Subversive Peacemakers: War Resistance 1914-1918: An Anglican Perspective

The outbreak of the First World War saw an upsurge of patriotism. The Church generally saw the war as justified, and many clergy encouraged the men in their congregations to join the army. There was, however, already a strong strand of anti-war sentiment, opposed to the dominant theology of the Establishment. This was partly based on traditional Christian pacifism, but included other religious, social and political influences. Campaigners and conscientious objectors voiced a growing concern about the huge human cost of a conflict seemingly endlessly bogged down in the mud of the Flanders poppy fields. 'Subversive Peacemakers' recounts the stories of a strong and increasingly organised opposition to war, from peace groups to poets, from preachers to politicians, from women to working men, all of whom struggled to secure peace in a militarised and fragmenting society. Clive Barrett demonstrates that the Church of England provided an unlikely setting for much of this war resistance. Barrett masterfully narrates the story of the peace movement, bringing together stories of war-resistance until now lost, disregarded or undervalued. The people involved, as well as the dramatic events of the conflict themselves, are seen in a new light.

Table of Contents:
Preface Part 1. Setting the Scene Chapter 1. Introduction Chapter 2. An era ends and a new pacifism emerges Part 2. Resisting War 1914-1918 Chapter 3. 1914 - A new peace movement Chapter 4. The pen is mightier than the sword - George Lansbury Chapter 5. Women for peace Chapter 6. Clergy in the front line Chapter 7. From India and the U.S. - Opponents of World War Chapter 8. Conscience verses the military state Chapter 9. The cost of resistance Chapter 10. Losing 'The Manhood of England' Part 3. Addressing the incompatible Chapter 11. The aftermath of war Chapter 12. Reflection on the legacy of 1914-1918 war resistance

About the Author :
Dr Clive Barrett is an Anglican priest, working with West Yorkshire Ecumenical Council to build relationships between churches of different traditions. He has edited volumes on ecumenism ('Unity in Process', 2012) and international peace heritage ('Museums for Peace: Transforming Cultures', 2012). A past Chair of the Anglican Pacifist Fellowship, he is Chair of the Peace Museum, Bradford, and a Visiting Research Fellow at the Department of Theology and Religious Studies, University of Leeds. Dr Clive Barrett is an Anglican priest, working with West Yorkshire Ecumenical Council to build relationships between churches of different traditions. He has edited volumes on ecumenism ('Unity in Process', 2012) and international peace heritage ('Museums for Peace: Transforming Cultures', 2012). A past Chair of the Anglican Pacifist Fellowship, he is Chair of the Peace Museum, Bradford, and a Visiting Research Fellow at the Department of Theology and Religious Studies, University of Leeds.

Review :
"This book recounts the stories of a strong and increasingly organised opposition to war, from peace groups to poets, from preachers to politicians, from women to working men, all of whom struggled to secure peace in a militarised and fragmenting society...Clive Barrett demonstrates that the Church of England provided an unlikely setting for much of this war resistance." International Network of Museums for Peace Newsletter, No. 9, (November 2014) "Clive masterfully narrates the story of the peace movement, bringing together stories of war-resistance until now lost, disregarded or undervalued." The Anglican Peacemaker, vol 14, issue 2, (October 2014) " Clive Barret in this well-documentated study Subversive Peacemakers reveals new material, especially bout the small number of anglican COs in the First World War" Canon Alan Wilkinson, Church Times, 13th March 2015