We Say NO!
The Plain Man’s Guide to Pacifism (critical edition)
Edited by Kerry Walters
Imprint: Cascade Books
In 1934, Anglican priest H. R. L ("Dick") Sheppard challenged young men in England to pledge to "say NO!" to participation in future wars. The response to his call was so overwhelmingly enthusiastic that the next year Sheppard published We Say NO! The Plain Man's Guide to Pacifism and founded the Peace Pledge Union, a pacifist organization that's still going strong in Britain today. His book, a best-seller during his lifetime, has become a classic in Christian pacifism. It contains the fundamentals of Sheppard's call for a Christian response to violence that remains loyal to the "constructively revolutionary" spirit of Jesus.
Sheppard's commitment to the gospel of nonviolence made him slightly disreputable within the Church of England but earned him a lasting place among twentieth-century champions of pacifism. This new edition of We Say NO!, completely annotated and prefaced with an introduction that provides detailed information about Sheppard and the peace movement he launched, aims to present his case for Christian pacifism to a new generation.
Kerry Walters is William Bittinger Professor of Philosophy and Professor of Peace and Justice Studies at Gettysburg College. He is the author of thirty books in philosophy, peace studies, theology, and history. He has also edited After War, Is Faith Possible? (Cascade, 2008) and with Robin Jarrell, Blessed Peacemakers (Cascade, 2013).
"Dick Sheppard's extraordinary ministry at the heart of London is one of the great stories of the twentieth-century church; and in this little book we see some of the deepest passions that motivated his service as a pastor and prophet (a rare combination). For all the unanswered questions it leaves, it still presents a simple challenge that can't be ignored: why is it so hard to take Jesus seriously when we think about conflict and reconciliation?"
--Rowan Williams, Cambridge University
"Kerry Walters deserves high praise for calling our attention back to Dick Sheppard's classic in Christian and secular pacifism. A delightful mix of practical reason and moral imagination, We Say NO! offers the hard analysis and tender vision we need for resisting the horrific injustices of war--including our own War on Terror. Walters's new edition of We Say NO! is a rich and invaluable contribution to the history of pacifism and our ongoing campaigns for peace and justice."
--Michael G. Long, Elizabethtown College