Living Up to the Ethical Dimensions of Nuclear Armament: The Churches as Pace-Setters of Current Thinking on Peace and War

ACCORDING TO COMMON WISDOM, THE CHURCHES OF THE CAPITALIST SOCIETIES IN THE NORTHERN HEMISPHERE ARE CONSERVATIVE INSTITUTIONS WHOSE MAIN STRATEGY CONSISTS OF SECURING THEIR POWER BY COOPERATION WITH THE GOVERNMENTS PROVIDED THEY ARE CONSERVATIVE ENOUGH. SUCH COMMON WISDOM FAILS IF ONE TAKES THE STANCE OF A GREAT NUMBER OF CHURCHES ON THE PEACE ISSUE INTO CONSIDERATION. THE SURPRISING AND IMPRESSIVE ENGAGEMENT OF THE CHURCHES IN SEVERAL COUNTRIES IS PART OF A GENERAL PHENOMENON THAT RELATES ESPECIALLY TO THE EURO-AMERICAN CONTEXT: A GREAT SIMILARITY OF POLITICAL DEMANDS AMONG VARIOUS SOCIETAL GROUPS AND INSTITUTIONS. AT LEAST WITH RESPECT TO THE PEACE ISSUE, NEW (MAINLY HIDDEN) AND ONLY SOMEWHAT ORGANIZED COALITIONS THAT TRANSCEND NATIONAL BORDERS HAVE EMERGED. IN EMPHASIZING THE NECESSITY OF SECURING PEACE, AND LIVING UP TO THE BEST VERSION OF THE MEANING OF THE TERM CONSERVATISM, MANY CHURCHES HAVE ADOPTED NEW, PROGRESSIVE POSITIONS THAT IMPLY A DEPARTURE FROM OFFICIAL GOVERNMENT POLICIES. THE SITUATION IN THE UNITED STATES AND THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY IS A CASE IN POINT. THIS ARTICLE TRIES TO ANALYZE THE VARIOUS INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL FACTORS THAT LED TO THE OUTSTANDING ENGAGEMENT OF THE CHURCHES IN BOTH COUNTRIES IN THE PEACE QUESTION; IT THEN DESCRIBES THEIR ACTIVITIES, STRATEGIES, AND ATTEMPTS TO ASSESS THE FURTHER ROLE OF THE CHURCHES IN THE PEACE MOVEMENT.