The Kingdom of God Is Within You (Warbler Classics Annotated Edition)

by Leo Tolstoy, Patrick Maxwell (Introduction), Constance Garnett (Translator)

Overview

The Kingdom of God Is Within You, an influential Christian anarchist philosophical work, faced an initial ban in Russia and found publication in Germany in 1894. This culmination of Tolstoy's three decades of contemplation presents a unique societal structure based on a Christian interpretation centered on universal love. Inspired by Luke 17:21, the book explores nonviolent resistance, pivotal for Tolstoyan followers of nonviolence and Christian anarchism. Tolstoy discusses the principle of nonviolent resistance in response to violence, asserting that Jesus Christ's directive to "turn the other cheek" means renouncing all forms of violence, including self-defense and revenge. In his autobiography, The Story of My Experiments with Truth, Mohandas Gandhi expressed how Tolstoy's book deeply impacted him, considering it one of the three most significant modern influences in his life. This Warbler Classics edition includes a new introduction that contextualizes Tolstoy's relentless search for truth and his yearning for a practical understanding of how to live according to the principles set forth in the New Testament.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781962572446
Publisher:	Warbler Classics
Publication date:	02/02/2024
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	251
File size:	3 MB

About the Author

Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910) was a Russian writer and philosopher best known for his monumental novels, including War and Peace and Anna Karenina. Born into an aristocratic family, Tolstoy later embraced a simple life and a spiritual and moral philosophy that influenced his later works. His advocacy for nonviolent resistance and Christian anarchism, as expressed in The Kingdom of God Is Within You, left a lasting impact on social and political thought.
Patrick Maxwell is a writer and journalist, based as a historian at New College, Oxford. He writes regularly for The Big Issue and TheArticle magazine as a literary critic, and as a correspondent on foreign and domestic policy. He is also a conductor and a singer.

Date of Birth:

September 9, 1828

Date of Death:

November 20, 1910

Place of Birth:

Tula Province, Russia

Place of Death:

Astapovo, Russia

Education:

Privately educated by French and German tutors; attended the University of Kazan, 1844-47

Table of Contents

Contents

Tolstoy's Search for Truth in a World of Evil by Patrick Maxwell

Translator's Preface

Preface

Chapter I.The Doctrine of Non-Resistance to Evil by Force Has Been Professed by a Minority of Men from the Very Foundation of Christianity.

Chapter II.Criticism of the Doctrine of Non-Resistance to Evil by Force on the Part of Believers and of Unbelievers.

Chapter III. Christianity Misunderstood by Believers.

Chapter IV. Christianity Misunderstood by Men of Science

Chapter V. Contradiction Between Our Life and Our Christian Conscience.

Chapter VI. Attitude of Men of the Present Day to War.

Chapter VII. Significance of Compulsory Service.

Chapter VIII. Doctrine of Non-Resistance to Evil by Force Must Inevitably Be Accepted by Men of the Present Day.

Chapter IX. The Acceptance of the Christian Conception of Life Will Emancipate Men from the Miseries of Our Pagan Life.

Chapter X. Evil Cannot Be Suppressed by the Physical Force of the Government-the Moral Progress of Humanity Is Brought About Not Only by Individual Recognition of Truth, but also through the Establishment of a Public Opinion.

Chapter XI. The Christian Conception of Life Has Already Arisen in Our Society, and Will Infallibly Put an End to the Present Organization of Our Life Based on Force-When That Will Be.

Chapter XII. Conclusion-Repent Ye, for the Kingdom of Heaven Is at Hand.

Further Reading for The Kingdom of God Is Within You