A Faith Not Worth Fighting For [Hardcover]

In A Faith Not Worth Fighting For, editors Justin Bronson Barringer and Tripp York have assembled a number of essays by pastors, activists, and scholars in order to address the common questions and objections leveled against the Christian practice of nonviolence. Assuming that the command to love one's enemies is at the heart of the Gospel, these writers carefully, faithfully--and no doubt provocatively--attempt to explain why the nonviolent path of Jesus is an integral aspect of Christian discipleship. By addressing misconceptions about Christian pacifism, as well as real-life violent situations, this book will surely challenge the reader's basic understanding of what it means to be a follower of Jesus. In this anthology of new essays, theologians reply to such challenges to Christian pacifism as what would you do if someone were attacking a loved one, what about Hitler, and didn't Jesus chase people from the temple with a whip? By countering common objections to the Christian peace witness, the book endeavors to help both pacifists and nonpacifists alike gain a deeper understanding of how a Christian commitment to nonviolence can be enacted and supported. Especially strong essays include What About War and Violence in the Old Testament? by Ingrid Lilly (Western Kentucky University) and Didn't Jesus Say He Came Not to Bring Peace, but a Sword? by Samuel Wells (Be Not Afraid), which combines a close reading of the biblical text with a contemporary illustration of the difference between appeasement and a principled peace stance. The essays are, on the whole, varied, lively, and thought provoking. The book includes an introduction by Stanley Hauerwas (War and the American Difference) and an afterword by Shane Claiborne (Irresistible Revolution). --Publishers Weekly Addressing oft-heard questions posed to Christians who refuse to kill, this is a must-read book for all Christians occupying church pews or sitting behind desks in college classrooms. . . . Even ilc%