Resist Not: Matthew 5:38-41 as a Christian Response to Violence

by Jonathan Howard

'Turn the other cheek'
'Go the extra mile'
'Give the extra coat'

These three statements, which form a major part of Jesus of Nazareth's Sermon on the Mount have widely been understood as an instruction for followers of Jesus to be subservient and to 'roll over' in the face of oppression.

In this concise but far reaching work, Jonathan Howard points us to the truth of these statements' that they are not an order to surrender, but an order to confront the oppressors creatively.

Through examining the Old Testament concept of the Lex Talionis, through to examining the etymology of the Greek word αντιστηναι, Howard seeks to show the real meaning of these sayings, and how it should impact Christians today, on both a micro and macro level.

Engaging and highly readable, this work is laced with theological truth and is rooted in good scholarship.

38 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 3, 2014

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.