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When a Christian has "turned the other cheek" only to be slapped on the other, what options remain? How should Christians respond to violence against them?
These are not questions Sunday Agang takes lightly, for he has lost family and friends to violence in his home country of Nigeria. He understands what it is to be angry and want revenge. In this book he tells of his own journey from an angry young pastor to a peacemaker. The questions Dr Agang asks throughout are intended to help Christians understand the practical implications of a Christ-centred theological response to violence.
List of contents
Acknowledgements
Foreword by Archbishop Kwashi of Jos, Nigeria
Foreword by Dr. Craig Keener, Asbury Seminary
1. Living in Darkness and the Shadow of Death
2. The Sources of Violence in Africa
Our History
Our Stereotypes
Our Stories
Our Politics
Our Resources
Our Ethics
3. Praying the Imprecatory Psalms
4. The Roots of Violence
5. Responses to Violence
6. Oppressed and Oppressors
God Acts When His People Are Oppressed
God Acts When His People Become Oppressors
Judges and Kings
7. Jesus and the Kingdom of God
8. From Hate to Forgiveness
9. Speaking for Truth
10. The Bible and Suffering
11. The Way of Jesus
Example : Turning the Other Cheek
Example : Going the Extra Mile
Example : Giving Your Cloak
Summary
12 So What Do We Teach?
13. So What Do We Do?
14. Does Non-Violence Work?
Mahatma Gandhi
Martin Luther King Jr.
Nelson Mandela
The God of Surprises
15. Living by Kingdom Values
Humility
Repentance
Forgiveness
Reconciliation
Justice
Love
Peace-Making
16. Conclusion
Appendix 1 Christian Response to Violence: An Emerging Theological Paradigm? by Gideon Para-Mallam of IFES
Appendix 2: Religious Trends and Issues in Nigeria
Further Reading
About the author
Sunday Bobai Agang is both a Langham and a ScholarLeaders scholar. He lives and works in Nigeria. Agang is Associate Professor of Christian Ethics, Theology and Public Policy at ECWA Theological Seminary Kagoro (ETSK), Nigeria. He has published several articles on various theological issues. He is author of The Impact of Ethnic, Political, and Religious Violence on Northern Nigeria, and a Theological Reflection on Its Healing (2011).
Summary
How should Christians respond to violence against them? In this practical, Christ-centered book Sunday Agang recounts his own journey from being an angry young pastor eager for revenge to being a peacemaker. He writes about the use and abuse of Scripture in the context of violence and points to Christ as our supreme example. The book also contains many examples of ordinary people working out their theology of peace in practice. Study questions encourage us to reflect on our own experiences of violence and to develop creative strategies for responding to violence without compromising the kingdom values by which we live. The book is intended for pastors and young adults.
