SU’s Graduate School of Theology held an academic seminar that looked into the topic of war and peace from the pacifist view. This topic has been the center of recent global discourse since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine. The 2022 Regular Academic Seminar of the SU Graduate School of Theology took place on May 18 at the BaeChangHyeon Hall in the Theology Building.

The seminar, under the theme “War and Peace – Christian Pacifist Beliefs,” brought together experts both from home and abroad, including keynote lecturer Daniel Heinz, Professor at Friedensau Adventist University, Germany, and presenters Yeon Gyu-hong, Professor at Hanshin University, and Bae Yong-ha, General Secretary of the Mennonite Church South Korea (MCSK).

In a video lecture on “Pacifism in the Adventist Church in Europe,” Professor Heinz presented a paper on the discovery of cases of Adventist soldiers in the World War I and II who were persecuted for their conscientious objections and beliefs in unarmed military service, confirming their belief of the Adventist Church’s take on faith and military service.

Following Heinz, Professor Yeon lectured on “Overcoming the Division of the Korean Church and the Consolidation Movement.” In his lecture, Yeon looked into the historical significance of the 1988 Declaration of the Churches of Korea on National Reunification and Peace, which was established by the National Council of Churches in Korea (NCCK), highlighting the discourse on peace and unity.

General Secretary Bae gave a presentation titled “Anabaptists’ Pacifist Beliefs and State” from the perspective of the Mennonite. In his presentation, Bae reviewed the essence of Mennonite non-resistance and anarchistic view of state from a historical and practical point of view.