The Pacifist Impulse in Historical Perspective

This volume of twenty-three essays appears in recognition of the emergence of peace history as a relatively new and coherent field of learning. Together the essays in this book explore the ideas and activities of persons and groups who, for over two millennia, have rejected war and urged non-violent means of settling conflicts.

The essays, organized in four parts, concentrate on the main areas of contemporary scholarship in peace history. `Approaches to Peace History' explores conceptual issues and methods. `Christian Traditions of Pacifism and Non-resistance' covers topics from the problem of non-violence and war in the early church, through Mennonite and Brethren traditions in the sixteenth century, to the present-day Quaker peace testimony. `Gandhi and the Indian Tradition of Non-violence' looks at the role of violence and non-violence in Hindu and Buddhist thought and practice as well as the development of Gandhi's intellectual and moral outlook. `Pacifism and Peace Movements in the Modern World, 1890-1955' considers various aspects of the interrelationship between pacifists and internationalists and the broader movement advocating world peace. Also considered is the role of women in peace movements. The opening and closing chapters pay tribute to the pioneering leadership and scholarly accomplishments of Peter Brock and include a complete bibliography of his work in the field of peace history.