How Churches Can Become Trapped by Violence and Hatred: The Example of Italy in Ethiopia.

During the Italian occupation of Ethiopia between 1935 and 1941 there was an outbreak of brutal and violent attacks on the Ethiopian church. These attacks were supported by many in the Italian church and were described as a Crusade, with no condemnation of them from the papacy. The two churches come from very different geographical locations and cultural backgrounds, and this has led to periods of warm relations, but also to examples of aggressive evangelism and hostility. The situation at the start of the Second World War aggravated aggressive tendencies. They are a warning to the churches of how easy it is to slip into violence and hatred. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]