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"The Kingdom of God Is Within You"

Leo Tolstoy · translated by Constance Garnett

Banned in Russia, this Christian anarchist work presents Tolstoy's radical interpretation of Christianity centered on universal love and absolute nonviolence.

"The Kingdom of God Is Within You" by graf Leo Tolstoy is a philosophical treatise. Banned in Russia, this Christian anarchist work presents Tolstoy's radical interpretation of Christianity centered on universal love and absolute nonviolence.

This edition is the English translation by Constance Garnett.

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Of the Book "What I Believe"—The Correspondence Evoked by it—Letters from Quakers—Garrison's Declaration—Adin Ballou, his Works, his Catechism—Helchitsky's "Net of Faith"—The Attitude of the World to Works Elucidating Christ's Teaching—Dymond's Book "On War"—Musser's "Non-resistance Asserted"—Attitude of the Government in 1818 to Men who Refused to Serve in the Army—Hostile Attitude of Governments Generally and of Liberals to Those who Refuse to Assist in Acts of State Violence, and their Conscious Efforts to Silence and Suppress these Manifestations of Christian Non-resistance.

Among the first responses called forth by my book were some letters from American Quakers. In these letters, expressing their sympathy with my views on the unlawfulness for a Christian of war and the use of force of any kind, the Quakers gave me details of their own so-called sect, which for more than two hundred years has actually professed the teaching of Christ on non-resistance to evil by force, and does not make use of weapons in self-defense. The Quakers sent me books, from which I learnt how they had, years ago, established beyond doubt the duty for a Christian of fulfilling the command of non-resistance to evil by force, and had exposed the error of the Church's teaching in allowing war and capital punishment.

Contents

  1. 01Translator's Preface.
  2. 02Preface.
  3. 03Contents.
  4. 04I. The Doctrine of Non-Resistance to Evil by Force Has Been Professed by a Minority of Men from the Very Foundation of Christianity
  5. 05II. Criticisms of the Doctrine of Non-Resistance to Evil by Force on the Part of Believers and of Unbelievers
  6. 06III. Christianity Misunderstood by Believers
  7. 07IV. Christianity Misunderstood by Men of Science
  8. 08V. Contradiction Between Our Life and Our Christian Conscience
  9. 09VI. Attitude of Men of the Present Day to War
  10. 10VII. Significance of Compulsory Service
  11. 11VIII. Doctrine of Non-Resistance to Evil by Force Must Inevitably Be Accepted by Men of the Present Day
  12. 12IX. The Acceptance of the Christian Conception of Life Will Emancipate Men from the Miseries of Our Pagan Life
  13. 13X. Evil Cannot Be Supressed by the Physical Force of the Government—The Moral Progress of Humanity Is Brought About Not Only by Individual Recognition of the Truth but Also Through the Establishment o
  14. 14XI. 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
  15. 15XII. Conclusion—Repent Ye, for the Kingdom of Heaven Is at Hand
  16. 16"The Kingdom of God Is Within You."
  17. 17Chapter I.
  18. 18The Doctrine of Non-Resistance to Evil by Force Has Been Professed by a Minority of Men from the Very Foundation of Christianity.
  19. 19Catechism of Non-Resistance.
  20. 20Adin Ballou.
  21. 21Chapter II.
  22. 22Criticisms of the Doctrine of Non-Resistance to Evil by Force on the Part of Believers and of Unbelievers.
  23. 23Chapter III.
  24. 24Christianity Misunderstood by Believers.
  25. 25Chapter IV.
  26. 26Christianity Misunderstood by Men of Science.
  27. 27Chapter V.
  28. 28Contradiction Between Our Life and Our Christian Conscience.
  29. 29Chapter VI.
  30. 30Attitude of Men of the Present Day to War.
  31. 31"And What Is Most Bewildering Is That the People Do Not Rise Against Their Governments. For What Difference Is There Between Monarchies and Republics? The Most Bewildering Thing Is That the Whole of S
  32. 32Chapter VII.
  33. 33Significance of Compulsory Service.
  34. 34Chapter VIII.
  35. 35Doctrine of Non-Resistance to Evil by Force Must Inevitably Be Accepted by Men of the Present Day.
  36. 36Chapter IX.
  37. 37The Acceptance of the Christian Conception of Life Will Emancipate Men from the Miseries of Our Pagan Life.
  38. 38Chapter X.
  39. 39Evil 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 P
  40. 40Chapter XI.
  41. 41The 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.
  42. 42Chapter XII.
  43. 43Conclusion—Repent Ye, for the Kingdom of Heaven Is at Hand.
  44. 44The End.

About this edition

Author
Leo Tolstoy
Translator
Constance Garnett
Era
Modern (c. 1800–1945)
Reading level
Advanced: for close, demanding reading
Formats
EPUB, PDF
Length
319 pages
This edition
Modern Philosophers