War and Peacemaking: in the Orthodox Christian Tradition: Introduction Instructor: Marian Gh. Simion

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War and Peacemakingin the Orthodox Christian
Tradition Introduction Instructor Marian Gh.
SimionBoston College, Theology Department

• Boston College
• January 17, 2007

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Defining War

• Classical Definition War is a clash between two
  armies representing two peoples, states, or
  groups of states, in order to force the enemy
  to accept demands which could not have been
  imposed by peaceful means.
• Orthodoxys Understanding War is a spiritual
  attitude directed against a real or imagined
  enemy, expressing the desire to inflict pain and
  suffering. It is the result of the evil influence
  of the fallen angels, who are allowed by God to
  test the faith of the humans for the purpose of
  the spiritual growth of the humans.
• War can be directed against
• God (despair, loss of faith, hate against God,
  atheism)
• Oneself (self-hatred, self-mutilation)
• Other people (envy, hatred, vengeance, desire to
  punish)

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Defining Peace (making)

• Classical Definition Peace means freedom from
  war, the cessation or absence of hostilities
  between peoples or groups freedom from
  dissension.
• Orthodoxys Understanding Peace is an inner
  disposition of the human soul that generate
  positive attitudes towards God, oneself and other
  people. It is an ongoing spiritual exercise,
  always in the making process (peacemaking),
  meant to rebuff temptations coming ceaselessly
  from the Devil. In other words, peacemaking is a
  perpetual spiritual exercise (Gr. askisis gt
  spiritual exercise, asceticism), meant to
  discipline the mind and the soul through prayer
  and meditation for the purpose of rejecting every
  destructive thoughts and feelings that could lead
  to a loss of control over passions.
• Peace can be expressed as a positive attitude
  towards
• God (loving, honoring and worshiping God)
• Oneself (viewing oneself as created in Gods
  image)
• Other people (philanthropy)

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New Testament The Meaning of Sword

• THEORY
• (spiritual transformation, denial of ones past,
  values, and tradition)
• Do not think that I have come to bring peace on
  earth I have not come to bring peace, but a
  sword. For I have come to set a man against his
  father, and a daughter against her mother, and a
  daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law and a
  mans foes will be those of his own
  household.Mt. 1034-36

• PRACTICE
• (Unconditional Pacifism)
• Behold, one of those who were with Jesus
  stretched out his hand, and drew his sword, and
  struck the servant of the high priest, and struck
  off his ear. Then Jesus said to him, "Put your
  sword back into its place, for all those who take
  the sword will die by the sword. Or do you think
  that I couldn't ask my Father, and he would even
  now send me more than twelve legions of angels?
  .Mt. 2651-53

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New Testament Forgiveness

• You have heard that it was said, An eye for an
  eye and a tooth for a tooth. But I say to you,
  Do not resist one who is evil. But if any one
  strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the
  other also and if any one would sue you and take
  your coat, let him have your cloak as well and
  if any one forces you to go one mile, go with him
  two miles.Matt. 538-41

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New TestamentEschatology and Temptation

• You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but
  see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things
  must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation
  will rise against nation, and kingdom against
  kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in
  various places. All these are the beginning of
  birth pains. "Then you will be handed over to be
  persecuted and put to death, and you will be
  hated by all nations because of me. At that time
  many will turn away from the faith and will
  betray and hate each other, and many false
  prophets will appear and deceive many people.
  Because of the increase of wickedness, the love
  of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to
  the end will be saved. Mt. 246-13

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Attitudes towards War and Peace in the History
of Christianity

• Pacifism (universal)
• Just War (West)
• Crusade (West)
• Limited Pacifism Adaptability (East)

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1. Early Christian Pacifism (universal) Since
Jesus Christ until Constantine the Great

• Imitatio Cristi Expecting Christs Second
  coming, the early Christians manifested an
  attitude of complete obedience towards civil
  authorities, except on religious matters where
  they refused the public pagan cults
• Recurring Narratives as found in
• The Martyrdom of Saint Stephen the Proto-Martyr
• The Martyrdom of the Holy Polycarp

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2. Origins of Just War Theory (West) Since St.
Constantines Reform in 313AD until today in the
West

• Just War is a Christian moral philosophy that
  tries to reconcile three things
• Killing is wrong
• States (not individuals) should defend the
  empire
• Protecting the innocent requires the use of force
• Early Proponents
• Ambrose of Milan
• Augustine

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Current Just War Theory Conditions

• Jus ad bellum
• Just cause
• Lawfully declared by a lawful authority
• Intention should be good
• All alternatives for resolving conflict should
  have been tried first
• Reasonable chance of success
• Means must be in proportion to the end that the
  war seeks to achieve
• Jus in bello
• Innocent people and non-combatants should not be
  harmed
• Only appropriate force should be used
• International Conventions concerning the conduct
  of war must be obeyed.

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3. Crusades (West) (1095-1291)

• Military Campaigns waged by Christians
• Religious Character
• Conducted in the name of Christendom
• Recapturing the Holy Land

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4. Theory of Adaptability (East)

• Orthodox Attitudes Towards Political Power
• In order for the Church to fulfill its mission,
  the Church has to adapt to the type of society
  that its members are a part of
• This is usually expressed in a variety of
  patterns in Church-State relationships, pending
  on the political situation

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Gods Creation All Good

• God created the world to be good evil is an
  accident, the absence of good, and a possibility
  for disorder. God created
• Heavens (hashamaim) means spiritual world
• Earth (haaretz) material world
• Scope of Creation
• Gods Glory
• Happiness of Creature

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Fall of Angels

• Rebellion led to
• Evil Angels
• Creation of Hell
• Angelic Orders
• Nine Orders

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Dichotomy and Dualism

• Dichotomy
• Body and Soul
• Dualism
• Good and Evil

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Good and Evil

• Good
• All creation was good (Spirit and Mater)
• Evil
• Result of Freedom
• Absence of Good
• Possibility for disorder

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Inferno and Hell

• .

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The Bogomilist Heresy

• Contrary to the Christian creationist theology
  that viewed evil as the absence of good, a
  medieval heretic, Bogomil, resurrected the
  ancient Manichaeism by contending that the world
  is sold to evil, and it is full of terror, while
  human beings are subject to an eternal battle
  between good and evil. The Bogomils taught that
  God had two sons Satanail and Michael. Satanail
  rebelled against God and became the evil spirit.
  After his fall, Satanail created the lowed
  heavens and the earth and tried in vain to create
  man in the end he appealed to God For the
  Spirit. After creation, Adam was allowed to plow
  the ground on condition that he sold hiself and
  his posterity to Satanail, the owner of the
  earth. (Despite of strong condemnation of
  Bogomilism, it appears that Orthodoxy has only
  been able to remove this pseudo-creationist
  narrative, while this Manichaean worldview
  survived within the Slavic mentality through the
  cycles of history. This is often reflected in the
  self-victimization of the Serbian Orthodox Church
  and History, through iconografic un-canonical
  representations, and through a popular culture
  focusing on the negative realities of life and
  world.

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Effects of Bogomilism

• Self-Victimization
• Leads towards
• Desire to restore dignity through revenge
• Reduces self-respect
• Views God as remote and insensitive to suffering.

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Effects of Bogomilism

• Viewing humans as Evil
• St. Demetrios Killing the Emperor
• (uncanonical icon)
• Reduces empathy towards the victim
• Since matter (and human body) is evil anyway,
  killing it is an act of fighting on the good
  side.

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Effects of Bogomilism Identifying National
Suffering with Biblical Narratives Exodus
Virgin Marys travel to Egypt
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Effects of Bogomilism Identifying National
Suffering with Biblical Narratives Jesus Death
with Prince Lazarus Death
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Influence of Bogomilism in the Liturgical life of
the Serbian Orthodox Church Blessing Weapons

• In July 1995, the Orthodox Peace Fellowship
  addressed a letter to his Holiness Pavle,
  Patriarch of Serbia requesting that the Synod
  require that no use be made of a service for
  blessing weapons included in an edition of the
  Book of Needs published in Kosovo in 1993. In the
  context of the events in former Yugoslavia, the
  blessing of weapons can only be regarded as
  sanctioning the use of weapons in a fratricidal
  war. The letter refers to a private 1993 edition
  of the Book of Needs (Euchologion, Trebnik) which
  contains a service for the blessing of arms. The
  service does not figure in the Books of Needs
  published by the Holy Synods of the local
  Orthodox Churches. Nevertheless its usage of the
  words swords and sabers seems to indicate its
  ancientness, reflecting the fact that in many
  countries, the blessing of armies and arms is an
  established ecclesiastical custom.

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Blessing Weapons Liturgical Text

• The Bishop or priest comes out of the altar to
  the table with the weapons in front of the ambon,
  incenses the weapons crosswise beginning as it is
  common.
• Reader Heavenly King, Trisagion, Our Father,
  Lord have mercy (12 times). Glory both now and
  come let us worship. . . and psalm 35. Glory
  both now hallelujah (three times)
• Deacon Let us pray to the Lord
• The Bishop or priest reads this prayer over the
  weapons
• Lord our God, God of powers, powerful in
  strength, strong in battle, you once gave
  miraculous strength to your child David granting
  him victory over his opponent the blasphemer
  Goliath. Mercifully accept our humble prayer.
  Send your heavenly blessing over these weapons
  (naming each weapon). Give force and strength
  that they may protect your holy Church, the poor
  and the widows, and your holy inheritance on
  earth, and make it horrible and terrible to any
  enemy army, and grant victory to your people for
  your glory, for you are our strength and
  protection and we sing praise to your glory,
  Father, Son and Holy Spirit, now and ever, and to
  the ages of ages. Amen.
• Then the priest sprinkles blessed water on the
  weapons saying
• Let the blessing of Triune God, Father, Son and
  Holy Spirit, come down on and remain upon these
  weapons and those who carry them, for the
  protection of the truth of Christ. Amen.
• After this the soldiers carrying the weapons are
  blessed, with the prayer
• Be brave and let your heart be stronger and win
  victory over your enemies, trusting in God, in
  the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
• After this each soldier kisses the cross.
• This is the way to bless sword and saber. If
  there is only one sword to be blessed, or only
  one saber, he says only once this sword, or
  this weapon. If there are many, he says bless
  these swords, or bless these weapons.

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Orthodox Canon Law

• With few exceptions the Orthodox Canon Law
  prohibits killing
• The 85 Canons of the Holy and Altogether August
  Apostles1
• CANON LXVI If any clergyman shall strike anyone
  in a contest, and kill him with one blow, let him
  be deposed for his violence. If a layman do so,
  let him be excommunicated.
• CANON LXXXIII If a bishop, presbyter, or deacon,
  shall serve in the army, and wish to retain both
  the Roman magistracy and the priestly office, let
  him be deposed for the things of Caesar belong
  to Caesar, and those of God to God.

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Pastoral Recommendations

• Blessed are the peacemakers. For they shall be
  called sons of God
• Peacemakers are those who make peace
• Between God and man
• Among people and
• With God within their own hearts,
• Peacemakers are also those who make peace
• Between the spirit and the body in order that
  they may not struggle with each other.

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Peace Among People

• There are two ways to make peace among people
• First, we must not cause quarrels among them. If
  there is any dispute we must not stir it up.
• Secondly, we shall play the role of breaking up
  struggles and bringing love back.

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Peace with Ourselves

• As for peace inside ourselves, we must get rid of
  any internal division or struggle.
• Therefore,
• Our desires must not contradict our
  spiritualities
• Our thoughts must not be against us.
• Our hearts must not be in trouble or lost between
  perplexity and hesitation.

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Getting Involved

• Ora et Labora! (Pray and Work)
• Organize Prayers for Peace, whenever issues of
  war appear!
• Be a political participant if you live in a
  country that permits political participation of
  its citizen!