Radical Christianity: Peace and Justice in the New Testament

206 pages, bibliography, index, biblical referencesThe author believes that the religion of Jesus is very different than the popular versions of Christianity today. From the close of the apostolic age, the witness of the early Christian writings is clear regarding the role of rich and poor in the kingdom and the non-violent nature of the Christian life. After the legalization of Christianity and decline of paganism in the fourth century, the church began to swell with rich and powerful members of Roman society. Contemporary with this demographic change a doctrine of justifiable warfare was defined by Augustine to support Christians as combatants in the military. The present volume is divided into three parts: the first addressing the radical principles of personal finance, the second pertaining to the non-violent way of the cross, and the third looking briefly at specific ideas created to live out the meaning of the crucified life. The second part includes a chapter on practical approaches for peacemaking in relationships as well as a concordance of words in scripture related to pacifism intended to assist the reader in further study of the biblical text. In the application of radical Christianity, there are various dangers and pitfalls addressed by the author. The radical teaching encourages an individual life style practice. The author believes Jesus did not come to establish a political or economic system, but to transform the person, as he said: "the kingdom of God is within you" and "my kingdom is not of this world." Read more