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Radical Reformation History  /  Lecture 1: Introduction to Anabaptist History  /  Discussion Questions
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Question 5
Dean read a just war defense from “the head of the chaplain corps” and concluded the arguments were “weak,” essentially “the end justifies the means,” and that they “negate the plain words of Christ.” What do you think is at stake theologically when Christians feel forced to choose between Jesus’ plain teaching and what seems politically/practically necessary?
Another way to ask: When Christians choose between Jesus’ clear teaching and what seems politically or practically necessary (like just war), what important Christian beliefs are at risk? Why is that choice such a big deal?

Direct Answer Dean suggests what’s at stake is whether Jesus’ authority is real in everyday decisions, or whether “theologians” can override Christ’s plain words with pragmatic reasoning. The deeper issue is whether Christianity is a lived obedience empowered by the Spirit or merely a system that justifies what “works.”

Support from Transcript:

  • Dean says the chaplain gave him a book explaining “how you can have a just war theory.”
  • After reading, he was “a bit scared” because the reasoning seemed to him “terrible… weak reasons.”
  • He asks, “How can you just negate the plain words of Christ with, ‘Well, the end justify the means’?”
  • He connects this whole struggle to realizing his world was “contrary to the teachings of Jesus Christ.”
  • He later frames the core issue as a paradigm where Christianity becomes “in your head… doctrines that you say yes to,” which “is going to kill us… get us away from Jesus.”
  • His “motto” and repeated question—“What if Jesus really meant every word he said?”—implies Jesus’ teaching must rule over practical pressure.
Discussion Follow-ups When practical necessity feels urgent, what tends to win in your mind: Jesus’ words or “what must be done”? What would it look like for churches to train people to trust Christ’s commands even when they seem costly or unrealistic?

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