Fight Church Trailer

Urban Peacemaking Conference in Chicago

The theme of the 2011 Congress on Urban Ministry, hosted by SCUPE, is Peacemaking in a Culture of Violence. SCUPE is the Seminary Consortium of Urban Pastoral Education and this Tanks to Tractors blogger is very encouraged to see that they are taking the epidemic of violence in America's cities seriously.
In light of the fact that we have seen very little engagement with the issue of violence at our seminary, I am particularly pleased to see Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary among the member seminaries of SCUPE tackling this year's subject.

Martin Luther King Day 2011 Quotes

"In the terrible midnight of war men have knocked on the door of the church to ask for the bread of peace, but the church has often disappointed them. What more pathetically reveals the irrelevancy of the church in present-day world affairs than its witness regarding war? In a world gone mad with arms buildups, chauvinistic passions, and imperialistic explorations, the church has either endorsed these activities or remained appallingly silent. During the last two world wars, national churches even functioned as the ready lackeys of the state, sprinkling holy water upon the battleships and joining the mighty armies in singing, "Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition." A weary world, pleading desperately for peace, has often found the church morally sanctioning war." - The Strength to Love (1963)

"Violence brings only temporary victories; violence, by creating many more social problems than it solves, never bring permanent peace. … A voice, echoing through the corridors of time, says to every intemperate Peter, "Put up thy sword." History is cluttered with the wreckage of nations that failed to follow Christ's command" - The Strength to Love (1963)

"During recent months I have come to see more and more the need for the method of nonviolence in international relations. …more and more I have come to the conclusion that the potential destructiveness of modern weapons of war totally rules out the possibility of war ever serving again as a negative good. If we assume that mankind has a right to survive then we must find an alternative to war and destruction. …The choice today is no longer between violence and nonviolence. It is either nonviolence or nonexistence. …I am convinced that the church cannot remain silent while mankind faces the threat of being plunged into the abyss of nuclear annihilation. If the church is true to its mission it must call for an end to the arms race." - Pilgrimage to Nonviolence (1960)

- Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

The Crucifixion of the Warrior God

Pastor, theologian, and prolific author Greg Boyd recently presented an outline of his upcoming book which attempts to make sense of Old Testament violence from a christological perspective. In this video, pastor Boyd shares the principles that guide the book and which, taken together, offer a coherent understanding of Scripture's word on war and violence. I encourage you to check out the video as well as the book due to come out soon.

The book was originally going to be called Jesus vs. Jehovah, but may now be titled The Crucifixion of the Warrior God.

"The American Patriot's Bible" is a Hot, Steaming, Pile of Blasphemous, Idolatrous Feces

I am ashamed to report that the American evangelical church has fallen to a new and horrific low by producing what can only be described as the most blasphemous, idolatrous publication I could imagine.

Thomas Nelson publishing has released a "study" Bible that interweaves stories from American wars about American soldiers, quotes from American politicians and generals, and editorials about American history into the TEXT OF THE BIBLE!!!

Replacing the nonviolent Kingdom ethic of Jesus is the nationalistic, violent ethic of just about any nation in world history.

Greg Boyd has been blogging a small sampling of the many, many notes he has compiled from his review. You can read them here, here, and here.