When the Church Embraced Nonviolence - Jason Porterfield

The early Church didn’t just believe nonviolence was an occasional good idea—they practiced it, all the time, even when it cost them everything. Jason Porterfield, author and peacemaking advocate, joins host Jake Doberenz on Christianity Without Compromise (formerly Smashing Idols) to discuss how violence is challenged by Christ’s model for peace. Drawing from his book Fight Like Jesus: How Jesus Waged Peace Throughout Holy Week, Jason explains why Jesus’ final week reveals a deliberate strategy of confronting injustice without resorting to violence. Jason also shares how his experience living among the urban poor reshaped his understanding of peacemaking, and how the early Church’s unified rejection of violence confronts today’s nationalism and militarism. Whether you’re skeptical or seeking a more faithful way forward, this episode invites you to rediscover nonviolence at the center of Christian faith.Key Takeaways:Nonviolence was the unanimous position of the early Church for the first 300 years—no exceptions, no justifications.Jesus’ triumphal entry on a donkey was nonviolent street theater, fulfilling Zechariah's prophecy of a humble Messiah and reframing expectations away from armed revolt toward sacrificial peace.Peacemaking starts locally and relationally: joining existing justice efforts in your community, listening to diverse Christian voices, and practicing mutual understanding—even across political or ideological divides.Important Links:www.jasonporterfield.comFight Like Jesus: How Jesus Waged Peace Throughout Holy Week by Jason PorterfieldFire and Faith: The Untold Story of Sebastian Castellio’s Epic Battle with John Calvin by Kristin JackFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/JasonGPorterfieldBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/larrylin.bsky.socialInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/jg_porterfieldJason Porterfield has made his home in places abandoned by society. He was a founding member of the Servants team in Vancouver, started a new team in Indonesia, and directed operations in North America through 2015. Jason holds a master in theology from Fuller Theological Seminary and is the author of Fight Like Jesus, an award-winning book that equips readers with practical peacemaking skills as it examines how Jesus waged peace on each day of Holy Week.Follow this show and Jake Doberenz’s writings at jakedoberenz.substack.com.