Synopsis: The ambitious and accessible essays collected in this volume were presented by John Howard Yoder during an extensive visit to South America in 1966. Reflecting and also subverting the acknowledged "faddish" attempt to address the revolutionary nature of Christianity, these lectures provide an illuminating snapshot of Yoder's vibrant initial encounter with Latin American Christianity. In these lectures, he thematically addresses the shape of the free church, the Christian practice of peace, and the place of the church in the midst of revolution. In a manner that betrays his confidence in the eventual triumph of faithfulness, Yoder concludes that the peace-witnessing free church is, by definition, always the community that is the soul and conscience of our revolutionary age. Endorsements: "Revolutionary Christianity will be a welcome addition to the Yoder corpus for those familiar with his work as well as those who will read him for the first time. For the latter, Revolutionary Christianity is a wonderful introduction to the major themes in his work. For the former, this book is a very helpful reminder of the interconnectedness of Yoder's thought.
We are fortunate, therefore, to have yet another book by Yoder." -Stanley Hauerwas, Gilbert T. Rowe Professor of Theological Ethics at Duke Divinity School "Revolutionary Christianity is vintage Yoder! These lectures from 1966 have aged well. New readers will discover accessible wisdom from the same vineyard that produced The Politics of Jesus. Those who have enjoyed later harvests of the fruit of this vine known for its robust character will enjoy the subtle differences of this particular vintage. All readers should marvel at John Howard Yoder's capacity to speak a fresh word then and now" -Michael G. Cartwright Dean of Ecumenical and Interfaith Programs at the University of Indianapolis "This volume makes a significant contribution to the important task of bringing into print all the treasures in Yoder's unpublished materials. John Howard Yoder is the greatest Mennonite theologian/ethicist in our history. Revolutionary Christianity provides further insight into his fertile, creative mind." -Ronald J.
Sider Professor of Theology, Holistic Ministry & Public Policy Palmer Seminary at Eastern University "For those of us that heard some of these lectures in the atmosphere of social turmoil of Latin America in the 1960's and 1970's, it is a joy to see them gathered and published in book form. Yoder's fresh and creative way of reading both Scripture and the Anabaptist tradition is still surprising and challenging. I am amazed by the continued relevance of his theological reflection and thankful for it." -Samuel Escobar Professor Emeritus Palmer Theological Seminary and Theological Seminary of the Spanish Baptist Union, Madrid Author Biography: John Howard Yoder taught at Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary and later became a professor of theology and ethics at the University of Notre Dame and a fellow of the Joan B. Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies. He is the author of The Politics of Jesus (1972), The Priestly Kingdom (1984), For the Nations (1997), and several other books.