Cecil John Cadoux (1883 – 16 August 1947) was a British

Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...

theologian Theology is the study of religious belief from a religious perspective, with a focus on the nature of divinity. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of ...

and writer. He was influential in shaping Christian pacifist thought in the early 20th century and helped bridge scholarship and activism. His theological writings emphasized that early Christians overwhelmingly rejected military service and violence, a position he believed contemporary Christians should emulate.

Career

He was born in

Smyrna Smyrna ( ; , or ) was an Ancient Greece, Ancient Greek city located at a strategic point on the Aegean Sea, Aegean coast of Anatolia, Turkey. Due to its advantageous port conditions, its ease of defence, and its good inland connections, Smyrna ...

(Turkey), the third son of William H. Cadoux and Emma Temple Cadoux. He was a student at Mansfield College, Oxford, where he was appointed (1914) Isherwood Fellow and Lecturer in Hebrew. He moved to the Yorkshire United Independent College at Shipley, in 1919, as professor of New Testament Criticism, Exegesis and Theology and of Christian Sociology. In 1933 he returned to

Oxford Oxford () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and non-metropolitan district in Oxfordshire, England, of which it is the county town. The city is home to the University of Oxford, the List of oldest universities in continuou ...

as Mackennal professor of Church History and vice-principal of Mansfield College. He was a Congregationalist. Linked also to the

Quakers Quakers are people who belong to the Religious Society of Friends, a historically Protestantism, Protestant Christian set of Christian denomination, denominations. Members refer to each other as Friends after in the Bible, and originally ...

, he participated to the

Friends' Ambulance Unit The Friends' Ambulance Unit (FAU) was a volunteer ambulance service, founded by individual members of the British Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), in line with their Peace Testimony. The FAU operated from 1914 to 1919, 1939 to 1946 and ...

as a

conscientious objector A conscientious objector is an "individual who has claimed the right to refuse to perform military service" on the grounds of freedom of conscience or religion. The term has also been extended to objecting to working for the military–indu ...

in the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. He wrote many books on

Christian Pacifism Christian pacifism is the Christian theology, theological and Christian ethics, ethical position according to which pacifism and non-violence have both a scriptural and rational basis for Christians, and affirms that any form of violence is inco ...

, including ''Christian Pacifism Re-examined'' (1940). During the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

Cadoux's two sons became conscientious objectors, and also served in the FAU. He married Marguerite Asplin. At the time of his death, Cadoux was considering to write a book on the humane treatment of animals. He was a strict vegetarian.Cadoux, Cecil John (1883–1947)
oxforddnb.com. Retrieved 14 January 2023. He died on 16 August 1947 at his home in Oxford.

Bibliography

* ''The Early Christian Attitude To War: a contribution to the history of Christian ethics'' (1919) * ''The Guidance of Jesus for Today'' (1920) * ''The Christian Crusade: a study in the supreme purpose of life'' (1924) * ''The Message about the Cross: a fresh study of the doctrine of the atonement'' (1924) * ''The Early Church and the World: a history of the Christian attitude to pagan society and the state down to the time of Constantius'' (1925) * ''The Resurrection and Second Advent of Jesus'' (1927) * ''Catholicism and Christianity: a vindication of progressive Protestantism'' (1928) * ''The Possibility of a United Christendom: from the standpoint of the Congregational Communion'' (1937) * ''The Case for Evangelical Modernism: a study of the relation between Christian faith and traditional theology'' (1938) * ''Ancient Smyrna: a history of the city from the earliest times to 324 A.D.'' (1938) * ''Christian Pacifism Re-Examined'' (1940) * ''The Historic Mission of Jesus: a constructive re-examination of the eschatological teaching in the synoptic gospels'' (1941) * ''A Pilgrim's Further Progress: dialogues on Christian teaching'' (1943) * ''Philip of Spain and the Netherlands: an essay on moral judgments in history'' (1947) * ''The Life of Jesus'' (1948)

References

External links

The Works of John Cadoux on the Internet Archive
* ''The Early Christian Attitude To War'' on Wikisource
''The Guidance of Jesus for Today'' on line
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cadoux, Cecil John 1883 births 1947 deaths 20th-century British Christian theologians Alumni of Mansfield College, Oxford British conscientious objectors British Christian pacifists English Christian pacifists English Christian theologians Fellows of Mansfield College, Oxford People associated with the Friends' Ambulance Unit