Ambivalence in the Christian attitude to war and peace.

In this paper it will be argued that the basic document of Christianity, the Bible, contains a unique potential for accepting the other and solving conflicts by non-violent means, but that this potential has never been available in pure form. The history of Christianity from the very beginnings in the New Testament period up to the present has been one of great ambiguity, an amalgam of attempts to live out the fundamental values as well as of compromise and open betrayal. This process will be outlined, illustrated and the factors will be pointed at, which in different situations bring to the fore the conflicting elements of Christian tradition.