Ancient Wisdom from the Desert
Ancient Wisdom from the Desert

Jesus and Non-Violence

Jesus_and_nonviolence_1Written in a simple, straightforward manner, Walter Wink's Jesus and Nonviolence: A Third Way is a great read for at least two reasons:

  1. It quickly unmasks the deceptive polarization of activists vs. pacifists, while presenting the modus operandi of Jesus as a preferable and very do-able "third way" of responding to injustice.
  2. It is an engaging book that's difficult to put down.  And because of this and its brevity (only 103, 4"x7" pages), it's perfect to either give away or make available to others for the purpose of generating meaningful dialog regarding war, peace, violence, pacifism, civil disobedience political persuasion, etc. from a Christian perspective.  This would be a terrific book for use in a small group, house church, family study, or workshop setting -- and it even includes discussion questions at the end of each chapter.

from the back cover:

More than ever, Walter Wink believes, the Christian tradition of nonviolence is needed as an alternative to the dominant and death-dealing "powers" of our consumerist culture and fractured world.  In this small book Wink offers a precis of his whole thinking about this issue, including the relation of Jesus and his message to politics and nonviolence, the history of nonviolent efforts, and how nonviolence can win the day when others don't hesitate to resort to violence or terror to achieve their aims.

Reflective of the book's brevity, Wink wastes no time hammering some key issues:

"Nonviolence" is identified by many as the injunction to be submissive before the authorities. Romans 13:1-7 has been interpreted as an absolute command to obey the government whatever it does. "Turn the other cheek" became a divine ultimatum to slaves and servants to accept flogging and blows obsequiously. "Love of enemies" was twisted to render the oppressed compliant from the very heart, forgiving every injustice with no thought of changing the system.  Nonviolence meant, in the context of this perverse inversion of the gospel, passivity (p. 3).

Most Christians desire nonviolence, yes; but they are not talking about a nonviolent struggle for justice.  They mean simply the absence of conflict.  They would like the system to change without having to be involved in changing it (p. 4).

Ouch!  I confess.  I'm usually guilty of avoiding conflict while "praying" for peace. I believe in justice and in the pursuit of justice, but am too rarely found taking a public stand for the same. Comfort is addicting.  Lord, have mercy on me!

The issue is not, "What must I do in order to secure my salvation?" but rather, "What does God require of me in response to the needs of others?"  It is not, "How can I be virtuous?"  But "How can I participate in the struggle of the oppressed for a more just world?"  Otherwise our nonviolence is premised on self-justifying attempts to establish our own purity in the eyes of God, others, and ourselves, and that is nothing less than a satanic temptation to die with clean hands and a dirty heart (p. 6).

Wink points out that there are three general responses to evil:  1) passivity,  2) violent opposition, and 3) the third way of militant nonviolence articulated by Jesus.  Based on a revealing exegesis of Matthew 5:38-41, Wink debunks traditional understandings of these Jesus-teachings and sets the stage for laying out and explaining the distinguishing marks of Jesus' "third way":

  • Seize the moral initiative
  • Find a creative alternative to violence
  • Assert your own humanity and dignity as a person
  • Meet force with ridicule or humor
  • Break the cycle of humiliation
  • Refuse to submit or to accept the inferior position
  • Expose the injustice of the system
  • Take control of the power dynamic
  • Shame the oppressor into repentance
  • Stand your ground
  • Force the Powers to make decisions for which they are not prepared
  • Recognize your own power
  • Be willing to suffer rather than to retaliate
  • Cause the oppressor to see you in a new light
  • Deprive the oppressor of a situation where a show of force is effective
  • Be willing to undergo the penalty for breaking unjust laws
  • Die to fear of the old order and its rules

Perhaps the most powerful example (cited by Wink) of someone who lived-out these principles was Martin Luther King, Jr:

To our most bitter opponents we say: We shall match your capacity to inflict suffering by our capacity to endure suffering.  We shall meet you physical force with soul force.  Do to us what you will, and we shall continue to love you.  We cannot in all good conscience obey your unjust laws, because noncooperation with evil is as much a moral obligation as is cooperation with good. Throw us in jail, and we shall still love you.  Bomb our homes and threaten our children, and we shall still love you.  Send your hooded perpetrators of violence into our communities at the midnight hour and beat us and leave us half dead, and we shall still love you. But be ye assured that we will wear you down by our capacity to suffer.  One day we shall win freedom, but not only for ourselves.  We shall so appeal to your heart and conscience that we shall win you in the process, and our victory will be a double victory. (Martin Luther King, Jr., sermon: Dexter Ave. Baptist Church, 1957; in Wink, p. 58)

Here's the long and short of it: this is a wonderfully disturbing book -- a book that will challenge you to live out your faith on behalf of others rather than merely for yourself.  It's a book that will light a fire under you (and within you) and compel you to take action -- responsible action -- action that insists on justice and human dignity -- action befitting a follower of Jesus Christ.

But I am convinced that there is a whole host of people simply waiting for the Christian message to challenge them, for once, to a heroism worthy of their lives.  Has Jesus not provided us with that word? (p. 49)

I believe he has.  And I believe it will become increasingly difficult to name the name of Christ while refusing to be part of the social-political-religious revolution that God is calling his Church to.  It's time for us to learn and live in the third way of Jesus.

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Comments

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While I don't agree with everything Wink writes in his books, he has deeply and positively influenced me over the last several years. Thanks for this review.

Peace,
Jamie

The problem with Wink, and indeed most others of his ilk is they start with pacificism, and then conform their Christianity to it, rather than the other way around. We start out as progressives or conservatives and then, lo and behold, discover that Christ's teaching perfectly dovetails with our progressivism or conservativism. So we get the spectacle of conservatives explaining who pre-emptive war is "Christian" and progressives explaining that abortion is "Christian". Christianity should make us profoundly uncomfortable, there is no greater danger than thinking Christ agrees with our particular ideologies.

Radoje,

I can see the risks in what you are pointing out, but another danger is to think that Jesus never agrees with any ideology simply because it happens to fit ours.

As I said earlier, I do accept everything Wink puts forward, but from what I have read of him (several books and many articles), I am not convinced he started with pacificism. His views are deeply rooted in the teachings of Jesus.

Peace,
Jamie

Chris,
Thanks for this review. Funny how my reading list is beginning to look like you're already-read list. :)
blessings,
Dan h.

DOH! That should say "As I said earlier, I DON'T accept..."

Jaime,

This was my first significant read of Wink. A professor/mentor of mine had recommended his series on the Powers a couple years ago.

I was a little bit skeptical at first, but as I read on, my appreciation quickly deepened. I'm definitely looking forward to reading his trilogy on the Powers now.

Oh, and by the way -- I see Wink as reacting "against" popular notions of pacifism; his understanding of Christ compels him to. Those who confuse pacifism with Jesus' "third way", have missed the entire point.

Blessings,

Chris

Chris,

The trilogy will make you work, but it is well worth it. Wink's voice is one that is needed to mix things up. Brilliant mind.

Peace,
Jamie

Jaime,

Work?!? Well forget it then! j/k
I'm looking forward to it.

Blessings,

Chris

Your review reminds me of McLaren's "Secret Message...". Did you find them similar? It's been months since I read it, but the present day working of Kingdom ideas he explored, reminds me of Wink's exposition of a "third way", the way of Christ.

At first, "militant non-violence" almost sounds like an oxymoron until you let it settle in your mind. MLK is its personification....as is Jesus. And, I'm left wondering, how did we get it so wrong? For most of my life in the church, it seems the greatest concern has been keeping our butts out of hell, a focus on eternity, not what life in Christ means here, now.

Sounds like a good place to start with Wink, Chris...thanks for adding to my mile-high pile ;).

I'm gradually working my way through this book having heard so many people refer to Wink's ideas on non-violent resistance.

I know it's only short, but it's very challenging, and needs to be read thoughtfully, I find. I had really ought to finish it though.

Robin,
Glad I could add to your "mile-high pile" of books to read. :D I haven't thought of Wink and McLaren in terms of similarities, although I wouldn't be surprized to hear that Wink has inspired McLaren.

I recommend starting with the book I've mentioned -- it's short and very "do-able."


Karin --
I'd love hearing your further thoughts once you finish reading it.


Blessings to you both,

Chris

I don't really care which is the original, the third way according to Jesus or the third way according to Wink. The third way *is* very consistent with Jesus' teaching *and* good sense. Pacifism as in "peace in our time" roll over and do nothing is no option and neither is violence as in the Middle East. We obviously need to find peaceful means to resist the evil of our times, and Wink, is one of many, who point to alternatives to violence or inaction.

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