Religion, Pacifism, and Nonviolence

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-x

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2. Introduction

   • James Kellenberger

   Pages 1-8

3. Ways of Approaching War That Are Sanctioned Within Religious Traditions

   • James Kellenberger

   Pages 9-14

4. Fighting Militarily in the Name of One’s State and Fighting Militarily in the Name of One’s Religion

   • James Kellenberger

   Pages 15-19

5. The Just War Approach

   • James Kellenberger

   Pages 21-30

6. The Status of the Just War Theory

   • James Kellenberger

   Pages 31-38

7. The Principle of Double Effect

   • James Kellenberger

   Pages 39-45

8. The Approach of Pacifism

   • James Kellenberger

   Pages 47-54

9. Arguments Against Pacifism and Moral Support for Pacifism

   • James Kellenberger

   Pages 55-65

10. The Costs of War

    • James Kellenberger

    Pages 67-73

11. Religious Support for Pacifism

    • James Kellenberger

    Pages 75-95

12. The Status of Pacifism

    • James Kellenberger

    Pages 97-102

13. Violence and Force

    • James Kellenberger

    Pages 103-113

14. Peacekeeping

    • James Kellenberger

    Pages 115-127

15. Families

    • James Kellenberger

    Pages 129-138

16. Nonviolence Toward Nonhuman Animals

    • James Kellenberger

    Pages 139-144

17. The Future of Pacifism

    • James Kellenberger

    Pages 145-151

18. Back Matter

    Pages 153-162

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This book is about religion, pacifism, and the nonviolence that informs pacifism in its most coherent form. Pacifism is one religious approach to war and violence. Another is embodied in just war theories, and both pacifism and just war thinking are critically examined. Although moral support for pacifism is presented, a main focus of the book is on religious support for pacifism, found in various religious traditions. A crucial distinction for pacifism is that between force and violence. Pacifism informed by nonviolence excludes violence, but, the book argues, allows forms of force. Peacekeeping is an activity that on the face of it seems compatible with pacifism, and several different forms of peacekeeping are examined. The implications of nonviolence for the treatment of nonhuman animals are also examined. Two models for attaining the conditions required for a world without war have been proposed. Both are treated and one, the model of a biological human family, is developed. The book concludes with reflections on the role of pacifism in each of five possible futurescapes.

• just war
• morality
• force
• sanctions
• ethics

• Department of Philosophy, California State University, Northridge, CA, USA

  James Kellenberger

James Kellenberger is Emeritus Professor of Philosophy at California State University, Northridge, USA. Among his books are Religious Epiphanies Across Traditions and Cultures (Palgrave Macmillan, 2017) and The Everlasting and the Eternal (Palgrave Macmillan, 2015).

Policies and ethics