Mennonites in ecumenical dialogue on peace and justice
by John Richard Burkholder
MCC Occasional Paper No. 7
August 1988
About the author
From 1986 to 1988 John R. Burkholder worked part time for the MCC Peace Office and the MCC U.S. Peace Section researching and writing about peace-related issues. From 1963 to 1985 he taught religion, ethics and peace studies at Goshen (Ind.) College. He has also taught courses at Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary in Elkhart, Ind. He and his family lived in Latin America nearly five years and spent time in Brazil with Mennonite Board of Missions (MBM). In 1986 Burkholder co-led an MCC study tour to Central America. Burkholder has been active in church-related peace activities for many years, both locally and internationally.
This paper represents an effort to summarize some of the learnings from my assignment as "peace theology consultant" for MCC Peace Office and MCC U.S. Peace Section since September 1986. Selected current activities are set against a review of the historical background for contemporary Mennonite involvement in ecumenical dialogue.
Earlier versions of this paper were presented in a lecture "Putting Pacifism in its Place" at Mennonite Brethren Biblical Seminary on March 14, 1988, and to the course "Pacifism Among Anabaptist and Pietist Groups, 1525 to 1985" at Elizabethtown (Pa.) College, on April 28, 1988.
