War Inconsistent with the Religion of Jesus Christ

Christian duty provides the starting point for David Low Dodge’s argument against warfare. He arranges his case around its human costs, its practical failures and its conflict with the teachings of Jesus. The contents trace harm to the poor, animals, family life and public liberty before turning to mercy, forgiveness and love of enemies. An introduction by Edwin D. Mead places Dodge’s pamphlets within the early American peace movement and recounts his life and religious upbringing.

The argument also tests objections to nonresistance. Dodge distinguishes a sudden personal emergency from the deliberate decisions that lead nations into war, and insists that Christian obligations must be settled before weighing possible consequences. He challenges the habit of deploring conflict while celebrating military victories. With a further essay on Christ’s spiritual kingdom, the volume gives readers interested in religious ethics and peace advocacy a sustained example of reasoning from faith to public conduct.