Lent Book Club 2023: The Things that Make for Peace

This event is one of a series of five Lent book club sessions 2023 being offered by the Centre for the Study of Bible and Violence this year, taking place on Zoom. NOTE: This session is on a Tuesday.

What is the connection between violence and eschatology in key literary and historical sources from Second Temple Judaism? With Jesse Nickel

The book

The Things that Make for Peace

This study offers fresh insight into the place of (non)violence within Jesus’ ministry, by examining it in the context of the eschatologically-motivated revolutionary violence of Second Temple Judaism. The book first explores the connection between violence and eschatology in key literary and historical sources from Second Temple Judaism. The heart of the study then focuses on demonstrating the thematic centrality of Jesus’ opposition to such “eschatological violence” within the Synoptic presentations of his ministry, arguing that a proper understanding of eschatology and violence together enables appreciation of the full significance of Jesus’ consistent disassociation of revolutionary violence from his words and deeds. The book thus articulates an understanding of Jesus’ nonviolence that is firmly rooted in the historical context of Second Temple Judaism, presenting a challenge to the “seditious Jesus hypothesis”-the claim that the historical Jesus was sympathetic to revolutionary ideals. Jesus’ rejection of violence ought to be understood as an integral component of his eschatological vision, embodying and enacting his understanding of (i) how God’s kingdom would come, and (ii) what would identify those who belonged to it.

The Author

Jesse Nickel is a tutor at Columbia Bible School. After working as a youth pastor for several years, Jesse completed his masters degree at Regent College and doctorate in New Testament Studies at the University of St Andrews. He is passionate about continuing to get to know Jesus more deeply with both his mind and heart, and teaching others about the already/not-yet, shalom-centred kingdom of God. Jesse is husband to Liana, dad to Annelise and James, and a long-suffering fan of the Vancouver Canucks.

The Respondent

Carolyn Whitnall completed a ‘Bible and Violence’ track MA with Bristol Baptist College in 2022 and began her PhD in January 2023, under the supervision of Helen Paynter. Her research explores the interpretation and use of scripture in the neo-charismatic evangelical movement sometimes called the New Apostolic Reformation.

Fee information

There is a suggested donation of £3 to the CSBV by choosing a ‘donation’ ticket on Eventbrite. If you’d like to give a different amount, please visit our Donate page. We appreciate all donations received to continue the work of the Centre.