Ebook
All of us yearn for a peaceable and just world, but some roll up their sleeves and set to work to make the dream real. Blessed Peacemakers celebrates 365 of them, one for each day of the year. Their stories are richly diverse. They share a commitment to peace and justice, but the various contexts in which they work make each of their stories uniquely instructive. The peacemakers include women, men, and children from across the globe, spanning some twenty-five hundred years. Many are persons of faith, but some are totally secular. Some are well known, while others will be excitingly new. They are human rights and antiwar activists, scientists and artists, educators and scholars, songwriters and poets, film directors and authors, diplomats and economists, environmentalists and mystics, prophets and policymakers. Some are unlettered, but all are wise. A few died in the service of the dream. All sacrificed for it. The world is a better place for the presence of blessed peacemakers. Their inspiring stories embolden readers to join them in nonviolent resistance to injustice and the creative pursuit of peace.
"Blessed Peacemakers is quite astonishing in its breadth
and depth, examining 365 noble souls who devoted large parts of
their lives to peacemaking and without whom the world would be a
much poorer place."
--Helen Caldicott, Founding President of Physicians for Social
Responsibility
"This inspiring and wonderful book gives a concise account of the
core ideas, passions, and acts of the world’s peacemakers over the
last twenty-five hundred years. . . . These engaging essays deserve
a read by anyone committed to making our world a more just and
peaceful place."
--Donald B. Kraybill, Distinguished Professor at Elizabethtown
College
"One excellent way to start the day is to read just one page of
Blessed Peacemakers--read it in silence to yourself if you
eat breakfast alone; read it aloud if there’s more than one at the
table. In some cases, you will already be aware of the person whose
story is assigned to the day, in many cases not. In every case, you
are in for encouragement and inspiration."
--Jim Forest, International Secretary of the Orthodox Peace
Fellowship
"Walters and Jarrell provide exemplars who encourage this world
toward longevity and high quality of life. Like it or not, we need
these exemplars because they remind us that self-sufficiency does
not work outside of healthy communal practices--chief of which is
peacemaking! Read Walters and Jarrell’s excellent work and
understand what I mean."
--Michael Battle, Founder of PeaceBattle Institute
Kerry Walters teaches Philosophy as well as Peace and Justice
Studies at Gettysburg College in Pennsylvania. The author or editor
of more than twenty-five books, he is also a longtime peace
activist.
Robin Jarrell is an Episcopal priest in the Diocese of Central
Pennsylvania. She is past coeditor (with Kerry Walters) of
Episcopal Peace Witness.
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