Initially, the early Christians refused to fight. Over time, they adopted a Just War stance, and in time used this to justify the forcible conversion of conquered peoples. With the Crusades, Just War was expanded to include what was called “Holy War,” and Christendom went to war in the Middle East with the Islamic empires. Stephen Russell outlines these critical pieces of the church’s history and explains how the church modified the Islamic concept of jihad to justify attacking their enemies. Russell shows how this was a seismic shift away from the teachings of the New Testament and what the early church had practiced. Stephen Russell’s book Other episodes with Stephen Russell This is the 227th episode of Anabaptist Perspectives, a podcast, blog, and YouTube channel that examines various aspects of conservative Anabaptist life and thought.  Sign-up for our monthly email newsletter which contains new and featured content! Join us on Patreon or become a website partner to enjoy bonus content! Visit our YouTube channel or connect on Facebook. Read essays from our blog or listen to them on our podcast, Essays for King Jesus Subscribe on your podcast provider of choice Support us or learn more at anabaptistperspectives.org. The views expressed by our guests are solely their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Anabaptist Perspectives or Wellspring Mennonite Church.