Pacifists in Chains

Duane Stoltzfus... presents a well-written and moving case study of the Hutterites' imprisonment, as well as a more extensive examination of violations of American religious and political dissenters' civil rights during the Great War... Engaging with history in works like this one reminds us of the richness of our immigrant history, the fragility of the rights that immigrants come to this country to enjoy, and the obligation to defend those rights, even under exigent circumstances.

Pacifists in Chains is a well-told and carefully documented account... Stoltzfus's book shows how religious faith may substantively inform not only the opinions but also the practices of persons who choose to express their love of country in nonviolent ways during times of war. The study is particularly relevant in pointing out that even democratic governments often punish those who hold divergent perspectives.

Duane Stoltzfus has written a powerful account of four Hutterite conscientious objectors during World War I. The way the men lived—and died—posed difficult challenges to the country's commitment to freedom, challenges that resonate still. Stoltzfus has done the men justice.

Pacifists in Chains is a first-rate contribution to the understudied history of conscientious objection and religious persecution in the United States. Duane Stoltzfus’s scholarship is excellent, his writing is beautiful, and his narrative of Hutterites bearing witness to their nonviolence is poignant. A learned study and an inspiring read.