Violence and Christianity

Christians have held diverse views towards violence and non-violence through time. Currently and historically there have been four views and practices within Christianity toward violence and war: non-resistance, Christian pacifism, Just war theory, and the Crusade (Holy or preventive war). Concepts such as "Holy war", whereby fighting itself might be considered a penitential and spiritually meritorious act, did not emerge before the 11th century. The concept of "Just war", whereby limited uses of war would be considered acceptable originated by non-Christian Roman and Greek thinkers such Cicero and Plato. Though this theory was adapted later by Christian thinkers such as St Augustine, the perspective was not based on the New Testament. The "Just War" concept was widely accepted early on, however, warfare was not regarded as a virtuous activity and expression for concern for the salvation of those who killed enemies in battle, regardless of the cause for which they fought, was common.

The Bible includes several texts regarding and describing violence.

Leigh Gibson and Shelly Matthews, associate professor of Religion at Furman University, write that some scholars, such as René Girard, "lift up the New Testament as somehow containing the antidote for Old Testament violence". According to John Gager, such an analysis risks advocating the views of the heresiarch Marcion of Sinope (c. 85-160), who made a distinction between the God of the Old Testament responsible for violence and the God of mercy found in the New Testament.

Mahatma Gandhi embraced the concept of nonviolence which he had found in the New Testament, particularly the Sermon on the Mount, which he then utilized in his strategy for social and political struggles.

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