Peace Shall Destroy Many by Rudy Wiebe

Peace Shall Destroy Many by Rudy Wiebe is a novel about people in a secluded Mennonite community in Canada during World War 2 struggling with issues of identity. Theologically, the book focuses almost solely on the question of pacifism. Young Thom Wiens struggles with his conflicting feelings in this regard: on the one hand he has been raised to feel repulsed by the thought of war or killing; on the other he feels that to do nothing is a crime all its own. Socio-cultural identifiers feature more prominently in distinguishing Mennonites in the novel than do theological ones. Mennonites speak German, especially in church, and some of them do not speak any of the vernacular English that is spoken by non-Mennonite “Breeds”. They have a tightly knit community with very strict standards and rules that everyone is expected to blindly follow. They follow the “traditions of the fathers” without question. The purpose of all this strictness is supposedly to protect them from the corrupting influence of the world, but over the course of the novel each of these aspects of Mennonite identity is called into question.

Young Thom Wiens’ doubts about the principle of pacifism are latent within him, always threatening to rear their ugly head if only he would release his death grip on them. They might remain forever suppressed were it not for key figures in the story who spur him to think critically about the use of violence. Joseph, for example, asks why Mennonites should rely on pagans to protect their precious way of life. He points out, too, that by supplying the troops with provisions the Mennonites are not only helping with the war effort but profiting from it. He wants to do something about the world’s misery. These arguments are sensible enough, but even they might fall on deaf ears save for Joseph’s (rather unjust) chastisement by the leaders of the community. It is this, the first of a number of mistakes these leaders make, that helps Thom start to question their judgment as normative for his life. Annamarie also helps him begin to question his deep-felt beliefs when, during their late-night adventure, she suggests that pacifism is not the only Christian way.

The use of German in Mennonite preaching is also called into question by Joseph, who defiantly preaches a sermon in English. For this he is berated by the leaders of the community. They argue that the German language must be used to maintain separation from the world. He fires back that Christians are called to be missionaries to the world, and that the people around them can never learn about God and become Christians if they never hear about him in language they can understand. When Joseph leaves, Thom continues his practice of teaching a Bible study to Breed children. At one point in the book, Pastor Lepp affirms Thom in this; Lepp, however, does not have the cojones to openly support it.

The rules and traditions of the community are also called into question over the course of the novel. At one point Thom abruptly asks Peter Block, “What are the traditions of the fathers” (96)? The ensuing conversation leaves him unsatisfied; it provides him with little explanation as to why such traditions should be followed. At one point Pastor Lepp expresses the idea that the distinctive features of the Mennonite community are obedience and simplicity of life. Elizabeth runs directly against both of these ideas when, with practically her last breath, she tells Thom to leave the community and see the world. “A church is supposed to be a brotherhood… not rules” (141), she whispers to him vehemently. The rules are also made a mockery by the hypocrisy with which they are applied. Herman Petkau is denied Elizabeth’s hand in marriage by her father for having tainted ancestry, and is later ostracized by the church leadership for marrying a Breed. Yet the pillar of the church himself, Peter Block, is guilty of so great a sin as murder. The more his character is revealed over the course of the book, the less it can be seen to match up with the character to which Christians are called. This weakens the church’s foundation and undermines its standards in the eyes of both members and outsiders.

The strict separation that the Mennonites maintain from their half-Breed neighbors also results in a kind of racism that is questioned by a number of characters over the course of the book. Margret, Thom’s sister, engages in a lengthy monologue against this prejudice. In a moment of epiphany, Thom recognizes it even in himself.

Peace Shall Destroy Many is a novel about community, about ideals, and most of all about identity. It is about the collision of traditional Mennonite identity with modernity, and the ethical crisis that is created thereby. Certainly there is much to be admired about the Mennonites and their lifestyle in this novel. Still, many members of the community evaluate that lifestyle and find it wanting. It is a community in crisis in the midst of a world in crisis, yet it tries to continue as it always has as though no conflict or crisis exists. It refuses to adapt to changing times and new ideas, and for young Thom Wiens this sounds its death knell.