There are so many problems in the world. I mean, from Brexit to Trump to Clinton to the economy. There’s a lot of personal and social anxiety. I don’t know about you, but my natural inclination is to find someone else to blame. Of course, I don’t think of it as blame, per se. It’s more like, “Who’s responsible?!” Which is simply my favorite veiled attempt to find someone to blame. So, in the midst of personal and worldwide anxiety,... Read more
Trigger Warning: This article discusses nonviolent responses to situations that might create an emotional reaction in readers. My hope is to provide an example of a nonviolent response in an extreme situation. This, I realize, may trigger a reaction within you, so I wanted to provide a warning before you read further. When I talk about nonviolence, someone will inevitably say, “That’s great, but what would you do if someone had a gun to your wife’s head?” Responses to nonviolence... Read more
After Moses came down from Mt. Sinai, he saw the Israelites worshiping a golden calf. Next came one of the most horrific events in the Bible. Moses exclaimed, Who’s on the Lord’s side? Come to me … Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, “Put your sword on your side, each of you! Go back and forth from gate to gate throughout the camp, and each of you kill your brother, your friend, and your neighbor.” Exodus 32 states... Read more
Pastors have a frequent question when they begin to discover mimetic theory. “That’s great. But how does it preach?” Reverends Laura and Tom Truby show that mimetic theory is a powerful tool that enables pastors to preach the Gospel in a way that is meaningful and refreshing to the modern world. Each Wednesday, Teaching Nonviolent Atonement will highlight their sermons as an example of preaching the Gospel through mimetic theory. In this sermon, Laura and Tom discuss the story of the... Read more
Major Neill Franklin of the Baltimore police was on the front line in the war on drugs for thirty-four years. He put hundreds of users and dealers behind bars. But he came to see that the war on drugs was a failed policy and he is now devoted to ending drug prohibition. What changed his mind? How did he find the courage to admit he had been wrong for so long? Listen in as Neill talks about his change of... Read more
Love must transform our fears, turn our arms of war into arms of embrace, strip us down to our human core. Love must make us one. On Tuesday night, in the raw heartache following the Pulse Nightclub massacre, I saw this love — born from shared grief, vulnerability, and longing for peace — in embraces that collapsed boundaries of religion and sexual orientation. I was at the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community Center in Glen Ellyn, IL, for a prayer vigil and... Read more
Let me introduce you to “Radical Islam.” Abdul Ghaffar Khan lived in India under the British Empire. He stood up for independence by creating a 100,000 person nonviolent army. They resisted occupation with nonviolent methods. Why? Because Abdul Ghaffar Khan knew deep down in his Muslim bones that his enemies deserved to be loved, not killed. That’s Radical. That’s Islam. Malala Yousafzai. Good lord, people. She is radical Islam. She was shot in the face and how did she respond?... Read more
Pastors have a frequent question when they begin to discover mimetic theory. “That’s great. But how does it preach?” Reverend Tom Truby shows that mimetic theory is a powerful tool that enables pastors to preach the Gospel in a way that is meaningful and refreshing to the modern world. Each Wednesday, Teaching Nonviolent Atonement will highlight his sermons as an example of preaching the Gospel through mimetic theory. In this sermon, Tom discusses Paul’s conversion from a religion of law that... Read more
I went to church on Sunday, hoping to be consoled after the deadliest mass shooting in American history. But church did not console me. It challenged me. She was a first time visitor to our church and she wore a rainbow tie – which isn’t entirely unusual for a member of the United Church of Christ. Our denomination took a stand long ago that we would be open and affirming – standing in solidarity with our LGBTQIA sisters and brothers.... Read more
Preston Shipp is a former prosecutor who is now a criminal justice reform advocate. He has been featured on the Huffington Post and you can watch a documentary about his life on YouTube called “Redemption of the Prosecutor.” I first met Preston at the recent Theology and Peace Conference, where he spoke about his experience of “waking up” to the injustice of the American justice system. His speech was challenging and inspiring. I knew I wanted to talk more with... Read more
Teaching Nonviolent Atonement
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