How Christians Made Peace with War: Early Christian Understandings of War

How should Christians regard the use of military force? Should they become involved in fighting for their country? Can they not find a better way to settle differences? The author, a biblical scholar, writer, and missionary in Uruguay and Spain, turns to the history of the early church for answers. He notes that the early Christians opposed warfare and military service because of the teachings of Jesus. Jesus taught love for enemies and persecutors. This led the early believers to resist the evils and injustices of their time with nonviolent love and forgiveness. The author then shows how Christians eventually became involved in military life. However, ""between [A.D.] 100 and 312 no Christian writers, to our knowledge, approved of Christian participation in warfare. In fact, all those who wrote on the subject disapproved of the practice. You will discover that John Driver writes in clear, concise terms and that he offers food for thought and action. John Driver has served on the Mennonite Board of Missions, with the Mennonite Central Committee (Puerto Rico and Bonita), and as a missionary (Puerto Rico, Uruguay, Spain, and Argentina). While in Uruguay he was Professor of Church History and New Testament at the Seminario Evangelico Menonita de Teologia in Montevideo. He is also the author of a number of books that have appeared in both Spanish and English. Among these are 'Community and Commitment', 'Kingdom Citizens', and 'Becoming God's Community'.