Violence

Is it possible for peace to walk in power anymore?

This is the question of this issue. An exploding Middle East, a West on tenterhooks, many of us are holding our breath. Humans properly fear violence, all forms of it. But what feels like a less healthy development is how much violence itself—avoiding harm or threatening harm—is dictating the norms by which we negotiate a common life. We have become addicted to threat perception, forgetting the skills and dispositions required to imagine a more generous peace.

How have we gotten here? And is there a way out?