John H. Yoder (December 29, 1927-December 30, 1997) was a Mennonite theologian from the United States, best known for arguing that Christianity had serious political and ethical implications. He was a professor of theology at the University of Notre Dame when he died.

Life

Yoder was born in Smithville, Ohio, and received his undergraduate degree from Goshen College in northern Indiana. After this, however, he left the Midwest, and traveled to Europe. In Europe, he directed efforts to provide charity to the battered continent after World War II, under the auspices of the Mennonite Central Committee. In 1952, he married Anne Marie Guth, and in 1962, he completed his theology doctorate at the University of Basel in Switzerland, which dealt with the beginning of the Swiss reformation. While at the University, he studied under Karl Barth, who was to have a great impact on Yoder's views. After receiving his doctorate, Yoder returned to the United States and took work in his father's greenhouse business for a year. He then began teaching theology at the seminary run by Goshen College. He was president of the seminary from 1970 to 1973; overall, he taught at Goshen from 1965 to 1984. While still teaching at the Goshen seminary, he also took a job teaching at Notre Dame. There, he taught theology and ethics, and was also a fellow of the Institute of International Peace Studies.

Bibliography and Summary of Contributions

Yoder wrote numerous books, of which the best known was The Politics of Jesus. It was published in 1972 and 1994 (revised edition), and has been translated into ten languages. His other books include The Christian Witness to the State (1964); Nevertheless: A Meditation on the Varieties and Shortcomings of Religious Pacifism (1971); The Original Revolution: Essays on Christian Pacifism (1971); The Priestly Kingdom: Social Ethics as Gospel (1985); Body Politics: Five Practices of the Christian Community before the Watching World (1992); The Royal Priesthood: Essays Ecclesiological and Ecumenical (1994); The Jewish-Christian Schism Revisited (1996); When War is Unjust: Being Honest in Just War Thinking (1984; rev. 1996); and For the Nations: Essays Public and Evangelical (1997). Post-humously published was Preface to Theology: Christology and Theological Method (2002). A comprehensive bibliography has been compiled by Mark Thiessen Nation and published by the Mennonite Historical Society.

While he did important writing in the fields of Anabaptist history and peace studies, Yoder is perhaps best remembered for his reflections on Christian ethics. Rejecting the assumption that human history is driven by coercive power, Yoder argued that it was rather God, working in, with, and through the non-violent, non-resistant community of disciples of Jesus, that was the ultimate force in human affairs. If the Christian church in the past made alliances with political rulers, it was because it had lost confidence in this truth. He called the arrangement whereby the state and the church each supported the goals of the other "Constantinianism", and he regarded it as a dangerous and constant temptation. Yoder argued that Jesus himself rejected this temptation, even to the point of dying a horrible and cruel death. Resurrecting Jesus from the dead was God's way of vindicating his unwavering obedience. Likewise, the primary responsibility of Christians is not to take over society and impose their convictions and values on people who don't share their faith, but to "be the church". By refusing to return evil for evil, by living in peace, sharing goods, and doing deeds of charity as opportunities arise, the church witnesses to the fact that an alternative to a society based on violence or the threat of violence is possible. It lives in the conviction that God calls Christians to imitate the way of Christ in his absolute obedience, even if it leads to their death. For they, too, will finally be vindicated in resurrection. Needless to say, Yoder's account of Christian faith and ethics has been controversial. Today, his views continue to be promoted, most notably by theologian and ethicist, Stanley Hauerwas.

External Links and Sources

• Yoder's homepage (http://www.nd.edu/~theo/jhy/)
• Material from Yoder's memorial service (http://www.nd.edu/~theo/jhy/writings/memorial.html)
• Yoder's obituary from the New York Times (http://www.nd.edu/~theo/jhy/writings/NYTobit.html)
• Remembering John Howard Yoder (http://www.firstthings.com/ftissues/ft9804/hauerwas.html) - by theologian Stanley Hauerwas
• Inventory of Yoder's personal papers in Archives of the Mennonite Church (http://www.mcusa-archives.org/personal_collections/Yoder-JohnH.html)