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Jumpstarter 7 of 10

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Historical Kingdom Christian Movements  /  The Lollards  /  Discussion Questions
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Question 7
Article 10 condemns “manslaughter in war…expressly contrary to the New Testament,” arguing that after the first blow “charity is broken” and the one who dies without charity goes “the straight road to hell”; what do you make of their reasoning—especially linking killing with the loss of charity—and how does it confront modern Christian justifications for war, self?defense, or “necessary violence”?
Another way to ask: The Lollards said killing in war breaks “charity,” and dying without charity leads to hell. What do you think of that link between killing and losing love, and how does it challenge Christian excuses for war, self-defense, or “necessary violence”?

Direct Answer Bercot presents Article 10 as a strikingly New Testament-shaped rejection of war: killing quickly destroys “charity,” and dying without charity is spiritually fatal. It confronts modern justifications by insisting that violence is not just a policy choice but a direct contradiction of the “law of grace” and Jesus’ warnings.

Support from Transcript:

  • Article 10 calls manslaughter in war “expressly contrary to the New Testament…the law of grace and full of mercies.”
  • Their logic is moral/spiritual: “after the first blow, charity is broken, and whoever dies without charity goes the straight road to hell.”
  • They connect war to church corruption: it is “robbery of poor folk” when lords get indulgences for those who “aid their army” for “temporal gain.”
  • They condemn crusading motivations: soldiers slaughter “to get them a name for the slaughter of men.”
  • They appeal to Jesus: “He who smites with the sword shall perish by the sword,” and say “Christ Jesus hates and threatens men who fight and kill.”
Discussion Follow-ups The transcript doesn’t address modern self-defense scenarios directly, but the Lollard framing pushes a hard question: can a Christian kill and still remain in the “charity” Jesus requires of His disciples?

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