When Evil Strikes

Publisher Description

Human hostility is not the narrative of a selected few. Since the fall of the grandparents of the human family, Adam and Eve, all humans have continued to participate in the reality of evil. Accordingly, the question is no longer whether evil will strike, but rather, when evil strikes, how should humans, particularly Christians, respond to it? This book offers a relevant and effective theology and ethics for addressing the issue of Christian response to violence in Nigeria and beyond. It situates the whole gamut of the reign of human hostility in its various manifestations: self-interest and greed for power, deception and social injustices, governmental official corruption, terrorism and so on. It encourages humans to take seriously both the fact of God creating humans good and the fall serving as the gateway of evil into the human race. It recognizes the complexity of human problems. Yet it offers possibility for just peacemaking. In spite of the horrific violence across the globe, humans are still able to do tremendous good. Thus the book recognizes the paradox of humanity: humans are capable of doing tremendous good and equally capable of doing tremendous evil. ""When Evil Strikes is a thorough, comprehensive, engaging, incisive and practical book that invites all of us to understand who we are and how to work together in fighting the hostility that threatens to destroy us. This book is a huge contribution to a relevant and urgent conversation on the subject of evil and hostility. Bravo!"" --Samuel Waje Kunhiyop, ECWA General Secretary and Executive Secretary, Evangel Fellowship International; Author of African Christian Theology ""This is no discussion of peacemaking from the safety and comfort of an ivory tower perspective. Sunday Agang lives in the midst of unpredictable danger and terrible violence. With deep love, sober honesty, and a passionate commitment to the Gospel, he courageously calls Christians to choose the way of peace and he provides wisdom for how to pursue it. While his context is Nigeria, his message is for followers of Jesus around the world."" --Christine D. Pohl, Professor of Social Ethics, Asbury Theological Seminary ""The book, When Evil Srikes, written by Professor Sunday B. Agang is about how Christians should respond to insurgency, terrorism, violence, discrimination, marginalization, or persecution. The author used Nigeria as a case study and the social context characterized by ethno-religious crises and conflicts. Faced with this problematic and challenging context, the major question is, 'How should Christians in particular respond to the social upheavals and the presence of widespread violence in human society. But to be more precise, 'How should Christians respond to human propensity to violence?' Should Christians respond in the same way as racists, tribalists, religious bigots, militants, jihadists, or terrorists? If Christians are to be different, what essentially makes their difference? Do they have a theology and an ethic that can address specifically our current state of insurgency, terrorism, and human violence? The author took a major task of formulating of a theology and an ethic for Christian discourse and contribution to human peaceful and harmonious coexistence. The root of human propensity to violence must be acknowledged and addressed which occurred in the fall of mankind in Genesis 3. Any social upheaval that works against the well-being (freedom, justice, equality, dignity, and rights) of any human being amounts to violence. Seeing how social violence has become the order of the day in human society, Professor Agang was driven to spend his spiritual, intellectual and social skills in finding a relevant and effective theology and ethic for addressing the issues of Christian response to violence in Nigeria in particular and the world at large. I have read almost all his available writings on this subject and found out that this is the best ever theological and ethical ana