The Gospel of Peace in a Violent World – Christian Nonviolence for Communal Flourishing

Shawn Graves (PhD, University of Rochester) is associate professor of philosophy at the University of Findlay. Marlena Graves (MDiv, Northeastern Seminary) is a writer and adjunct professor at Winebrenner Theological Seminary. She is the author of The Way Up Is Down, Forty Days on Being a Nine, and A Beautiful Disaster.

Introduction by Shawn Graves and Marlena Graves




Part I: Biblical Reflections


1. The Old Testament as a Problem for Pacifists (and What to Do About It), Eric A. Seibert


2. Shalom for All: Toward an Old Testament Theology of Peace, T. C. Ham


3. Pride Fighter or Sacrificial Lamb? Discerning the Real Jesus in the Book of Revelation, Gregory A. Boyd


4. "The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet!" Violence in the Gospel of Peace?, Thomas R. Yoder Neufeld




Part II: Learning from Others


5. A Pentagon for Peace: What America Could Learn from Its Oldest Enemy, Randy S. Woodley


6. Preachers, Prophets and Philosophers: Martin Luther King Jr.'s Moral Reasoning on Nonviolence, Aaron James


7. Listening for Peace: Nonviolence in William Stafford's Writing and Teaching, Sarah Azaransky


8. Living Next Door to the Bronze Lady, Michael Jimenez


9. A Universal Love Ethic: Nonviolence and Human Rights Advocacy, Shawn Graves




Part III: War and Violence


10. War, Terror, and Peace, Lisa Sharon Harper


11. Christian Pacifism and the "Good War," Ted Grimsrud


12. Problematic Pacifism: Pursuing Biblical Justice Toward Effective Change, Mae Elise Cannon


13. Lights in the Darkness: Christian Peace Practice in the Violence of Central America, Willi Hugo Perez and Adrienne Wiebe




Part IV: Race, Gender, and Disability


14. Shalom and White Supremacy, Drew Hart


15. Healing from Racial Trauma, Sheila Wise Rowe


16. Faith-Rooted Reconciliation: Organizing for Shalom Justice, Peter Heltzel


17. Longing Forward: Peacemaking and Violence Toward Women and Girls, Beth Gerhardt


18. Disability, Identity, and the Resurrection of the Dead: Cultural Competency as Nonviolence, Chibuzo Petty




Part V: Immigration and Environment


19. Our Food System: The Tie to Immigration, Migrant Workers, Exploitation and Human Trafficking, Baldemar Velasquez


20. Immigration and the Church: Who Is My Neighbor?, Marlena Graves


21. Everything, Nothing, Something: Trading in World-Viewing for Everyday Faithfulness in Peacemaking and Sustainability, Jacob Alan Cook


22. Environmental Violence, Kathy Khang




Conclusion: Practical Steps Toward Communal Flourishing

List of Contributors