Young Ecumenical Movement under Pressure

A global exploration of how Christians navigated the challenges of global conflict in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. 

The role of religion in times of conflict and their aftermath has regained central importance in public discourse, particularly in Western countries. Following decades of research on religion and peace, public and academic attention has returned to war and violence in the history of religions generally, and Christianity in particular. This collection brings together scholars from theology, history, and area and cultural studies to examine the relationships between wars and Christian internationalism in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The contributions cover case studies from China, France, Germany, India, Japan, Korea, the Middle East, North America, Scandinavia, and Southern Africa. The temporal scope extends beyond the confines of World War I and includes conflicts between non-Western countries as well as colonial wars. Many chapters broaden the discussion to include non-Western perspectives and enhance our understanding of the young ecumenical movement’s role during and after major conflicts. Collectively, they demonstrate how in the wars of a century ago, Christians negotiated between internationalist and nationalist positions to manage and overcome wartime disruptions.

Judith Becker is professor of Early Modern and Modern history of Christianity at the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. Her research focuses on Christian internationalism in times of nationalism and colonialism, mission histories, and the history of religious migration during the Reformation. Felicity Jensz is a colonial historian based at the University of Münster, Germany. Her research interests include colonial education, missionaries in German colonies, and missionary ethnographical collections.