by Ralf Becker, Karen Hinrichs, Heinrich Schäfer, Theodor Ziegler
edition pace, 2026
In its straightness and clarity, this writing is refreshing. Their demands are clear: the way of military upgrade, with a view to the Ukraine war, becomes for a civilian »Peace Logic« calls for a strengthening of international law and consideration of the interests of all parties to the conflict. The Scriptures resort to the prophetic-Jesan tradition of the Bible, but thinks the recommendations for action in general: Even non-religious people could understand them. The title of the "Who wants peace, must talk to the enemy" is a quote that is attributed to Yitzhak Rabin.
The Ecumenical Peace Paper calls for a categorical no to possess nuclear weapons and urges the accession to the UN Non-Proliferation Treaty. It demands from the churches to raise conscientious objection to the Christian standard and to reject the spirit and practice of deterrent. Unlike in the EKD Denkschrift, the ban on killing is not relativized. Rather, it was necessary to expose the myth of the redeeming power of violence and to consistently put on nonviolent alternatives. The Scripture is a necessary impulse for the renewal of Christian peace ethics.
When referring to the sermon of Jesus, examples are taken up which are rather rarely quoted: the metaphor of the splitter and of the bar, which aims at the necessary self-criticism and invites them to change perspectives. Then the golden rule that is compatible with Kant and the UN Charter and the love of enemies that, in the sense of an intelligent love of enemies, wants to see the world also from the perspective of the enemy, the opponent in conflict.
It is surprising how realistic these three recommendations are from the mountain sermon. They are not utopian and apply only to the private sector, they describe an alternative to a highly confrontative policy that divides the world into good and evil and only sets on deterrent and a security logic.
Therefore, a direct path from the mountain sermon leads to the peace-scientific concept of the peace logic developed by the peace researcher Hanne-Margret Birckenbach. It takes a central position in the word of peace. The analysis of the Ukraine war from the perspective of the peace logic shows interesting perspectives and evacuations from a totally procedural situation.
The language is very understandable. Numerous remarks provide plenty of material and evidence to those who want to get deeper into the subject. A rewarding, a necessary writing at this time!
Review by Dietrich Becker-Hinrichs
