I have faith that in these days of political world crisis the hour has come near when many will turn away from world politics and will seek a better way of justice, national community and peace among men, turning towards that government which knows no other kingdom than the one that is truly of God.
- Eberhard Arnold
Selected Reading
What is Government Good For?
Eberhard Arnold
With political chaos rampant, it seems a good time to reflect on why government exists in the first place. More specifically, what answers do we as Christians have to give in this uncertain moment? In this short take from a 1919 essay, Eberhard Arnold addresses these questions.
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Eberhard Arnold and National Socialism, Part One
Avoiding covert resistance on the one hand and complicity and compromise on the other, Eberhard Arnold guided his community in the face of Nazi threats. They continued to witness to the kingdom of God in Nazi Germany until their expulsion after his death.
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The Courage of Love
Eberhard Arnold
How should the church relate to politics? Eighteen months after Hitler’s rise to power, Arnold spoke about this to members of his community, whose German branch had already been raided twice by Nazi forces. The question was no longer just theory...
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Now Is the Time
Eberhard Arnold
Many of us long for a new society, a new awakening of humankind that serves God’s will and his kingdom. But too often we’re distracted by human solutions. In the current political climate, it’s clear that any hope we put in the government is sorely misplaced. So where then does our hope come from?
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The Early Anabaptists – Part II: Anabaptism in the Reformation
Eberhard Arnold
Persecuted by Catholics and Lutherans alike, these sixteenth-century Christians faced arrest and execution by the thousands for their beliefs. Learn more about the roots of a renewal movement that threatened the power of both church and state.
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What does Jesus tell us? Show your love to those who represent the government. You are not to take revenge but to meet the authorities with love. Then too, pray for the government. (1 Tim. 2:1–2) It is utterly different from the Body of Christ, but it too serves God, though in a completely different sphere. The authorities are necessary; crime could not be kept under any kind of control without them. So you should recognize government authority but not become part of it. You are members of Christ, and Christ specifically rejected becoming a ruler. When they wanted to make Him a king, He escaped. (John 6:15) And when the Tempter came to Him and said, “Here, I will give you all the kingdoms of the world,” He refused. (Matt. 4:8–10) But He treated the authorities with respect.
- Eberhard Arnold, January 1935
Therefore we take no active part in politics or in the use of violence. We make no concessions, we refuse to get involved; but we are not indifferent. Every politician interests us, whoever he may be. And we wish everyone in politics could hear about us and realize that there is a life of justice and peace, where people have joy in one another. We wish that all policy-makers might be guided by these goals and not stray too far from the way of peace and justice.
- Eberhard Arnold, March 1935