Christians and Violence

This marks the first English translation of renowned peace theologian Jean Lasserre’s seminal work on non-violence. With introductory remarks from Frédéric Rognon and the author’s daughter, Christiane Lasserre, this book provides English readers a window into a powerful, yet accessible, text on Christian ethics.

In this classic essay, Lasserre turns to the problem of physical violence and murder, tackling it with a focus on morality and scripture. Writing in the aftermath of the Second World War and the Algerian War, Lasserre also deftly examines the ethics of military violence and warfare. The Church told men for years that one could be an honourable Christian and a solider; this book delves into the two opposing realities of this sentiment with a powerful case for pacifism.

Author Biography

Jean Lasserre (1908-1983) was an internationally renowned pastor and peace theologian. He studied at the Protestant Faculty of Theology in Paris before studying at Union Theology Seminary in New York. It is here he met Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who came to share in Lasserre’s ardent pacifist beliefs. They continued to communicate through illegal letters during the Second World War. After the war, Lassere set up his pastoral ministry in working class communities, where the main cause of his life was the fight for peace. His book The War and the Gospel (1953) laid the foundations of a theology of nonviolence.

Steve Hickey is Faculty Chair of Christian Ministries at Alaskan Christian College, USA.