Peace treatise: “If you want peace, go and talk to your enemy”

Published as a special volume in the “edition pace” series, the publication is being presented in cooperation with the Ecumenical Peace Network and enhanced by a preface by Dr. Konrad Raiser.

Through the concept of “peace logic,” the book points to ways in which conflicts could be resolved through diplomacy and civil conflict resolution, and wars may be prevented.

The document aims to provide Christians and humanists with a clear, ethical orientation toward peace. It calls for an unequivocal commitment to military disarmament and for all states to join the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in times of massive rearmament. It notes that churches, in particular, can be a strong, clear voice for peace and contribute to building a culture of peace.

Coeditor Schäfer said that the treatise attempts to offer the perspective of grassroots organizations. "Within the team, we first decided to orient ourselves closely to the prophetic-Jesus tradition, following the example of the prophet Micah and the Sermon on the Mount,” he said. When viewed in the light of their original context, the teachings of the Sermon on the Mount contain clear, practical recommendations even for policymakers on how to prevent violence. “This theology is most in line with grassroots Christian movements, but of course aiming at the entire church. These theological reflections were complemented by a critique of the “myth of redemptive violence” by the American theologian Walter Wink. Finally, we incorporated a political science perspective through Hanne-Margret Birckenbach’s ‘Peace Logic.’ ”

Schäfer described how all of this was repeatedly discussed and expanded upon over the course of about half a year in online plenary sessions as well as among individual plenary members. “In this way, more ideas came to light during the editorial process than initially anticipated, such as the perspective of the churches in East Germany, documents from the World Council of Churches (WCC) and the Vatican, and theological input provided by historic peace churches,” he said.

Schäfer also noted that, when it comes to secular ethics, there are various points of connection.

“The program of strengthening grassroots initiatives, cooperating with secular peace actors, and fostering a culture of nonviolence—these strategies are entirely in line with our approach,” he said.

Spiritually speaking, the Sermon on the Mount contains more than just practical recommendations, he noted. “It also establishes prayer as a source of courage and points to the coming Kingdom of God,” he said. “Furthermore, the prophet Micah offers us a magnificent vision of the success of our commitment to peace: the beating of swords into plowshares.”

Schäfer noted that, first, the prophets’ call for justice and peace—as such, but not in its theological rationale—can be directly linked to the demands of secular ethics. “Nuclear armament has been an issue for the peace movement in Germany since the mid-1950s.”

The problem has been exacerbated today by the fact that the chancellor has decreed the purchase of nuclear-capable Tomahawk missiles for Germany, Schäfer notes. “This violates important international treaties, most notably the Two-Plus-Four Treaty, which is fundamental to the right of a united Germany to exist,” he said. “ The peace movement, however, is always at a disadvantage when faced with such decisions made without public or even parliamentary debate.”

“Despite everything, the challenge set forth by the prophets and Jesus—to speak to the enemy rather than threaten him—remains the best guide for those who seek peace,” concluded Schäfer.