The Heritage of Pacifism in the Stone-Campbell Movement: A General Study

The Stone-Campbell Restoration Movement began in 1832 when followers of the two primary leaders, Barton Stone and Alexander Campbell, formally united in Lexington, Kentucky. Although serious ideological differences existed between these two groups, they nevertheless came together in a spirit of Christian unity, which was a foundational practice of said leaders. Unknown to many modern members of one denomination that inherited the legacy of these men, the Churches of Christ, a commitment to pacifism existed. Until the advent of World War I, members of Churches of Christ were routinely under the leadership of men who promoted a withdrawal from the affairs of state, an emphasis on the coming millennial reign of Christ, and a hope of a worldwide united Christian community. Although many modern members have little knowledge of such a history, there exists in the academic institutions of the denomination an interest in understanding these matters. In this thesis, I present an overview of the pacifist beliefs of some of the denomination\u27s most influential leaders, Barton Stone, Alexander Campbell, and David Lipscomb. From there three cases are presented to demonstrate times during United States\u27 wars when members of Churches of Christ objected to the propagation of such conflicts in public manner. Lastly, a contemporary pacifist member and educator, Lee Camp, is discussed, and his views are brought into conversation with a select group of military service individuals who attend Churches of Christ. It is the sincere hope of this project that by examining a somewhat forgotten legacy of Stone-Campbell Movement others might be inspired by the witness of its founders and members to take the plea of Christian commitment to peacemaking seriously. Christians, not just in the United States, should always be the most careful thinkers in respective societies when considering the most catastrophic of all human endeavors: war