The Original Revolution: Essays on Christian Pacifism

by John Howard Yoder

Publisher:

Herald Press

, 2003

Overview

Jesus created a voluntary society around himself that was contrary to everything Jewish society knew or expected. He gave his members a new way to deal with offenders, violence, money, leadership, and a corrupt society. He gave them a new pattern of relationships between man and woman, and an enlarged understanding of what it means to be human.

This is the original revolution: the creation of a distinct community with an alternate set of values and a coherent way of incarnating them. Such a group is not only a novelty—it’s also, if lived faithfully, the most powerful tool of social change.

In the Logos edition, this valuable volume is enhanced by amazing functionality. Scripture citations link directly to English translations, and important terms link to dictionaries, encyclopedias, and a wealth of other resources in your digital library. Perform powerful searches to find exactly what you’re looking for. Take the discussion with you using tablet and mobile apps. With Logos Bible Software, the most efficient and comprehensive research tools are in one place, so you get the most out of your study.

Key Features

• Discusses the concepts of Christian pacifism
• Features Yoder’s only substantial work on the Sermon on the Mount
• Includes both biblical and ecumenical perspectives

Contents

• Biblical Perspectives
  • The Original Revolution
  • The Political Axioms of the Sermon on the Mount
  • If Christ Is Truly Lord
  • If Abraham Is Our Father
• Ecumenical Perspectives
  • Let the Church Be the Church
  • Christ the Light of the World
  • Christ the Hope of the World

Praise for the Print Edition

John Howard Yoder simply cannot be understood without reading the essays collected in The Original Revolution. Yoder would obviously go on to have much to say, but everything he had to say was initially intimated in this extremely important book. Indeed, Chapter Three (which was originally entitled “Peace Without Eschatology?”) may well be the most important single essay Yoder ever wrote. We are in debt to Herald Press for keeping this important book in print.

—Stanley Hauerwas, Gilbert T. Rowe Professor Emeritus of Divinity and Law, Duke University

Yoder’s essays on Christian pacifism represent the tradition of the Mennonite churches and this volume presents them in a compelling way. It is well worth the money.

—Journal of Psychology and Christianity

Product Details

• Title: The Original Revolution: Essays on Christian Pacifism
• Author: John Howard Yoder
• Publisher: Herald Press
• Publication Date: 2003
• Pages: 192

About John Howard Yoder

John Howard Yoder (1927–1997) taught ethics and theology at Notre Dame University and Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary. He received his doctorate from the University of Basel, Switzerland, and was a member of the Mennonite Church in Elkhart, Indiana. Widely sought around the world as a theological educator, ethicist, and interpreter of biblical pacifism, he is best known for The Politics of Jesus, 2nd ed.. He is also the author of The Christian Witness to the State, The Royal Priesthood: Essays Ecclesiological and Ecumenical, and Nevertheless: The Varieties and Shortcomings of Religious Pacifism.