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Radical Reformation History  /  Lecture 5: Erasmus, Luther, and the Radical Reformation  /  Discussion Questions
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Question 9
Dean portrays Erasmus as arguing against war not only from Jesus’ teaching but also from reason and human nature, then connects it to his own military memories (“Kill, kill with cold blue steel,” “Finally a day it’s legal to kill”); how does this section challenge common Christian categories about patriotism, “just war,” and the separation of faith from public life, and what parts of that challenge do you instinctively resist?
Another way to ask: Erasmus argues against war from Jesus’ teaching and from basic human reasoning, and Dean connects it to his own military memories. How does this challenge Christian views on patriotism, “just war,” and keeping faith private, and what parts of the challenge do you resist most?

Direct Answer This section challenges Christians to see war as incompatible with Christ’s way, not merely a political necessity managed by “right attitude.” Dean rejects separating church life from what we chant, celebrate, or justify publicly, and he critiques the respectability that theologians and society give to war.

Support from Transcript:

  • Erasmus argues war for “temporal possessions is both wicked and foolish,” and that “no one, much less a Christian, can maintain one’s dignity while fighting.”
  • Dean explicitly mocks Augustine’s “right disposition” while killing, calling it “ridiculous,” and describes military training chants: “Kill, kill with cold blue steel…Blood makes the grass grow.”
  • He recalls the headline, “Finally a day it’s legal to kill,” showing how culture can glorify killing and call it righteous.
  • Erasmus notes that “princes, lawyers, and theologians support war so much that it has become acceptable and respectable,” and people are “astonished” when someone disapproves.
  • Erasmus refutes just-war appeals to the Old Testament by pointing to Jesus: “Jesus ordered Peter to put up his sword,” and Christ becomes the interpretive center.
Discussion Follow-ups Dean doesn’t explore every counterargument; he presses the moral and discipleship crisis. Where do we feel defensive—national loyalty, fear, family history, or the idea that faith should stay private and not challenge public violence?

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