Islam and the Birth of Christian “Just War”
Initially, the early Christians refused to fight. Over time, they adopted a Just War stance, and in time used this to justify the forcible conversion of conquered peoples. With the Crusades, Just War was expanded to include what was called “Holy War,” and Christendom went to war in the Middle East with the Islamic empires. Stephen Russell outlines these critical pieces of the church’s history and explains how the church modified the Islamic concept of jihad to justify attacking their enemies. Russell shows how this was a seismic shift away from the teachings of the New Testament and what the early church had practiced.
Episode Guest Info
Stephen Russell
Stephen Russell earned a degree in European Studies at George Mason University (1986-1988), and an M.A. in Church History and Theology at Wheaton Graduate School (1989). His voluntary service experiences include two summers in Germany (1978, 1982), Choice Books (1981), and a halfway house for parolees (1980). He taught in Christian schools for five years and worked at Choice Books for seventeen years. During a seven month stay in Israel (2006), he wrote a book on nonresistance, Overcoming Evil God’s Way.
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Reagan Schrock
Reagan is a member of Wellspring Mennonite Church and lives with his wife Patricia in southeast Tennessee. Reagan, along with Jaran, started Anabaptist Perspectives in 2017, and serves in leadership in the organization, in addition to being deeply involved in overseas missions work.
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