[en] An effective theory for quantum chromodynamics (QCD) is derived analytically and nonperturbatively from the canonical Lagrangian for QCD in three space and one time dimension. The full light-cone QCD-Hamiltonian is mapped identically onto an effective Hamiltonian which acts only in the q anti q-space. A vertex coupling function is resumed to all orders and after renormalization should become the running coupling constant. The final equations are of surprizing simplicity, and are numerically solvable on a small computer. The prescription is given how to derive from these solutions the probability amplitudes for arbitrary gluon and quark-anti-quark composition by quadratures. The method is based on discretized light-cone quantization and the new method of iterated resolvents. The procedure is applicable also to other many-body theories, but the present work specializes to the general aspects of QCD. (orig.)