3 minute readThe process of discipleship is supposed to be about being remade in the likeness of our rabbi, but that’s a tall order. Instead Christians tend to recast Jesus in their own image and declare Him good. That’s exactly what happened with the Christianization of the Roman Empire in the 4th century, and even more so as the empire’s western half disintegrated in Augustine‘s lifetime. Long story short, that’s how Christianity wound up with his ethical system of Just War Theory. Leave it to St. Augustine to somehow transform our pacifist Lord into a warrior God.1
Like a lawyer, Christian culture likes to start the discussion by carving out all sorts of caveats and exemptions to create acceptable forms of violence. Holy Pharisaicalism, Batman! If we’re going to profess to follow Jesus, then let’s start, finish, and focus on Jesus’ life. It’s indisputable that in the New Testament gospels Jesus gives his followers a clarion call of radical love, grace, and non-violence. The Kingdom ethics proclaimed by our King radically subvert the expectations and values of this world, and that’s precisely the point! His Kingdom is not of this world.
According to 1 John 4:8, God is love. That’s why Jesus boldly taught us to love our neighbors, but Christian culture–with its tribalistic identity grounded in an “us” (in-group) vs. “them” (out-group)–would have you believe it’s contingent on how they treat you back. Our Lord instructed us to love our enemies, but Christian culture demurs that moral clarity to say it largely depends upon the situation. Jesus called us to turn the other cheek, but Christian culture says that’s a nice lofty ideal and all, but in the real world we need to stand our ground and defend ourselves.
Good Christian theology has always affirmed that all people are beloved children of God. Each of us are made in God’s image, which instills a profound sense of human dignity and worth. On this point, the countercultural Anabapists have largely gotten it right. While Augustinian fanboy John Calvin was lovingly drowning them in rivers for being heretics (i.e. having a different view on baptism), the Anabaptists were faithfully following Jesus by praying for the Christendom jackasses who persecuted them.2 Bingo. That is the countercultural love of Jesus.
The original beatniks had a somewhat complicated relationship with war. On the one hand, they were initially more influenced by WWII than Vietnam, so their writings contain somber reflections on human brokenness and the lamentable necessity of violence. On the other hand, they had no fondness for war or atomic weapons. What is clear is that the Beats retroactively become associated with the anti-war movement, especially as Allen Ginsberg served as an elder statesman leading the youth transition from the ’50s Beat Generation to the ’60s Hippies.
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He’d already theologically butcher sex, grace, original sin, predestination, and Mariology. Why not give violence a shot?↩
A lot of thoughtful Christians like to present that as an tragic incident in church history, but ultimately it’s framed as being an unfortunate outlier to be lamented yet dismissed. No. Absolutely not! Christian culture ain’t gettin’ off the hook that easily. That’s an intellectually dishonest reply. I won’t stand for it anymore. What I’m saying is this: Reformed Christians drowning their Anabaptist brothers in Christ over difference in theological minutia? It’s not an outlier, but a falls right smack in line with the trend. It’s direct result of the bad, entrenched dogma. It’s another example of Christ-less Christianity. Christ-less theology and Christ-less culture. It’s Christendom, not the Kingdom of God. This is exactly the nature of the abuses that happens when we Christianize the Roman Empire and Romanize the Christian faith.↩
