Shalom

by Perry B. Yoder

The biblical challenge of shalom is one which ought to draw all Christians together in a common struggle so that God's will might be done and God's kingdom might come on earth as it is in heaven. People, as well as structures, need to be transformed. People who are caught in oppressive structures need to be liberated from the values and perspectives inculcated by these structures. The shalom maker, as a result, is involved in a mission of conversion--converting people to a new understanding and way of life. This conversion, based on God's love for them in Jesus, frees them from old patterns of thought. If we struggle for shalom, we shall suffer because we are actively confronting and resisting the structures of oppression and working for the liberation of powerless and oppressed people. Shalom love is not love at a distance, not love in the abstract, not love in the rocking chair--it is the love of confrontation, of strike, of protest, and of disobedience to the structures of violence. Shalom love is suffering love because it is militant love struggling for human liberation, justice, and shalom, which is God's will for our world.

Genres: Theology, Biblical Studies

160 pages, Hardcover

First published February 28, 1987

Reviews

[Adam Ross · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perry Yoder is an inspiring theologian who has a firm grasp on the big view of Scripture and what it means to say that "God is love." In this all-too-brief book which took me much longer to finish than it ought to have, he examines that story by approaching the theme of shalom as the core and message of the Bible, and shows how all of our concepts and terms fit into this story - the story of shalom lost and shalom regained, the long, inexorable, painful, agonizing journey back toward shalom. Shalom is comprehensive, cosmic peace, where there is no enmity, no violence, no hatred, no warfare or oppression, and all the relationships in the cosmos, social, political, personal, are properly ordered - as Yoder shows in his first chapter. From there he goes on to explore other words like justice, righteousness, peace, salvation, atonement, and shows how all of those terms are simply referring to shalom themselves. It is really a remarkable book, and challenging to many of our assumptions about Scripture and the terms we think we understand because they are familiar to us. In a way the book takes us back afresh to see the familiar in new, often revolutionary ways.

[Darcy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Penned in the mid-80s, Yoder’s work is a Biblical, theological and practical engagement on the issues related to peacemaking and how this should shape the believer. I recently preached a four-part series on Shalom and this work was a key contributor to the construction of these presentations. Though the examples are dated, the relevance remains current and the issues salient. I found the work to be a provocative invitation to dig into the Scriptures and my assumptions about being a peacemaker. Yoder’s analysis of the text is broad and, though the work is short, insightful. I particularly found his analysis of the connection between shalom and justice, and through this, shalom and Biblical law, to be important to my own growing understanding of these topics. I also appreciated his analysis of the evolution of societal structures in ancient Israel and how they impacted the growth or demise of shalom. His observations and summary charts on the economics of shalom merit thoughtful engagement.

[Cralls · Rating 5 out of 5]

An inspiring and fiery book, this is a definite read for anyone interested in the biblical notion of peace. It’s short with fewer than 150 pages which is somewhat disappointing but also makes for a great, quick read.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sunday school discussions on justice and shalom have been lively with this scholarly book