When Can Christians Retaliate?

The book applies the teaching of Jesus on retaliation to solving the problems of retaliation evident among various religious and ethnic groups in Nigeria. The manifestation of retaliation through conflict, violence and imprecatory prayer adversely affects Christians' witness in Nigeria. The study examines the perspectives and practices of retaliation in Ancient Near East law codes, the Old Testament, the New Testament, and the contemporary time to discover the historical perspectives on retaliation. It also attempts a critical exegetical analysis of Jesus' teaching in Matthew 5:38-42 to resolve the dilemma of contemporary Christians as to whether to follow the path of pacifism or adopt the just war theory.