An alternative way of being human
ABOUT THE NETWORK
The Nonviolent Gospel Network brings together people who believe that in Jesus we see both the true character of God and the true vocation of humanity.
We are convinced that the way of Jesus is more than something to admire. It is something to be lived. Forgiveness, peacemaking, nonviolence and love of enemy are not peripheral to the gospel, but at its very heart.
Whether you're just beginning to explore these ideas or have been walking this path for years, you'll find a welcoming community seeking to be formed together into the way of Jesus.
Why this network exists
Many of us come from different churches, movements and Christian traditions, but I suspect we all share a common experience. Although the teachings of Jesus are deeply respected, they can easily become an ideal we admire rather than the organising vision of Christian life.
The Sermon on the Mount has inspired generations of Christians. Yet communities where forgiveness, enemy-love, peacemaking and nonviolence genuinely shape both how we understand God and how we follow Jesus remain surprisingly rare.
The Nonviolent Gospel Network exists because we are convinced that this way of Jesus needs to be recovered for a faithful witness to the gospel. Not simply as something we believe, but as a way of life we inhabit together, making the gospel visible in the world.
Recovering the way of Jesus
Sadly, we live in a time when it is possible to be deeply formed by Christianity without being deeply formed by Jesus. The church has often become better at defending the gospel than embodying it, teaching people to be Christians without necessarily teaching them to live as Jesus lived: without violence, without enemies and without retaliation. A life shaped by forgiveness, peacemaking and nonviolence.
Yet this way of life is neither modern nor a fringe interpretation of Christianity. In the first three centuries, the Sermon on the Mount was among the most quoted teachings of Jesus, while in the second century, love of enemies stood at the heart of Christian identity. It was Christianity at its best.
The nonviolent gospel is not an abstract theology; it is a way of life, a new way of being human in a fractured world.
Transformation of our desires
It’s our conviction that the gospel is not simply about changing what we believe, or even how we behave. It is about the transformation of our desires.
Because our desires are shaped by the world around us, they can so easily become caught up in rivalry, resentment, blame and the impulse to retaliate. Following Jesus means learning to recognise these patterns and allowing our desires to be reshaped, so that we increasingly love what he loves and desire what he desires.
At the heart of this is the conviction that Jesus reveals the true character of the Father as nonviolent, non-rivalrous, self-giving love. His commitment to peacemaking, enemy-love and the refusal of violence are not exceptions to God’s character, but its clearest revelation. Nowhere is this seen more fully than at the cross, where Jesus meets violence and hostility not with retaliation, but with mercy and forgiveness.
We have not arrived there ourselves. We are simply seeking to be formed into this way of Jesus together.
A posture of humility and listening
Being formed by the way of Jesus also shapes how we see and respond to the wounds, injustices and divisions around us. His justice is restorative, rooted in truth-telling and seeking healing, reconciliation and renewal.
We seek to listen to those whose lives have been shaped by violence, exclusion and suffering, making space for their voices, wisdom and experience. We listen with humility, recognising that we have as much to learn as we have to offer.
Our community
Following Jesus was never meant to be a solitary journey.
At the heart of the Network are our online gatherings, where we reflect on Scripture, pray, ask honest questions and encourage one another in the ordinary realities of everyday life.
There is no expectation to have everything figured out. We are all learning together, trusting that the Holy Spirit continues to transform us into people who increasingly love what Jesus loves.
