“Fleischer makes a compelling case: Nonviolent peacemaking is the indisputable way of Jesus. The core of the gospel. The very heart of God. Jesus the Pacifist dispels any doubt about these truths.” – Donald B. Kraybill, author of The Upside-Down Kingdom
"Fleischer deftly exposes the most common prooftexts against pacifism—from Jesus’s temple tantrum and centurion endorsement to his blood-saturated victory in Revelation—as flatly contradicting a contextual reading of each passage. Anyone with a strong commitment to Scripture and sincere reservations about Jesus’s own commitment to nonviolence should read this book before coming to conclusions." – John C. Nugent, Professor of Bible and Theology, author of Endangered Gospel and The Politics of Yahweh, and co-host of the After Class Podcast
“Walter Wink once said that non-violence is at ‘the essence of the gospel,’ such that Jesus followers ‘should not be called pacifists, but simply Christians.’ Matthew Curtis Fleischer knows this, and herein he systematically, cogently, and pointedly makes just such a case. It is a welcome and well-researched volume, and I hope many people grapple with, argue about, and are convinced by Fleischer's contentions.” – Lee C. Camp, author of Scandalous Witness: A Little Political Manifesto for Christians and host of Tokens Show (TokensShow.com)
“Whether or not Jesus taught nonviolence is a matter of life or death. When the Church fails to take the peace teaching of Jesus seriously, it easily becomes a dark parody of itself, and our witness for the kingdom is weakened. Thank you Matthew Curtis Fleischer for clearing away the excuses and confusion that surround this important and urgent conversation.” – Bruxy Cavey, Teaching Pastor at The Meeting House, and author of The End of Religion and (re)union: the Good News of Jesus for Sinners, Saints, and Seekers
“Fleischer offers a highly readable argument for why Jesus taught nonviolence. Along the way, he addresses New Testament texts that might suggest otherwise, including the bloody texts of Revelation. This accessible explanation of Jesus’s nonviolent love is just what we need to discern what it means to follow Jesus!” – Thomas Jay Oord, author of The Uncontrolling Love of God and God Can't: How to Believe in God and Love After Tragedy, Abuse, and Other Evils
“With commendable dialectical skill and a sensitivity to the nuances (and authority) of Scripture, Fleischer makes perhaps the most compelling case possible for taking the words of Jesus on this matter literally.” – Gerard Casey, Professor Emeritus, University College Dublin
“I seriously cannot recommend this book enough. Even if you actually hate the idea of ‘pacifism’ and whatever that might mean to you, I implore you to be open to the possibility and just read the book. It might not convince you, but without a doubt I KNOW it will challenge you.” - J. Courter
“From someone who has read A LOT on the topic, I still found this book quite helpful…. I highly recommend this book.” - BJRSCJ
“Fleischer does a great job exploring pacifism and non-violence that is rooted in the person, work, ministry, and mission of Jesus. One of the best things about this book is his engagement with texts that have been used as proofs against the non-violence of Jesus…. Get a copy of this book no matter where you stand on nonviolence. You will be glad that you did and you will be challenged in whatever position you hold.” - Ryan Braught
“Fleischer's second work is powerful, prophetic and passionately written.” - Jeffrey E. Kaetzel
“Fleischer systematically goes through the New Testament, making a well argued case for Christian nonviolence (or anti-violence, as he puts it). He looks at both the obvious passages that support pacifism (e.g., ‘love your enemies’, etc.) and those texts that seem to undermine his position (such as Jesus's use of a whip, asking the disciples to acquire swords, violent imagery in Revelation, etc.). His exegesis of the various biblical texts is logical, easy to follow and persuadable. The book is concise yet chocked-full of insights.” - Jason P.
