Book, Alan Wilkinson, Dissent or conform? war, peace, and the English churches, 1900-1945, 1986

Physical description

Index, notes, p.361.

Publication type

non-fiction

Summary

Dissent or Conform examines how churches reacted to, and were affected by, two world wars. Its underlying theme, however, is how the Church can be a creatively dissenting community, focusing on how easily the church can turn into a conforming community that only encourages the occurrence of uncreative dissenters, the ones who criticize the power without offering solutions and leading to a real change. -- Wilkinson opposes this trait of the church, especially given the impact that it has on society as a messenger of the gospel. To this end, the author depicts religious groups during three periods of time: English Nonconformity before and during WWI, pacifists and pacifiers between the two wars and Christianity during WWII, focusing on how church history interacts with the developments in history and society. -- This book is of particular interest to social and church historians of the 20th century, and to all interested in the history and ethics of war and pacifism. It will also appeal to those attracted by the interaction between church and society.

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