Love Is the Way

The United States has often been called a Christian country. Given the extensive list of wars the country has engaged in and the number of resources it devotes to war preparation, Christian pacifists, few as they may be, challenge conventional assumptions about Christianity in America. Love is the Way: A Christian Pacifist in the American Empire offers a sharp critique. It critiques Christian acceptance of what the author calls "warism" (the willingness unquestioningly to let the state turn us toward war). The book describes the author’s own struggle as a young adult. He had colliding convictions as a follower of Jesus as he came to terms with his lifelong uncritical nationalism in face of a growing awareness of the criminal American war in Vietnam. When studied carefully, the Bible points toward deep suspicion of nation-states and their warism. And when studied carefully, American history tells of endless wars and ever-expanding militarism. Yet, American Christians have tended to be uncritical of American warism. Love is the Way examines both the biblical peace emphases and the story of American warism. It presents the case against uncritical nationalism and in favor of Christian pacifism as a way of navigating the tensions.