Bogoslovska smotra, Vol. 93 No. 2, 2023.
Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.53745/bs.93.2.2
Swords into Ploughshares or Vice Versa (Isa; Mic; Joel)
Anđelo Maly
orcid.org/0000-0001-6681-7230
; Katolički bogoslovni fakultet Sveučilišta u Zagrebu, Zagreb, Hrvatska
Abstract
The current war in Ukraine inspires the author’s reflection on the meaning and futility of war. Forming his reflections in the Old Testament tradition, principally the prophetic one, the author firstly offers a brief biblical-theological insight into the concept of war and peace. By reading prophetic texts, it is easy to recognize those who, in the context of war, refer to eschatological time that understands the creation of a peace-making society in which the earth will be filled with peace. The prophetic tradition also extends to apocalyptic visions, where the final battle is discussed, in which all the enemies will be destroyed. The biblical texts that address these topics are sometimes contradictory and the issue arises whether the prophets really wish to be the builders of the expected future peace. If peace and the end of war from a prophetic perspective represent only one utopian and/or eschatological reality, how is it possible, and is it even possible, to interpret these texts in the spirit of constant wars, and the current situation of the war in Ukraine? With the example of three texts: Isa 2:2-5; Mic 4:1-5 and Joel 4:9-10, the author strives to discover whether the cessation of war and the emergence of peace can symbolize an eschatological and/or timeless reality or something contrary.
Keywords
war; peace; prophets; eschatology; war in Ukraine.
Hrčak ID:
308067
URI
Publication date:
21.9.2023.
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