Nonviolence: The Revolutionary Way of Jesus

by Preston M. Sprinkle, Gregory A. Boyd (Foreword)

In a unique narrative approach, Sprinkle begins by looking at how the story of God as a whole portrays violence and war, drawing conclusions that guide the reader through the rest of the book. With urgency and precision, he navigates hard questions and examines key approaches to violence, driving every answer back to Scripture. Ultimately, Sprinkle challenges the church to "walk in a manner worthy of our calling" and shape our lives on the example of Christ.   The Revolutionary Way of Jesus is biblically rooted, theologically coherent, and prophetically challenging. It is a defining work that will stir discussions for years to come.  

Genres: Theology, Nonfiction, Faith, Religion, Politics, Christian

301 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 1, 2021

Reviews

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic. For some reason, an argument for nonviolence is extra compelling when it comes from an American evangelical.

[Jared Greer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty much agreed entirely with his conclusion, but didn’t always agree with how he reached it. Eg, I had several nits to pick in his section on OT violence; but I recognize that he’s a NT scholar, and that the scope of this book was way too big to really do that topic justice. Would still definitely recommend this as a starting point for friends interested in Christian nonviolence.

[Josh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full disclosure: I have for years identified as a pacifist, and before reading this book would have told you that I was an advocate for non-violence. So, I did not need to be converted; there are probably some more critical assessments of this book that have real value. With that said, this is a very helpful overview of what the Bible and church history teach us about violence. It’s broad rather than deep, and any given chapter could be expanded into something more comprehensive. But Sprinkle calls us to take biblical reality seriously, even when it comes into tension with the world as we see it. Some very direct challenges to nationalism and American militarism give the book a topical and provocative edge.

[Laney Dugan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a reread for me (I read Sprinkle’s previous release of this book, Fight), and I appreciated it just as much this go around as I did the first time. Sprinkle delves into some really hard topics, and I appreciate the way he considers violence in light of the crucified and resurrected Jesus. The New Testament sections of this book are phenomenal and, while I’d like to do a bit more reading on the Old Testament and non-violence, I’m not unhappy with his Old Testament takes. I’d just like to hear more!

I feel like this book surprisingly does a lot of shepherding of the reader towards a greater love for Jesus, His Kingdom, and the distinctively Christian ethic of enemy-love… which I love and might be the ultimate reason I would recommend it!

[Wes Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most biblically sound, compassionate, and compelling books I’ve ever read!

[Zayne Connatser · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sprinkle does it again… I don’t know an author who better embodies the grace-truth way of Christian life when it comes to such divisive content.

The book is incredibly thorough, thought provoking, challenging, eye opening, encouraging, edifying, beautiful and embodies the humble position of a faithful servant of Christ.

When confronted with the fact Jesus overcame evil and NEVER used violence, what are we to do? Suffer, like the martyrs who destroyed their enemy by being destroyed by them.

[Katelynn Vance · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so good! Definitely pushed me over to practicing a nonviolent way of life in any and all circumstances! I would highly recommend!

[Jake Owen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Did this as book club with Kat. Some of his explanations didn’t go deep enough but would recommend to anyone dipping their toe into nonviolence and what Jesus really says about being in him.

[Brandon Stiver · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well written and succinct book. I’ve been a proponent of non-violence for nearly two decades but this was the first book that I’ve read to get some depth to that sincere belief. I was not disappointed. As a Christian, it’s important that my beliefs are rooted in scripture and Sprinkle handles that well and pretty comprehensively. He wraps in lots of other resources including from differing opinions which allows the reader to consider other arguments while going deeper into the nonviolent ethic. One of the things that surprised me was how much of a faith builder it was, it actually takes tremendous faith to follow non-violence and even in Old Testament passages, the Israelites were most faithful when they trusted God with their adversaries. Reading this definitely gave me more understanding with scriptures that are more challenging in the OT and show a consistent trajectory towards the radical non-violence of Christ. Good book!

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book seriously challenged many of my assumptions about what the Bible says on violence and what it means to follow Jesus. It also uprooted some (though perhaps not all) of my lingering objections against non-violence. Although I still have some questions to work through after reading this book, I deeply felt that the Holy Spirit met me through the process of reading it. I would recommend it to anyone who is curious how to tackle some of the hardest issues surrounding war, violence, and morality from a Christ-centered perspective. Sprinkle's approach, far from being "hippy" or naive, is probably one of the most honest and compelling I have ever read. Certainly more compelling and more Biblically sound than the easy justifications for state-sanctioned violence that we hear too often from evangelical pulpits. Jesus' way is different, and I think we have to get used to that if we want to follow him and "pick up our cross."

[Jonathan Babcock · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been on the fence regarding the topic of nonviolence for a while now, as I try to reconcile evangelical culture with the actual teachings of Jesus. End result: I've decided the two are incompatible on this topic. And in whatever messy, broken way I can, I'm going to attempt to follow the teachings of Jesus. Which requires picking up a cross, suffering, and if need be dying as I seek to radically love those that the world says should be my enemy.

In all of the best ways, this book convicted me, showed me a lot of my own blind spots, and helped me to see the beauty in nonviolence. One point in particular really stands out to me: Choosing nonviolence isn't about picking the most "effective" option. It's about choosing the most faithful option. And full honesty, that could get us killed. By all human metrics, that seems pretty stupid. But we are citizens of an upside down kingdom, where the poor are rich, the weak are strong, and the peacemakers will be called children of God.

[Eric Targe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Essential reading. Sprinkle’s “Nonviolence” is about the call of Christ on his followers to reject “violence” which Sprinkle defines as “the use of physical force intending to destroy another person.” But it is also about so much more! Sprinkle helps his readers to see that non-violence is not simply the heart of God in the New Testament, but the Old Testament as well. I have read many books on how to understand the Canaanite conquest of Joshua and I have found Sprinkle’s arguments the most compelling. Whether you hold to just war theory, pacifism, or another perspective I am certain you will find Sprinkle’s treatment of violence throughout the Bible to be interesting, challenging, and thought provoking. As for this reader, I’m convinced that Christ’s call is to radical nonviolence.

[Courtney Burns · Rating 4 out of 5]

Plenty I agreed with, but also plenty I that I questioned. I found the sections addressing the violence we see in the Old Testament very interesting and would like to read more to see how scholars of the Old Testament more generally view this topic. One of the big issues I had with the book was the writing style. The author repeatedly touts himself as a gun-toting American—a real and tough American if you will. I get that he was using this language in part to appeal to a demographic that is skeptical of nonviolence, but I found it distracting and off putting. Still, I feel it helped me to advance my own exploration of nonviolence in meaningful ways.

[Michael Blaylock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dangerously good.
Sprinkle applies his usual style of logical application with gracious acceptance that his audience may not agree, a wonderful way to address this very loaded topic. Sprinkle challenges his audience to be willing to do the hard things, to take the more painful road to goodness, and the really take Jesus at his word. Because how can we fix the world if we're doing the same things?
A powerful book with a high challenge, and written with mercy and wisdom. A must-read in our highly-politicized Christian era.

[Simon Wiebe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sprinkles Buch fand ich sehr gut. Obwohl er mit Waffen und einer positiven Gesinnung gegenüber dem Militär aufgewachsen ist, hat er seine Meinung wegen des biblischen Befundes geändert. Fand ich nachdenkenswert.

[Michael Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A phenomenal articulation of the nonviolent position. Though I go a little further than the author in terms of non-violence, I really appreciated the way he approached the subject, and his articulations will be helping me as I have conversations around the subject as well

[Brayden Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredible Genesis to Revelation look at a biblical theology of nonviolence. Have become more and more convinced that a core facet to the way of Jesus is a commitment to nonviolent cruciform enemy love. Especially captivated by Sprinkle’s chapter on Revelation. Read this book!

[Charles · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a helpful start and good for what it provided. For me it still felt to fall short of dealing with practical day to day. (For a police officer or solider for example)

[LB · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good, must read collection of thoughts, readings, and interpretations around violence in a variety of forms

[Michael Klaassen · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Were it not for the life, teaching, death, resurrection, and universal lordship of King Jesus, I would not advocate nonviolence. No way.”

This book is perfect for anyone who wants to start an investigation into the theological reasons for Christian nonviolence. Instead of picking one or two passages that support his claim, Sprinkle starts in Eden, goes through the Law, Prophets, New Testament, and even some church history to back his claim: Christians should kill or use violence - not even in war.

Not everyone will agree with every little detail, but I think this is a must read for any Christian who is interested in the topic.

[Rachel Turner-Poteet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sprinkle’s approach to the Deuteronomistic History was a bit too simplistic, but his treatment of the New Testament, the prophets, and Genesis was SUPERB. I started this book a believer in self-defense and I left it a pacifist.

[Micah Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gripping, convincing. I loved every moment of this book.