A withdrawal from peace: The historical response to war of the church of god (Anderson, Indiana)

TY - JOUR

T1 - A withdrawal from peace

T2 - The historical response to war of the church of god (Anderson, Indiana)

AU - Hall, Mitchell K.

N1 - Funding Information: The Church of God chaplaincy program also began in World War II. The program was an indication that the older practices of shunning strict organizational structures or that close cooperation with other denominations were being discarded. The chaplains themselves supplied spiritual support formen in the military and provided a more personal contact than the SOS campaign of World War I. I nitially, cooperation with this program came from the Executive Council, but, in June 1942, a resolution sponsored by the Committee on Church of God Servicemen gave responsibility for the program to the Board of Church Extension and Home Missions. The Church had thirteen active chaplains by the summer of 1941 and over one hundred ministers indicated an interest in serving during the war. 3o As in World War I, opinions within the Church differed, but the majority view seemed to have shifted. During the Second World War, Church leaders were much more quiet on the subject of peace; cooperation with the armed forces was much more apparent; and the antiwar resolutions, which had been so plenti-fui before, stopped after Pearl Harbor. Conscientious objectors received neither financial support nor the strong moral support supplied by the Church during the First World War. The minority of pacifists and other antiwar groups were virtually ignored during the Second World War. Despite this deep support for the war, the Church appeared to adhere to the doctrine of individual conscience, although tolerance of the opposition appeared minimal. 31 The Church of God was not unique in this sudden reversal of attitude. Nearly all Protestant denominations ignored their earlier repudiations of war after Pearl Harbor. The peace movement again collapsed, leaving only a handful of pacifists to carry on during the 1940s and 1950s. 3z The nation was more unified in World War II than it had been in 1918 and toleration for opponents of the war was very low. Church reaction and social reaction were again quite similar.

PY - 1985/1/1

Y1 - 1985/1/1

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84959823119&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1093/jcs/27.2.301

DO - 10.1093/jcs/27.2.301

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:84959823119

VL - 27

SP - 301

EP - 314

JO - Journal of Church and State

JF - Journal of Church and State

SN - 0021-969X

IS - 2

ER -