This collection of essays makes the case that the Bible provides a strong basis for Christian pacifism. The seventeen essays here, written with academic rigor yet in an accessible style, span over thirty years of reflection and argumentation supporting a strong affirmation that nonviolence is at the heart of the biblical witness and should be at the heart of Christian theology.

For thirty years, Mennonite pastor and theologian Ted Grimsrud has sought to present the call to peacemaking in a series of short articles published in various settings. When read together, they convey a powerful and practical vision for biblically-based pacifism. The first section of the book collects articles on various topics related to Christian peace convictions published in church periodicals. The second section contains short meditations on a variety of biblical texts originally published in Mennonite Weekly Review. These meditations present the Bible as a book of peace. The third and final section contains devotional articles written for Purpose magazine that reflect on how peace concerns are relevant for various aspects of the Christian life. Though prepared for various settings over three decades, when collected together and read as a whole, the articles in Writing Piece present a coherent message about the viability of Christian pacifism.

A Mennonite preacher and blogger gathers fifty short writings that present a powerful message of world transformation and healing inspired by Jesus' way of shalom.

Description: Do atonement theologies that focus on Jesus' death underwrite human violence? If so, we do well to rethink beliefs that this death is necessary to bring salvation. Focusing on the Bible's salvation story, Instead of Atonement argues for a logic of mercy to replace Christianity's traditional logic of retribution. The book traces the Bible's main salvation story through God's liberating acts, the testimony of the prophets, and Jesus's life and teaching. It then takes a closer look at Jesus's death and argues that his death gains its meaning when it exposes violence in the cultural, religious, and political Powers. God's raising of Jesus completes the story and vindicates Jesus's life and teaching. The book also examines the understandings of salvation in Romans and Revelation that reinforce the message that salvation is a gift of God and that Jesus's "work" has to do with his faithful life, his resistance to the Powers, and God's vindication of him through resurrection. The book concludes that the "Bible's salvation story" provides a different way, instead of atonement, to understand salvation. In turn, this biblical understanding gives us today theological resources for a mercy-oriented approach to responding to wrongdoing, one that follows God's own model. Endorsements: "Against the assumption that Torah and the Prophets display a God of retribution, Grimsrud shows both picture God as merciful. Rather than dying because God demanded retribution for sin, Jesus died because the powers that opposed him--law, temple, empire--demanded retribution for breaking their rules. Many such challenges to the presumed biblical view of retribution make Instead of Atonement a welcome addition to recent arguments rejecting the prevailing acceptance of divine violence." --J. Denny Weaver, author of The Nonviolent Atonement "In the last quarter century, the theology and ethics of retributive justice have come under long-overdue critical scrutiny. Practical experiments in peacemaking and restorative justice are challenging conventional wisdom, animating social imagination, and inspiring radical revisions of traditional atonement soteriology. Ted Grimsrud--one of our most reliable first-world theologians--provides the most concise, readable, and compelling summary to date of the biblical case for the 'turn to restorative justice.' This book will help empower a revolutionary reclamation of a healing Christian faith for our violent times." --Ched Myers, author of Binding the Strong Man About the Contributor(s): Ted Grimsrud is Professor of Theology and Peace Studies at Eastern Mennonite University in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Among his books are Compassionate Eschatology: The Future as Friend (2011), God's Healing Strategy: An Introduction to the Main Themes of the Bible (2011), Theology as if Jesus Matters (2009), and Embodying the Way of Jesus: Anabaptist Convictions for the Twenty-First Century (2007).

Description: Do ""eschatology"" and ""peace"" go together? Is eschatology mostly about retribution and fear--or compassion and hope? Compassionate Eschatology brings together a group of international scholars representing a wide range of Christian traditions to address these questions. Together they make the case that Christianity's teaching about the ""end times"" should and can center on Jesus's message of peace and reconciliation. Offering a peace-oriented reading of the Book of Revelation and other biblical materials relevant to Christian eschatology, this book breaks new ground in its consistent message that compassion not retribution stands at the heart of the doctrine of the last things. Besides its creative treatment of biblical materials, Compassionate Eschatology also makes a distinctive contribution in how several essays engage the thought of Rene Girard and his mimetic theory. Girard's project is shown to reinforce the biblical message of eschatological peace. Endorsements: Compassionate Eschatology is an extraordinary book that reveals the biblical teaching of the non-violent, peace-filled, non-judgmental, and ecological end of the world. Influenced by the thought of Rene Girard, the authors chorus: in the midst of the dragon and beasts, the lamb of God will prevail over their vicious power of exploitation, disruption, vengeance, violence, and destruction with the incesstant love of God. This eschatology does not deny all human efforts in history, but fulfills them with God's grace and compassion. Reading this book uplifts me to face today's challenges with tomorrow's strength. This hope-filled book is a must read for all pastors and lay people. -Andrew Sung Park Professor of Theology and Ethics United Theological Seminary, Dayton OH ""A fascinating, stimulating collection from a diverse group of scholars, filled with exciting insights. Compassionate Eschatology interweaves close readings of the Bible-with Revelation as its central text-theology and current events to shed light on the 'times of the end.' The authors reveal, each from their own angle of vision, how God's ultimate purpose is not destructive vengeance, but the healing into harmony of all creation."" -Wes Howard-Brook author of ""Come Out, My People "" God's Call Out of Empire in the Bible and Beyond About the Contributor(s): Ted Grimsrud is Professor of Theology and Peace Studies at Eastern Mennonite University, Harrisonburg, Virginia. His most recent books include A Pacifist Way of Knowing (co-editor, 2010), Theology as If Jesus Matters (2009), and Embodying the Way of Jesus (2007). Michael Hardin is Executive Director of Preaching Peace, Lancaster, Pennsylvania. He is author of The Jesus Driven Life (2010), and co-editor of Peace Be With You (2010) and Stricken by God? (2007).

Grimsrud asks what Christian theology would be like if it consistently took Jesus' central command to love God and neighbor as the most important consideration. This is why Brenda Martin Hurst, Pastor, Fraser Mennonite Church, says that "Grimsrud's entire theology hinges on these love commands on which Jesus said all the law and the prophets hang." Keith Graber Miller, Goshen College, comments that "Nearly 40 years later, we have another theological extension of John Howard Yoder's Politics of Jesus--an expansive, accessible, provocative, practical, and practice-able theology rooted in the life and teachings of Jesus." Christian Early, Eastern Mennonite University, observes that "Grimsrud recaptures a vision for theology that begins and ends with Jesus, and in so doing manages to call back the discipline from its metaphysical holiday to its home in the life of the messianic community." David Neville, School of Theology, Charles Sturt University, Australia, sees Grimsrud as returning "again and again to Jesus' command to love both God and neighbor as the tuning fork for setting theological convictions in their proper key."

Walter Wink's widely acclaimed trilogy from Fortress Press - "Naming the Powers" 0-8006-1786-X (1984), "Unmasking the Powers" 0-8006-1902-1 (1993), and "Engaging the Powers" 0-8006-2646-X (1992) - has sold over 80,000 copies. The Powers are good; the Powers are fallen; the Powers must be redeemed, says Wink; and the illustrious theologians and ethicists in this volume apply this suggestive analysis to economics, politics and government, war and peace, personal ethics and ecological and social justice. The contributors include: Ray Gingerich, Eastern Mennonite University; Ted Grimsrud, Eastern Mennonite University; Nancey Murphy, Fuller Theological Seminary; Daniel Liechty, Illinois State University; Walter Wink, Auburn Theological Seminary; Willard M. Swartley, Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary; and, Glen Stassen, Fuller Theological Seminary.