5.11 World Order and Peace < ToC 

December 7, 1941, marked the end of an era. With the Japanese attack upon Pearl Harbour, isolationism was virtually eliminated in the United States. The European conflict became worldwide. With the United States once more involved in war, the anguished hearts of Americans turned to thoughts of the peace that would follow victory. The democracies had proved several decades earlier that they could win a world war, but they had failed to win the peace. As the Second World War drew closer to its end, intelligent people everywhere were anxious to think and talk about the problems of peace. They were anxious to listen and learn. Discussion materials, reports, studies were issued by the Commission on a Just and Durable Peace. These found an eager reception from many American church people. Every Protestant church in the United States was urged to get behind the Commission's program calling for an end to U.S. isolationism and for the establishment of a world organisation to keep the peace. 'All of the major injunctions,' writes Ronald W. Pruessen,

which became central to the work of the Commission on a Just and Durable Peace emerged directly from his [Dulles'] analyses and recommendations. Immediately after the group began functioning, it took up his emphasis on the need for "some new world order ", some "better world order" ... Dulles's Commission also accepted his earlier conclusion that the logical way to produce a new and better world order was to alter the established system of totally independent nations-state.

In October, 1942 the Commission published a booklet entitled A Righteous Faith for A Just and Durable Peace. It contained fourteen articles of distinguished Americans which were presented in the form of a symposium. The titles of the first six indicated something of the general thinking which occupied the minds of their authors in formulating general propositions of peace: (1) The American people need now to be imbued with a righteous faith; (2) In time of war the spiritual task of the churches becomes one of peculiar urgency; (3) The ecumenical (world-wide) character of the Church enables it and its members to make a unique contribution toward world order; (4) Christian motivation supplies an essential prerequisite to effective action; (5) Christians must seek the cooperation of other faiths; (6) the churches do not have primary responsibility to devise the details of world order. But they must proclaim the enduring moral principles by which human plans are constantly to be tested. The following seven articles expounded directly the Guiding Principles and the Message of the Delaware Conference. They were expositions of some of the moral principles which could serve as a standard to test the future world order. The final article elaborated on the primary responsibility of Christians, as citizens, to seek a postwar order which would reflect such truths as those articulated in the previous essays. The contribution of Albert W. Beaven, the former president of the Federal Council, was especially noteworthy. Among other things it recognized that the concepts of a new world order and the kingdom of God on earth were nearly identical in meaning:

If we are to get the lift today from the vision of the things toward which we are working, we need to try to see the outline of the world ahead which we desire ... We want also the chance to influence to that same end the new world order which we believe will follow this war. If our enemies win, we know we will have little to say ... Christianity portrays men as children of one Father who is the universal God above nation, race, color, or social condition ... Power which comes to men is given in order that they may serve the common welfare, this power is not for exploitation but to be used toward the way of society which accords with God's purpose, a way which religion calls the kingdom of God on earth; its motive is goodwill not hatred, its object construction and not destruction, and the requirements of that God are binding on every race and nation.

The high point of Dulles' work with the Commission came with the issuing of the famous 'Six Pillars of Peace' report in March, 1943. It became the greatest publicity effort of the Federal Council since its inception in 1908. Dulles, 'deeply impressed by the critical nature of this hour', expressed in a letter to the Commission members his apprehension about the long-range commitment of the Allies to international collaboration after the war. On March 18, 1943, he urged the churches in a public address to become involved in a major campaign to 'force' an affirmative response from the American government in favour of world organisation. A decision on this crucial issue could no longer be postponed.

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© 2005 Martin Erdmann