The waiting soul gives: hope-filled resistance to tyranny

The waiting soul gives: hope-filled resistance to tyranny

From Messy Jesus Business by Sister Julia Walsh

December 4, 2025 · 1 min

About this episode

The episode discusses the historical context of Christianity's establishment during times of violence and the hope-filled resistance to tyranny that characterized early believers.

Note from the editor: Due to unforeseen circumstances, the Messy Jesus Business podcast and blog schedule have been switched around this month. Check back the next two weeks for our final podcast episodes, with many more blog posts to follow! Modern Christians often fail to discuss that the Christian Church was established during a time of widespread violence and persecution. Our creeds were drafted, faith traditions formed, and the community of believers expanded during a time when it was risky to declare that Jesus Christ is the Prince of Peace. We seem to forget that Christian devotion was never about being comfortable, cozy, or complacent. We often fail to proclaim that living the Gospel, following The Way of Christ, is meant to be dangerous. For about the first 300 years of Christianity, the Pax Christi (Peace of Christ) that Christians professed was in stark contrast to Pax Romana (Peace of Rome) that defined the structures of the Roman empire. The founder of Christianity, Jesus Christ, repeatedly told his followers to “be not afraid.” Meanwhile, the governmental structures of the time ruled through fear: controlling the populace with oppression by taxation, slavery, and…

People in this episode

Host: Sister Julia Walsh

Topics covered

  • Christianity
  • hope
  • persecution
  • resistance
  • faith
  • violence
  • Gospel

Keywords

  • Christian Church
  • Pax Christi
  • Pax Romana
  • persecution
  • hope
  • Gospel
  • Jesus Christ
  • New Testament

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Christian Church, Pax Christi, Pax Romana, Roman empire

Books & works: New Testament

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