ONLINE FIRST
published on March 20, 2025
Carlos Filice
https://doi.org/10.5840/acorn202531835
Did Jesus Teach Absolute Pacifism?
Against the background of widespread use and justification of violence in Christian history, this paper reviews the text of the Christian Gospels to see if the words or deeds of Jesus or his followers indicate whether Jesus taught absolute pacifism. I argue that while the evidence does not totally refute the claims of the just war tradition, the weight of the evidence corroborates the conclusion that Jesus was indeed a pacifist and that his pacifism is grounded in a particularly demanding ethical vision that has some parallels with that of the philosopher Immanuel Kant but is even more demanding. I also note that Gandhi incorporated Gospel teachings into his definitions of ahimsa and satyagraha; and that pacifist Christian groups such as Cathars, Anabaptists, and Quakers deserve credit for holding views closer to Jesus¡¯ teachings than those of even the most well-intentioned mainstream Christian churches.