“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, Do not resist one who is evil. But if any one strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.... You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you so that you may be children of your Father who is in heaven; for he makes the sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you?... You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

I. Christian Pacifism in historical contextA. The Church before Constantine (~280-337)B. The Church after ConstantineC. Should Christians be like everybody else?

II. Violence, community, and “ultimate loyalty”A. “we cannot imagine that some of us are

‘us,’ while others are ‘them’”B. “A loyal American? Of course not. I’m a

Christian!”

vtvt

Nonviolence for Fr. John Dear is so integral to what it means to be a Christian, and what it means to be truly pro-life, that any Christian who thinks any kind of violence is justified has ceased to follow the Jesus of the Gospels. Dear says: “That’s what it means to be a Christian—to be a person of nonviolence.” How would you respond to what you just saw in this video in light of the other readings for Tuesday?

explore the origins and motivations of Christian nonviolence,

assess its implications and response to the “cycle of violence,”

address its relationship to wider culture and the challenges to pacifism’s practicality and effectiveness, and

hear what those who participated in the Take Ten project learned about teaching nonviolence.

Peacebuilding vs. ‘Addiction’ to ViolenceObjections to Christian Pacifism

o Did Jesus really mean it?

Response to those objections?Implications if Fr. Dear is right that followers

of Jesus have to be nonviolento Fr. Dear: “The most political teaching of all:

‘love your enemies.’”o Christians as citizens: wherein lies ultimate

loyalty?