Peace churches
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Peace churches are Christian churches, groups or communities advocating Christian pacifism or Biblical nonresistance. The term historic peace churches refers specifically only to three church groups among pacifist churches:
- Church of the Brethren, including all daughter churches such as the Old German Baptist Brethren, Old Brethren and Dunkard Brethren;
- Other Anabaptists, including Mennonites, Amish, and Hutterites;
- Religious Society of Friends (Quakers)
In addition to the Schwarzenau Brethren and Mennonites, other Anabaptist Christian fellowships, such as the Hutterian Brethren, River Brethren, Apostolic Christian Church and Bruderhof teach the doctrine of nonresistance as well.
This phrase has been used since the first conference of the peace churches in Kansas in 1935.
The definition of "peace churches" is sometimes expanded to include Christadelphians (from 1863), Jehovah's Witnesses and others who did not participate in the conference of the "historic peace churches" in Kansas in 1935.
The peace churches agree that Jesus advocated nonviolence. Whether physical force can ever be justified in defending oneself is controversial. Most believers adhere strictly to a moral attitude of nonresistance in the face of violence. These churches generally concur that violence on behalf of nations and their governments is contrary to Christian morality, but agree that the teachings of Jesus were to explain the principles of the Kingdom of God rather than and contrasted with the ways of any earthly government.