Customer Reviews

War and Peace from Genesis to Revelation: King Jesus' Manual of Arms for the 'Armless (Christian Peace Shelf)

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Eller's work on pacifism is a great read - both in terms of its substantive content and its refreshingly humorous approach. While his harsh critique of pacifist activism may have been more appropriate at the time of the book's original publication, his concerns about the dangers of a war-like approach to resolving conflict is helpful, and his insightful bridging of New and Old Testament traditions of peace is much needed.

Eller warns the reader in the first pages that the thesis of War and Peace will take the reader on a ride, not to be expected; a trip in one direction and then a 180 degree change in velocity (not losing any speed, however). The subject of War and Peace might frighten the reader in to expecting a summary of pacifist politics with which Stanley Hauerwas had to wrestle, fearing to lose his influene in the mainstream.

Not to exchange the excellent work of Eller for something that it is not, the book explains well why it holds to its pacifist ideal; but it is certainly not a pacifist reasoning find in too many other works. War and peace are both endeavors that require complete faith in God. Doing either without faith would threaten the good in both.

Eller cites her scholarly influences at the beginning of each chapter but leaves out any other citations. This format allows Eller's wit to find its pull potential, pull in the reader with a thesis all its own.

War is punishment. War is the result of humanity failing to follow God's lead, as a dancer follows the dance lead. Cain built a city out of fear. He attempted to "manufacture SECURITY (all caps part of quote)." Wars then followed a Nimrodian character of humans manufacturing their own security looking for ultimate peace (some may argue that the best we can do is stability).

God fights his own wars, in his own way. God used the Israelites for his purpose but no nation anywhere can claim to be good enough to exercise God's justice; a charge critical of just war theory. God's themes of Holy War, peace of Zion and the suffering servant show themselves in multiple chapters throughout the Bible. The way God fights is not the way humans fight.

The enlightening point for the Christian idealist is the fact that our victory through the tactic of suffering love does not ensure instant peace, it could include death. For Jesus, his suffering love meant death on a cross. If the idealist is looking for peace, to influence the world to peace without death, that is not Biblical. What would happen if a nation were to apply suffering love? If they were a nation of individuals redeemed in Christ's blood, their death would mean resurrection to ultimate peace. What would become of the suffering secular nation?

Eller does not condemn politics but warns the politician of trying to match the wit of evil's schemes. The same goes for peacemaking. The final chapter is satisfying while convicting. There is very little justification, however, for engaging in warfare according to Eller. What would Eller do with the "Hitler dilemma"? Is there a just defense, as deeply corrupted as humanity has become?