Monthly Archives: May 2008

Pacifism With Justice (5)

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I believe that Christian pacifism ultimately rests on our understanding of God. As Jesus taught, when we love our enemies we are “children of our Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:45). An important aspect of our understanding of God is how we view that salvation that God offers. In this chapter, “Salvation in the Prophets, Salvation in Jesus: Mercy Not Retribution,” which is from my book-in-progress, Pacifism With Justice: The Biblical and Theological Case, I look at biblical understandings of salvation. I argue for a strong continuity among the teachings of the Old Testament prophets and Jesus–all agreeing that God’s mercy lies at the heart of salvation, not retribution.

Pacifism With Justice (4)

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Quite often in discussions of Christian pacifism, the concepts of “peace” and “pacifism” and “love” are held in tension with the theme of “justice.” In recent years, the discipline of restorative justice has arisen that, in its more faith-oriented strands, has sought to rethink the meaning of justice in ways that see it as more complimentary with peace, pacifism, and love.

This essay, “Healing Justice: The Prophet Amos and a ‘New’ Theology of Justice,” is chapter four in my book-in-process, Pacifism With Justice: The Biblical and Theological Case. It addresses the understanding of justice reflected in the Old Testament, specifically, the Book of Amos. It argues for a view of justice that emphasizes justice as focused on healing.

The Present Relevance of Anabaptism

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These are two recent essays I have written reflecting on the present relevance for Christian theology and ethics of the 16th century Anabaptists.

They are: “Anabaptism for the Twenty-First Century” and “Whither Anabaptist Theology.” Both are included in my book, Embodying the Way of Jesus: Anabaptist Convictions for the Twenty-First Century(Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock Publishers, 2007).

The Lamb’s Way of Victory (Introduction)

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The Book of Revelation is best read as peace literature, even though most Christians in the past 2,000 would not agree. I will be developing the case for such a reading in a series of posts. These will be drawn from a set of sermons I am presenting at Shalom Mennonite Congregation in Harrisonburg, VA, during 2008 and 2009.

In the posts I will summarize the main points of my argument that are developed at more length in the sermons. The full written versions of the sermons will be available in the “page” area of this site. Click here for the first sermon, “Living in Apocalyptic Times.”