Скачать или смотреть 2025 Friesen Lecture Series | Mennonites and Military Service

January 23, 2025 | 7:00 AM (CST)

Dr. Astrid von Schlachta, Head of the Mennonite Research Center and lecturer at the University of Regensburg

The question of military service has arisen repeatedly for Mennonites throughout their 500-year history, with varying consequences. On the one hand, the Mennonite conviction not to take up arms brought persecution and expulsion. On the other hand, the toleration of Mennonites in cities such as Altona and Neuwied was linked to the promise that the tolerated would not have to take up arms. From the 19th century on and the introduction of universal conscription, Mennonites then found themselves challenged to justify their position of non-violence and to bring it into the political debate. The lecture examines the significance of the Mennonite peace testimony in different political situations and the impact of changing surrounding conditions on the congregations.

www.cmu.ca/friesenlectures