This nicely sums up my personal view – there is a time for resistance and a time for non-resistance:

And he said to them, “When I sent you out with no moneybag or knapsack or sandals, did you lack anything?” They said, “Nothing.” He said to them, “But now let the one who has a moneybag take it, and likewise a knapsack. And let the one who has no sword sell his cloak and buy one. For I tell you that this Scripture must be fulfilled in me ‘And he was numbered with the transgressors.’ For what is written about me has its fulfillment.” And they said, “Look, Lord, here are two swords.” And he said to them, “It is enough.”
Luke 22:35-38 (ESV)

The edition of The Death Of Ivan Ilyich that I read had a great foreward which described a decade-long spiritual crisis that Tolstoy went through, his struggle with the death of several of his children, and how it all factored into that particular book. You can read most of it here on Google Books, but there are pages omitted here and there. This is also a fantastic book that is worth taking just a few hours to read. It vividly brings to life the Parable of the Rich Fool (Luke 12).

This nicely sums up my personal view – there is a time for resistance and a time for non-resistance:

And he said to them, “When I sent you out with no moneybag or knapsack or sandals, did you lack anything?” They said, “Nothing.” He said to them, “But now let the one who has a moneybag take it, and likewise a knapsack. And let the one who has no sword sell his cloak and buy one. For I tell you that this Scripture must be fulfilled in me ‘And he was numbered with the transgressors.’ For what is written about me has its fulfillment.” And they said, “Look, Lord, here are two swords.” And he said to them, “It is enough.”
Luke 22:35-38 (ESV)

The edition of The Death Of Ivan Ilyich that I read had a great foreward which described a decade-long spiritual crisis that Tolstoy went through, his struggle with the death of several of his children, and how it all factored into that particular book. You can read most of it here on Google Books, but there are pages omitted here and there. This is also a fantastic book that is worth taking just a few hours to read. It vividly brings to life the Parable of the Rich Fool (Luke 12).

It will probably take me a while to get though The Kingdom Of God Is Within You, as I have several books on the go, and this book is not light reading. I just finished the second chapter, which attempts to refute the criticisms of non-resistance. It is surprising how strong Tolstoy’s case is.

I started at the first chapter. But now you have me curious, and I think I might take a look at the last chapter.

And I really should stop making excuses to myself about their sizes, and finally read War And Peace and Anna Karenina some day.

It will probably take me a while to get though The Kingdom Of God Is Within You, as I have several books on the go, and this book is not light reading. I just finished the second chapter, which attempts to refute the criticisms of non-resistance. It is surprising how strong Tolstoy’s case is.

I started at the first chapter. But now you have me curious, and I think I might take a look at the last chapter.

And I really should stop making excuses to myself about their sizes, and finally read War And Peace and Anna Karenina some day.

Great stuff. Tolstoy is one of my heroes. I’ll keep checking back in for more posts. Keep it up!