Comments on: Why We Need Guy F. Hershberger http://bdhamilton.com/articles/why-we-need-guy-f-hershberger Tue, 06 Jan 2009 03:43:37 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: Brian Hamilton http://bdhamilton.com/articles/why-we-need-guy-f-hershberger#comment-69 Brian Hamilton Tue, 20 Mar 2007 05:40:30 +0000 http://bdhamilton.com/?p=260#comment-69 <p>Where are you seeing this ‘incontrovertible Mennonite deference to traditional ways’ among our generation? I only hear a caricature and dismissal of old Mennonite ‘quietism’ in favor of ‘nonviolent resistance’. As far as I can tell, Walter Wink has completely replaced Guy Hershberger (and Michael Sattler and Menno Simons). </p> <p>Anyway, I’m not (yet) suggesting that nonresistance is right, only worrying that the rejection of the word is part of our current tendency to equate Christian peacemaking and progressivist social justice. “Why We Need Guy F. Hershberger” is not necessarily because he uses the word nonresistance, but because he gives a comprehensive account of the biblical call to peace, locating it scripturally and <em>contrasting</em> it historically and politically. I’m wondering if any other book today lives up to Bender’s characterization of this volume.</p> Where are you seeing this ‘incontrovertible Mennonite deference to traditional ways’ among our generation? I only hear a caricature and dismissal of old Mennonite ‘quietism’ in favor of ‘nonviolent resistance’. As far as I can tell, Walter Wink has completely replaced Guy Hershberger (and Michael Sattler and Menno Simons).

Anyway, I’m not (yet) suggesting that nonresistance is right, only worrying that the rejection of the word is part of our current tendency to equate Christian peacemaking and progressivist social justice. “Why We Need Guy F. Hershberger” is not necessarily because he uses the word nonresistance, but because he gives a comprehensive account of the biblical call to peace, locating it scripturally and contrasting it historically and politically. I’m wondering if any other book today lives up to Bender’s characterization of this volume.

]]> By: Kim http://bdhamilton.com/articles/why-we-need-guy-f-hershberger#comment-68 Kim Mon, 19 Mar 2007 15:02:29 +0000 http://bdhamilton.com/?p=260#comment-68 <p>I haven’t read the book either, but I know for sure that many would question whether passive “nonresistance” is really the Biblical call or whether active “nonviolent resistance” is more true to Biblical themes. Just because ‘quietism’ and ‘nonresistance’ are traditional doesn’t make them the ‘right’ interpretation of scripture. I think it’s hazardous to equate ‘old’ with good and ‘modern’ with bad so easily…</p> <p>For sure a diversity of voices is always better than a single mantra, but I question the seemingly incontrovertible Mennonite deference to traditional ways above new insights.</p> I haven’t read the book either, but I know for sure that many would question whether passive “nonresistance” is really the Biblical call or whether active “nonviolent resistance” is more true to Biblical themes. Just because ‘quietism’ and ‘nonresistance’ are traditional doesn’t make them the ‘right’ interpretation of scripture. I think it’s hazardous to equate ‘old’ with good and ‘modern’ with bad so easily…

For sure a diversity of voices is always better than a single mantra, but I question the seemingly incontrovertible Mennonite deference to traditional ways above new insights.

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