Patriotism and Christianity.

In this carefully constructed critical essay, Tolstoy admonishes a government that wages war by arousing patriotic fervor and a Church that supports such a government's policies. His argument - that war and patriotism are at odds with the Christian principles of nonviolence and nonresistance were revolutionary at the time, and continue to resound today. Kenworthy remarks in his introductory note to English readers, "In this remarkable work by Leo Tolstoy, which powerfully aroused European attention a year ago, the principle of "non-resistance", which is so often, by opponents, made to take a doctrinaire, or even absurd complexion, is see in in drastic application to the huge militarism under which the world groans. As reasonable people, following Tolstoy, we must ask: What other principle of conduct than this, can possibly remove the incubus'."