Hell's Abyss, Heaven's Grace: War and Christian Spirituality

“War, before it is ever manifested in physical, observable violence, and peace, before it is ever felt as harmony or seen in acts of kindness, are the inner realities of the human heart and mind. They are states of consciousness, conditions of the soul. . . . War is ‘hell's abyss,' and peace is ‘heaven's grace.' Moment by moment we choose which we will live into; indeed, which we will become.”―from the IntroductionIn a stirring call to nonviolent resistance, Episcopal priest Larry Hart confronts the compromises Christians around the world have made with their nations' uses of violence. Comparing Just War theory with the United States' national history of war and exploitation, Hart voices the need for personal and social transformation to live in keeping with the Gospel. At the center of his argument, Hart lifts up the images of Christian leaders around the world who have chosen nonviolence to resist oppression, showing the real historical possibilities for peace when we bear truth, courage, and faith as our only weapons.