"Blessed are the peacemakers."

The gospel of Jesus Christ is the good news of peace: peace between God and humanity, peace among humans. And yet it can be difficult to see that peace in our broken, violent world.

In this volume, Shawn Graves and Marlena Graves have gathered contributions from theologians, pastors, and practitioners on the importance and implementation of Christian nonviolence in today's world. The vision they cast not only responds to the realities of war and conflict but also offers a broader, deeper understanding of peace that addresses topics such as race, gender, disability, immigration, the environment, food scarcity, and more—a holistic shalom that is evidence of God's presence.

May it be so.



Shawn Graves (PhD, University of Rochester) is associate professor of philosophy at the University of Findlay.







Marlena Graves is Assistant Professor of Spiritual Formation at Northeastern Seminary on the campus of Roberts Wesleyan University in Rochester, NY. She has written five books, two of which were award-winning, and over two hundred articles for outlets including Christianity Today, Relevant, Sojourners, The Christian Century, and more. She has held pastoral positions at several churches. She and her husband Shawn have three daughters.



Introduction by Shawn Graves and Marlena Graves



Part I: Biblical Reflections

1. The Old Testament as a Problem for Pacifists (and What to Do About It), Eric A. Seibert

2. Shalom for All: Toward an Old Testament Theology of Peace, T. C. Ham

3. Pride Fighter or Sacrificial Lamb? Discerning the Real Jesus in the Book of Revelation, Gregory A. Boyd

4. "The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet!" Violence in the Gospel of Peace?, Thomas R. Yoder Neufeld



Part II: Learning from Others

5. A Pentagon for Peace: What America Could Learn from Its Oldest Enemy, Randy S. Woodley

6. Preachers, Prophets and Philosophers: Martin Luther King Jr.'s Moral Reasoning on Nonviolence, Aaron James

7. Listening for Peace: Nonviolence in William Stafford's Writing and Teaching, Sarah Azaransky

8. Living Next Door to the Bronze Lady, Michael Jimenez

9. A Universal Love Ethic: Nonviolence and Human Rights Advocacy, Shawn Graves



Part III: War and Violence

10. War, Terror, and Peace, Lisa Sharon Harper

11. Christian Pacifism and the "Good War," Ted Grimsrud

12. Problematic Pacifism: Pursuing Biblical Justice Toward Effective Change, Mae Elise Cannon

13. Lights in the Darkness: Christian Peace Practice in the Violence of Central America, Willi Hugo Perez and Adrienne Wiebe



Part IV: Race, Gender, and Disability

14. Shalom and White Supremacy, Drew Hart

15. Healing from Racial Trauma, Sheila Wise Rowe

16. Faith-Rooted Reconciliation: Organizing for Shalom Justice, Peter Heltzel

17. Longing Forward: Peacemaking and Violence Toward Women and Girls, Beth Gerhardt

18. Disability, Identity, and the Resurrection of the Dead: Cultural Competency as Nonviolence, Chibuzo Petty



Part V: Immigration and Environment

19. Our Food System: The Tie to Immigration, Migrant Workers, Exploitation and Human Trafficking, Baldemar Velasquez

20. Immigration and the Church: Who Is My Neighbor?, Marlena Graves

21. Everything, Nothing, Something: Trading in World-Viewing for Everyday Faithfulness in Peacemaking and Sustainability, Jacob Alan Cook

22. Environmental Violence, Kathy Khang



Conclusion: Practical Steps Toward Communal Flourishing

List of Contributors