Spring 2021 · Vol. 50 No. 1 · pp. 114–116
Book Review
If Jesus is Lord: Loving Our Enemies in an Age of Violence
Ronald J. Sider. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2019. 240 pages.
Ron Sider, eighty-one years old, did not need to write this book. His academic, publishing, and ministry legacy is long and storied. The first edition of his most famous book, Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger, was published almost forty-five years ago, and is one of over thirty books Sider has written, in addition to countless articles. As founder and president of Evangelicals for Social Action, he has a lasting legacy as a leader among evangelical Anabaptist Christians seeking to integrate their faith in informed social involvement. As a Christian pacifist, Sider has articulated a consistent and balanced theological agenda for almost two generations. What more could he say? Actually, surprisingly much.
Sider’s book is a deceptively slim volume, which may suggest a lightweight effort to make yet another case for Christian pacifism. Nonetheless, this book ought not to be dismissed quickly. It does not dive deeply into the details of arguments for Christian pacifism since that is not Sider’s intent. Rather, the book serves as a synopsis of arguments and issues related to Christian consideration of violence and pacifism. Although the treatment of topics in the book is relatively brief, the apparatus and bibliography point to a treasure trove of resources for readers interested in further research. In this, Sider shows his breadth and depth as a mature scholar.
One of the greatest gifts Sider gives to theologians is a nuanced set of definitions surrounding the issues of violence and pacifism. Rather than simply perpetuate hackneyed theological stereotypes, Sider articulates more robust theological concepts that will inform his use of terms throughout the book. His definition of coercion is a particularly helpful corrective to caricatured depictions used both by pacifists and those defending Christian use of violence.
Sider’s work reframes what he sees as the Christian pacifist use of coercion in a way that he understands to be nonviolent and, in doing so, addresses biblical evidence more coherently than Christian pacifists often have in the past. Sider’s treatment of Jesus’s clearing of the temple is noteworthy in relation to this. He also refutes the notion that pacifism must imply passivity in the face of evil. Sider draws a clear line between types of pacifism that are theologically and ethically problematic and those grounded in a properly Christocentric view that addresses, among other things, an orthodox view of human sinfulness.
A common criticism of Christian pacifism is that it is too narrowly focused in terms of biblical texts, theological priorities, and social {115} application. Sider’s approach is to unpack every type of issue and evidence in order to not only anticipate every kind of critique but also demonstrate a full-orbed theology of Christian pacifism for consideration in relation to all forms of violence. His work, though concise, is comprehensive in its scope. Sider surveys biblical evidence from both Old and New Testament texts and reads them integratively to create a coherent theological overview of biblical revelation as a foundation for ethics. He prioritizes the teachings and example of Jesus but also demonstrates that other New Testament authors preach a message consistent with that of Jesus in the Gospels. And he does not stop with biblical evidence. Sider skillfully weaves historical, theological, and sociological arguments together to create a depiction of pacifism that he shows to be theologically and socially responsible, in contrast to popular stereotypes.
Noteworthy is Sider’s willingness to address difficult questions and address issues that he admits he cannot answer adequately. For example, Sider examines several explanations for the vexing issue of divine imperatives toward violence in the Old Testament. After surveying the options, Sider acknowledges that he has no definitive explanation. This honesty is refreshing, as is his admission that pacifist Christian responses to violence, however vigorous, may not prove immediately transformative. He is willing to consign ultimate reckoning in these matters to God’s eschatological judgment.
Implicit in this honesty is a rebuke of Christians whose affinity toward prevailing cultural values inclines them to equate trust in God’s sovereignty with softness toward sin and evil. But the evidence that Sider cites to great effect is that Christian appeals to just war theories to validate the use of violence fall as far afoul of the biblical texts as they insist pacifist treatments do. What is more, Sider gives evidence to suggest that the historical evidence shows violent tactics to be far less effective in creating peace than nonviolent ones.
One fascinating element of Sider’s work is his liberal use of the work of John Howard Yoder. In light of the damning revelations about Yoder’s misconduct, many theologians are fleeing his work—but not Sider. In keeping with the thrust of his book, he is clear-minded and candid in his assessment of both Yoder’s personal conduct and his theological work. With refreshing frankness, Sider acknowledges that Yoder committed despicable acts of sexual violence while championing a theology of nonviolence. The hypocrisy is staggering. But Sider astutely reminds his readers that Yoder is not the only Christian theologian to have committed grave offences, naming Luther, Barth, and Augustine as examples (xiv). He argues convincingly that the evil acts of such individuals do {116} not outweigh the value of their theological work and recommends that people continue to read their writings. For his part, Sider gleans much from Yoder’s theology of nonviolence, despite Yoder’s failure to live up to it. This methodology seems not to hamper Sider’s thesis.
In sum, Ron Sider has produced, in a very accessible form, a book that may constitute his magnum opus on the topic of Christian pacifism. It is impossible to ignore a book so cogently argued, written by an individual who has consistently and with great integrity embodied the theology he espouses. It is a must-read for North Americans who want to take seriously the lordship of Jesus the Christ.
