Contours of pacificism: Ramsden Balmforth's advocacy of peace in the Union of South Africa and beyond

Among the many dimensions of Christian pacifism in South Africa which remain underexplored is the ministry of the Unitarian minister Ramsden Balmforth (1861-1941). For approximately four decades beginning shortly after his arrival in Cape Town in 1897, this Christian socialist devoted part of his t...

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Main Author: F. Hale
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: University of the Free State 2013-06-01
Series:Acta Theologica
Online Access:https://journals.ufs.ac.za/index.php/at/article/view/2499
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author F. Hale
author_facet F. Hale
author_sort F. Hale
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description Among the many dimensions of Christian pacifism in South Africa which remain underexplored is the ministry of the Unitarian minister Ramsden Balmforth (1861-1941). For approximately four decades beginning shortly after his arrival in Cape Town in 1897, this Christian socialist devoted part of his time to efforts to promote peace both in southern Africa and on a broader, almost global, scale. It is argued that Balmforth was not at any time an absolute pacifist, and that the distinction between “pacifism” and “pacificism” which was advanced by inter alia the British historians A.J.P. Taylor and Martin Ceadel is particularly useful for interpreting Balmforth and placing him on the spectrum of positions with regard to the ethical defensibility of taking up arms.
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spelling doaj-art-c30dcf858c654fdcba80f8b265fc5dc52025-02-11T09:58:48ZengUniversity of the Free StateActa Theologica1015-87582309-90892013-06-0133110.38140/at.v33i1.2499Contours of pacificism: Ramsden Balmforth's advocacy of peace in the Union of South Africa and beyondF. Hale0North-West University, South Africa Among the many dimensions of Christian pacifism in South Africa which remain underexplored is the ministry of the Unitarian minister Ramsden Balmforth (1861-1941). For approximately four decades beginning shortly after his arrival in Cape Town in 1897, this Christian socialist devoted part of his time to efforts to promote peace both in southern Africa and on a broader, almost global, scale. It is argued that Balmforth was not at any time an absolute pacifist, and that the distinction between “pacifism” and “pacificism” which was advanced by inter alia the British historians A.J.P. Taylor and Martin Ceadel is particularly useful for interpreting Balmforth and placing him on the spectrum of positions with regard to the ethical defensibility of taking up arms. https://journals.ufs.ac.za/index.php/at/article/view/2499
spellingShingle F. Hale
Contours of pacificism: Ramsden Balmforth's advocacy of peace in the Union of South Africa and beyond
Acta Theologica
title Contours of pacificism: Ramsden Balmforth's advocacy of peace in the Union of South Africa and beyond
title_full Contours of pacificism: Ramsden Balmforth's advocacy of peace in the Union of South Africa and beyond
title_fullStr Contours of pacificism: Ramsden Balmforth's advocacy of peace in the Union of South Africa and beyond
title_full_unstemmed Contours of pacificism: Ramsden Balmforth's advocacy of peace in the Union of South Africa and beyond
title_short Contours of pacificism: Ramsden Balmforth's advocacy of peace in the Union of South Africa and beyond
title_sort contours of pacificism ramsden balmforth s advocacy of peace in the union of south africa and beyond
url https://journals.ufs.ac.za/index.php/at/article/view/2499
work_keys_str_mv AT fhale contoursofpacificismramsdenbalmforthsadvocacyofpeaceintheunionofsouthafricaandbeyond