📘 Christian Nonviolence

Notes

What is Christian nonviolence?

Definitions and preferred positions can vary from one Christian to another.
Rejection of lethal violence as a tool to resist or control others.
Employ nonviolent resistance methods against enemies
- Spiritual (Love your enemies and pray for them)
- Verbal
- Physical (non-lethal physical resistance - i.e., body-check someone)
Nonviolent resistance is often effective - but prioritize faithfulness over effectiveness. Act rightly - nonviolently - and trust God to work the situation to the best.

Nonviolence - The Revolultionary Way of Jesus - Preston Sprinkle
- Earlier edition titled Fight - A Christian case for nonviolence
- This is a good introductory defense of Christian nonviolence for Christians who are beginning to research this for themselves. I think the author overemphasizes his conservative "credentials" in places, but he knows his audience. If you are just starting to think about this, start here.
- This book walks through the Old Testament, New Testament, and early church history to promote a Christian view of nonviolence
- Book Notes - Nonviolence, the Revolutionary Way of Jesus
Jesus and Nonviolence - A Third Way - Walter Wink
- In this book, the focus is on presenting nonviolent resistance as an alternative to either violence, or passive non-resistance.
The Myth of a Christian Nation - Greg Boyd
- This book is not specifically about nonviolence, but addresses some issues, misconceptions, and objections that are raised against Christian nonviolence.
- The book states that because the Kingdom of God is different from kingdoms of this world, no nation-state can really claim to be a "Christian" nation - and doing so hurts the witness of Christians both within and without the country.