constantine and co-Emperor Licinius issued the Edict of Milan in 313, which proclaimed religious tolerance of all...
http://books.google.com.au/books?id=DtYVfMkTDs4C&pg=PA32&lpg=PA32&dq=dick+sheppard+anglican+pacifist+fellowship&source=bl&ots=UCmDjj1188&sig=t_x3lNQcq-3oV2zovJ1z7_FHcPE&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=4&ct=result#PPA32,M1, http://www.catholicpeacefellowship.org/nextpage.asp?m=2479. Many of these educational pamphlets were written by Derek Savage
Derek Savage
Derek Stanley Savage , pacifist poet and critic, usually published as "D.S.Savage". He was General Secretary of the Anglican Pacifist Fellowship -Life:...
, a prominent British poet, APF member and Second World War conscientious objector.
One of Savage's tracts, Pacifism, Church and State, discusses one of the unique problems facing the Anglican Communion. As a State Church in England, the Anglican Church is often seen as part of "The Establishment" and, thus, critiquing Government policy and fully realizing the subversive, radical politics and social message at the heart of Jesus' Gospel
Gospel
A gospel is an account, often written, that describes the life of Jesus of Nazareth. In a more general sense the term "gospel" may refer to the good news message of the New Testament. It is primarily used in reference to the four canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John...
can be difficult. The Church can thus be criticised for excessive compliance to the Government and not living up to Christ's ideals as expressed in the Sermon on the Mount
Sermon on the Mount
The Sermon on the Mount is a collection of sayings and teachings of Jesus, which emphasizes his moral teaching found in the Gospel of Matthew...
, in which he criticises the power structures of this world, including the dominant military and economic force of His own time, the Roman Empire.
A topic often discussed amongst pacifists is that of how best they could respond to the emergence of Hitler, using non-violent means. Most APF members feel that the problem of Hitler could only have been settled earlier peacefully prior to 1939, via a more just and equitable Treaty of Versailles
Treaty of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles was one of the peace treaties at the end of World War I. It ended the state of war between Germany and the Allied Powers. It was signed on 28 June 1919, exactly five years after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. The other Central Powers on the German side of...
and more work to promote a stable economic and political situation in the Weimar Republic
Weimar Republic
The Weimar Republic is the name given by historians to the parliamentary republic established in 1919 in Germany to replace the imperial form of government...
, as related in the pamphlet What to Do About Hitler: A Pacifist Symposium, published in 1989. The pamphlet also notes that whilst the Jews suffered horrific persecution under the Nazis during the 1930s, the Final Solution
Final Solution
The Final Solution was Nazi Germany's plan and execution of the systematic genocide of European Jews during World War II, resulting in the most deadly phase of the Holocaust...
could only occur under the cloud of wartime activity. Those who argue against fighting Hitler also note that the bombing of Dresden, Hiroshima and Nagasaki meant that the Allies sunk to the level of their opponents, whilst a campaign of non-violent resistance to any Nazi regime may have been more effective as such an overstretched empire would not be sustainable in the long run. The pamphlet argues that if Germany had been treated with greater dignity and been helped to recover more quickly after the 1918 defeat, the conditions that led Hitler to rise to power would not have occurred. Hence the Fellowship aims to work proactively in the world to determine and eliminate causes of warfare before conflict becomes inevitable.
Other notable tracts include:
- Why I am Not a Pacifist: A Pacifist's Reply, which addresses some of the key theological and pragmatic questions often asked by people hesitant to embrace pacifism;
- Article XXXVII and War, which discusses the contentious Article and its bearing on modern Anglican pacifism;
- Against the Stream (available online http://www.c3.hu/~bocs/jager-a.htm), about the life of the German Roman Catholic conscientious objector Franz JägerstätterFranz JägerstätterBlessed Franz Jägerstätter, O.F.S., was an Austrian conscientious objector during World War II. Jägerstätter was sentenced to death and executed...
, who was executed for refusing to serve in the Nazi army http://justus.anglican.org/resources/bio/224.html; - The Church and War, a classic 1940 tract by Evelyn Underhill (also available online http://disseminary.org/hoopoe/pubs/underhill.html).
Combined, these texts explore many of the issues surrounding a pacifism and intellectually engage the spiritual and pragmatic consequences of the ideology.
In 2000, the Fellowship released a compact disk of music, entitled Finest Hour, featuring music composed by Gilmurray, the renowned Anglican hymn writer Christopher Idle and John Bell
John L. Bell
John Lamberton Bell is a hymn-writer. A Church of Scotland minister, he is a member of the Iona Community, a broadcaster, and former student activist...
of the Iona Community
Iona Community
The Iona Community, founded in 1938 by the Rev George MacLeod, is an ecumenical Christian community of men and women from different walks of life and different traditions in the Christian church....
. The songs on the album promote pacifism and Christian fellowship by critiquing a number of issues and themes relating to war, arms manufacturing, American imperialism and corporate capitalism http://www.crossrhythms.co.uk/artists/Sue_Gilmurray/10892/.
A second recording by Gilmurray, The Way of Peace, was released in 2006 to recognise the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
' Decade for the Promotion of a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence for the Children of the World
Decade for the Promotion of a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence for the Children of the World
The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed the first decade of the 21st century and the third millennium, the years 2001 to 2010, as the International Decade for the Promotion of a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence for the Children of the World...
. It was accompanied by a Lent
Lent
In the Christian tradition, Lent is the period of the liturgical year from Ash Wednesday to Easter. The traditional purpose of Lent is the preparation of the believer – through prayer, repentance, almsgiving and self-denial – for the annual commemoration during Holy Week of the Death and...
en study book that contains poetry and passages of scripture. This album featured songs critiquing social issues such as the use of child soldiers in African combat zones and the depictions of violence in films and other media products marketed towards children http://www.paxchristi.org.uk/JustPeace/jp253_March-April06.pdf.
See also
- Vera BrittainVera BrittainVera Mary Brittain was a British writer, feminist and pacifist, best remembered as the author of the best-selling 1933 memoir Testament of Youth, recounting her experiences during World War I and the beginning of her journey towards pacifism.-Life:Born in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Brittain was the...
(1893–1970), English literary figure and APF member. - Canon John CollinsCanon John CollinsJohn Collins was an Anglican priest who was active in several radical political movements in the United Kingdom.Educated at Cranbrook School, Kent and the University of Cambridge, Collins served as a chaplain in the Royal Air Force during World War II and was radicalised by the experience...
(1905–1982), Clergyman, APF member, CND co-founder and anti-apartheid activist. - Sidney HinkesSidney HinkesSidney George Stuart Hinkes was a pacifist and a priest in the Church of England.Hinkes was born in Dagenham. His father was a postman. He was educated at Dagenham County School from 1936 and was evacuated to Ilfracombe during the Second World War. He went on to serve with the 6th Airborne...
(1925–2006), Priest and APF activist. - Margaret HolmesMargaret HolmesMargaret Joan Holmes , AM was an Australian peace activist, particularly during the Vietnam War and as part of the Anglican Pacifist Fellowship...
(1909–2009), Australia's most prominent APF activist. - George LansburyGeorge LansburyGeorge Lansbury was a British politician, socialist, Christian pacifist and newspaper editor. He was a Member of Parliament from 1910 to 1912 and from 1922 to 1940, and leader of the Labour Party from 1932 to 1935....
(1859–1940), Former British Labour Party Leader and APF Chairman - Derek SavageDerek SavageDerek Stanley Savage , pacifist poet and critic, usually published as "D.S.Savage". He was General Secretary of the Anglican Pacifist Fellowship -Life:...
(1917–2007), Former APF General Secretary. - Colin ScottColin Scott (bishop)The Rt Rev Colin John Fraser Scott was the Suffragan Bishop of Hulme from 1984 until 1998. He was born on 14 May 1933 and educated at Berkhamsted School and Queens' College, Cambridge. After curacies at St Barnabas, Clapham Common and St James, Hatcham he was Vicar of St Mark, Kennington...
(1933-) Former APF Chairman and Anglican bishop - Dick SheppardHugh Richard Lawrie SheppardHugh Richard Lawrie "Dick" Sheppard was an English Anglican priest, Dean of Canterbury and pacifist....
(1880–1937), Anglican priest, pioneer religious broadcaster and founder of the Peace Pledge Union and the Anglican Pacifist Fellowship - Evelyn UnderhillEvelyn UnderhillEvelyn Underhill was an English Anglo-Catholic writer and pacifist known for her numerous works on religion and spiritual practice, in particular Christian mysticism....
(1875–1941), Anglican thinker and APF member. - Gordon WilsonGordon Wilson (peace campaigner)Gordon Wilson was a draper in Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. During The Troubles Wilson was injured and his daughter Marie was killed in the Enniskillen Remembrance Day Bombing on 8 November 1987....
(1927–1995) Former APF Chairman - AnglicanismAnglicanismAnglicanism is a tradition within Christianity comprising churches with historical connections to the Church of England or similar beliefs, worship and church structures. The word Anglican originates in ecclesia anglicana, a medieval Latin phrase dating to at least 1246 that means the English...
- Campaign for Nuclear DisarmamentCampaign for Nuclear DisarmamentThe Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament is an anti-nuclear organisation that advocates unilateral nuclear disarmament by the United Kingdom, international nuclear disarmament and tighter international arms regulation through agreements such as the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty...
- Christian pacifismChristian pacifismChristian pacifism is the theological and ethical position that any form of violence is incompatible with the Christian faith. Christian pacifists state that Jesus himself was a pacifist who taught and practiced pacifism, and that his followers must do likewise.There have been various notable...
- Conscientious objectorConscientious objectorA conscientious objector is an "individual who has claimed the right to refuse to perform military service" on the grounds of freedom of thought, conscience, and/or religion....
- Fellowship of ReconciliationFellowship of ReconciliationThe Fellowship of Reconciliation is the name used by a number of religious nonviolent organizations, particularly in English-speaking countries...
- Lambeth Conference
- PacifismPacifismPacifism is the opposition to war and violence. The term "pacifism" was coined by the French peace campaignerÉmile Arnaud and adopted by other peace activists at the tenth Universal Peace Congress inGlasgow in 1901.- Definition :...
- Pacifist organisationPacifist organisationA Pacifist organisation promotes the pacifist principle of renouncing war and violence for political ends. They are distinguished from organizations concerned only with removing nuclear weapons from war, though those organization may call for suspension of hostilities as well...
- Pax ChristiPax Christi-History:Pax Christi was established in France in 1945 as a reconciliation work between the French and the Germans after the Second World War. In 2007, it existed in more than 60 countries...
- Peace ActivistPeace activistThis list of peace activists includes people who proactively advocate diplomatic, non-military resolution of political disputes, usually through nonviolent means.A peace activist is an activist of the peace movement.*Jane Addams*Martti Ahtisaari...
- Peace ChurchesPeace churchesPeace churches are Christian churches, groups or communities advocating Christian pacifism. The term historic peace churches refers specifically only to three church groups among pacifist churches: Church of the Brethren, Mennonites including the Amish, and Religious Society of Friends and has...
- War Resisters' InternationalWar Resisters' InternationalWar Resisters' International is an international anti-war organization with members and affiliates in over thirty countries. Its headquarters are in London, UK.-History:...