In this path-breaking study, Fr. Alexander Webster convincingly demonstrates that a distinctive pacifist trajectory, characterized by the moral virtues of non-violence, nonresistance, voluntary kenotic suffering, and universal forgiveness, has endured through two millennia of Eastern Orthodox history in unbroken continuity with the ancient Church. Webster consults a vast array of primary texts including Holy Scripture, patristic writing through the Byzantine era that terminated in AD 1453, Orthodox canon law from the Seven Ecumenical Councils and other Byzantine Greek legal sources among others. Of interest to historians and to students of theology and religion.
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The Pacifist Option is a work of first-rate historical and theological scholarship. If you are looking for a good solid read that will help shore up theological underpinnings of you work as a military chaplain, I highly recommend this book. It will also serve well as an Orthodox Christian moral theology, for those unacquainted with the Orthodox tradition.>>> (Chaplain (CPT) Isaiah R. Gillete The Army Chaplaincy )
Likely to provoke discussion within Orthodox circles, this work contributes to the growing literature which tries to make the Orthodox tradition relevant to contemporary social concerns.>>>> (Religious Studies Review )
Likely to provoke discussion within Orthodox circles, this work contributes to the growing literature which tries to make the Orthodox tradition relevant to contemporary social concerns. (Religious Studies Review )
The Pacifist Option is a work of first-rate historical and theological scholarship. If you are looking for a good solid read that will help shore up theological underpinnings of you work as a military chaplain, I highly recommend this book. It will also serve well as an Orthodox Christian moral theology, for those unacquainted with the Orthodox tradition. (Chaplain (CPT) Isaiah R. Gillete The Army Chaplaincy )
Likely to provoke discussion within Orthodox circles, this work contributes to the growing literature which tries to make the Orthodox tradition relevant to contemporary social concerns.>>>> (Religious Studies Review )
Likely to provoke discussion within Orthodox circles, this work contributes to the growing literature which tries to make the Orthodox tradition relevant to contemporary social concerns. (Religious Studies Review )
The Pacifist Option is a work of first-rate historical and theological scholarship. If you are looking for a good solid read that will help shore up theological underpinnings of you work as a military chaplain, I highly recommend this book. It will also serve well as an Orthodox Christian moral theology, for those unacquainted with the Orthodox tradition. (Chaplain (CPT) Isaiah R. Gillete The Army Chaplaincy )
About the Author
Alexander F.C. Webster is a Professorial Lecturer of Religion, American University and a Parish Priest, St. Mary Orthodox Church, Falls Church, VA.
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Just War?,
By matt (the reading room) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Pacifist Option: The Moral Argument Against War in Eastern Orthodox Theology (Paperback)
"[T]he fight for our planet, physical and spiritual, a fight of cosmic proportions, is not a vague matter of the future; it has already started. The forces of Evil have already begun their decisive offensive.... Even if we are spared destruction by war, life will have to change in order not to parish on its own. We cannot avoid reassessing the fundamental definitions of human life and human society. Is it true that man is above everything? Is there no Superior Spirit above him?" Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, Harvard Commencement Address, June 8, 1978.Since the Orthodox tradition does not have, to my knowledge, a systematic doctrine of just war theory akin the Roman Church, this book is highly useful in formulating an informed opinion on the subject, arguing the Eastern approach has a strong tendency toward justice through peace. I still struggle with this philosophically and, now that we are in Iraq, the question becomes practical. When does violence ion order to protect become legitamate? This book is VERY helpful for me. As a counterpoint, read C. S. Lewis' essay "Why I am not a Pacifist". The author, an Orthodox priest and sometimes-military chaplain, is also a Lecturer of Religion at American University.
0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
The author grew in his understanding of Orthodox virtue of war when necessary,
By LOVE "TRUTH-Seeker" (Kirkland, WA USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Pacifist Option: The Moral Argument Against War in Eastern Orthodox Theology (Paperback)
The same author grew in his understanding and presented a balanced perspective on Orthodox view of Virtue of War in his later book entitled "The Virtue of War [...].
While there is a time to not fight, there is also a time to fight out of love for our neighbor. But always must be done within Orthodox Christian boundaries as shown by the lives of our great Saints in his other book, and as taught by our LORD to The Orthodox Christian Church via those wonderful examples. If your neighbor's daughter is being raped by a man, and you do NOTHING to help her, or condemn police for stopping the violence on the little girl, you have totally misunderstood Christ's call to love our neighbors. Out of love for our enemies, we must always work for God's good and thank God for granting to us the Grace of government authorities who are given to us as punishing evil and rewarding good so evil will NOT triumph over good and The Orthodox Christian Gospel is lived out in holiness. One day our LORD will ask us: Why did you not help me when I was being raped in that little girl, and the pacifist will be ashamed to have accepted a perverted view of loving our neighbors by justifying pacifism in the face of evil. If you can pray in faith and have the guy disarmed , do it. If you can have a police officer with a gun stop him, do it. If he tries to murder the police officer & the little girl, the rapist should NOT be allowed to continue his path of evil that is detrimental to others AND TO HIS OWN SOUL! Love always. Love never fails. But LOVE is NOT passive! LOVE is active in Christ Jesus. Kyrie Eleison.
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