RELIGST 2H03 Lecture Notes - Lecture 14: Peace Churches, Menno Simons, Peter Waldo

• School: McMaster University
• Department: Religious Studies
• Course: RELIGST 2H03
• Professor: Ann Pearson

Document Summary

Christian groups who saw in jesus" teachings a radical call to renounce violence and warfare, e g. : ; founder peter waldo], considered shedding human blood a crime. ]; st. francis of assisi (italy); voluntary poverty, simplicity, service to the poor, kindness to animals. Mennonites (menno simons 1496-1691); as one of the historic peace churches, mennonites are committed to nonviolence & nonviolent resistance/ reconciliation, and pacifism. Quakers/ religious society of friends (george fox, 1624-1691); a second historic peace church, as above. Declaration issued in 1661 to english king charles ii by quakers: We utterly deny all outward wars and strife and fightings with outward weapons, for any end or under any pretense whatsoever. And this is our testimony to the whole world. A quaker writer and leader who wrote about the evils of war, questioning its lawfulness, and arguing that its worst consequence is the erosion of morality.