Beyond Just War and Pacifism: Jesus' Nonviolent Way

The new reality Jesus proclaimed was nonviolent.  That much is clear, not just from the Sermon on the Mount, but his entire life and teaching and, above all, the way he faced his death.  His was not merely a tactical or pragmatic nonviolence seized upon because nothing else would have worked against the Roman empire's near monopoly on violence.  Rather, he saw nonviolence as a direct corollary of the nature of God and of the new reality emerging in the world from God.  In a verse quoted more than any other from the New Testament during the church's first four centuries, Jesus taught that God loves everyone, and values all, even those who make themselves God's enemies.  We are therefore to do likewise (Matt. 5:45; cf. Luke 6:35).  The Reign of God, the peaceable Kingdom, is (despite the monarchical terms) an order in which the inequity, violence, and male supremacy characteristic of dominator societies are superseded.  Thus nonviolence is not just a means to the Kingdom of God; it is a quality of the Kingdom itself.  Those who live nonviolently are already manifesting the transformed reality of the divine order now, even under the conditions of what I call the Domination System. 

full article here 

The "Good" War and the Beast

Who can stand against it? The “good” war and the Beast of Revelation

A Practical Christian Pacifism by David A. Hoekema

An excellent introduction to Christian pacifism and a clear refutation of some of the straw man arguments leveled against the Christian vocation of nonviolence:

EXCERPT: 

OWS activist arrested on the Brooklyn Bridge

Pacifism is surrender. "The pacifist viewpoint is appealing in principle, but in practice it means surrendering to the aggressor," is a charge heard often. "Capitulation to the forces of evil cannot be moral."

The problem with this objection is that it equates pacifism with passive nonresistance. Pacifism is not synonymous with "passivism": the pacifist rejection of war is compatible with a great many measures for defense against aggression. In fact, pacifist theorists have urged the development of a civilian-based non-military defense, which would encompass organized but nonviolent resistance, refusal to cooperate with occupying forces, and efforts to undermine enemy morale.

The tendency to equate pacifism with "passivism" and capitulation reflects how little we know of the remarkable historical successes nonviolent tactics have achieved, even in the face of brutal repression. From the courageous Swedish and Danish resistance to Nazism to the transformation of Polish society by the Solidarity labor movement, and from the struggle for Indian self-rule led by Gandhi to the struggle for racial equality in the United States led by Martin Luther King, Jr., and others, nonviolence has been a creative and effective force. Whether nonviolent resistance can always overcome aggression and whether its cost in suffering and death will in every case be less than that of war is difficult to say, but at least it cannot be said that pacifism is merely a policy of capitulation.

full article here

"A No-Brainer" - Christians and Gun Control

"I am a soldier of Christ; I am not allowed to fight.''  - St. Martin of Tours

"On issues of sexuality and babies, Jesus and the Bible can be a bit murky. Yet Christians consistently speak on these issues with certainty and passion. In contrast, Jesus was crystal clear on the question of whether violence is an acceptable response to violence, on whether arming ourselves with fists or swords or guns is the way to protect ourselves from fists and swords and guns. Nonviolence—turning the other cheek, keeping your sword in its scabbard even under threat, loving your enemy—is a centerpiece of Jesus’s gospel."  

from Ellen Painter Dollar

 See also:

• Facing the Myth of Redemptive Violence
• Nonviolence 101 – Becoming a People of the “Third Way”

The Nonviolent Eucharist - Emmanuel Charles McCarthy

The Nonviolent Eucharist - Part 1 from GNV Team on Vimeo.

Nonviolence for the Violent

An excellent series of videos from the late activist, theologian and pastor Walter Wink.   By illustrating  the meanings behind "turn the other cheek", "offer your coat as well", and "go the second mile",  Dr. Wink puts "Do not resist evil" into a vibrant historical context with practical applications for those who follow the path of nonviolence, one of the pillars of authentic Christian practice: