Kirk MacGregor, assistant professor and department chair of philosophy and religion at McPherson College, has been selected to present a scholarly paper at a symposium on resistance and conscientious objection at the World War I Museum and Memorial in Kansas City on October 19-22.
The symposium reflects on the profound effect the war has on the United States focusing on the peace advocates, antiwar activists, and conscientious objectors who confronted hostility from the government, the press, and war supporters, as well as struggled internally with disagreements over how to respond to the war and advance the cause of peace. The individuals and organizations who opposed World War I helped initiate modern peace movements and left a legacy that continues to influence antiwar activism today.
Professor MacGregor will present on Friday, October 19 during the session titled, “Defining Objection: The Brethren Experience.” His paper is titled, “Federal Stifling of Brethren Opposition to Military Involvement During World War I.” Additionally, well-known professor, Maurice Hess, who taught English and Latin at McPherson College for 38 years from 1919 to 1957, will be the topic of another paper, “1917-1919: A Proving Time for Maurice Hess and Brethren Nonresistance,” which will be presented by a professor from the Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University.