Grace over Guns: Pursuing Peace in a Militarized World

War is “entirely incompatible with the spirit and teaching of Jesus,” argues pastor Daniel (Thoughtful Christianity) in this timely manifesto. He contends that a society-wide epidemic of “loneliness and fear” has driven American Christian communities toward an idolatrous worship of the nation and its “weapons of war.” This not only contradicts Christianity’s core command to love one’s neighbor, it’s also illogical, he writes, since history shows that wars generally beget endless cycles of violence, that the presence of a robust military fails to deter other countries from starting conflicts, and that crimes against humanity are committed by the same countries that purport to prevent such atrocities. (Further, he argues that the money spent on the military would do much more social good if allocated toward alleviating problems like homelessness.) With this in mind, he puts forth a philosophy that centers grace, advocating for peaceful solutions to global conflicts, and communities that prioritize connection and inclusion. The author effectively balances his optimistic vision for a peaceful world with a clear-eyed look at how the church has historically aligned itself with empire in ways that contradict its foundational philosophy (“For most of its history the church has not been the siblings Moses, Aaron, and Miriam, leading their people to freedom, it has been the enslaving pharaohs”). Christian pacifists will find much to chew on here. (June)