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John Howard Yoder (1927-1997) was a Christian theologian, ethicist, and Biblical scholar best known for his radical Christian pacifism, his mentoring of future theological giants such as Stanley Hauerwas, his loyalty to his Mennonite faith, and his 1972 masterpiece The Politics of Jesus.
Yoder was born in Smithville, Ohio in 1927 and earned his undergraduate degree from Goshen College. After World War II, he traveled to Europe to direct relief efforts for the Mennonite Central Committee. While in Europe, he married Anne Marie Guth, in 1952. He completed his Th.D. at the University of Basel, Switzerland.
Upon returning to the United States, John spent a year working at his father's greenhouse business in Wooster, Ohio, and then began teaching at Goshen Biblical Seminary. He was Professor of Theology there from 1965 to 1984 and served as President from 1970-1973.
While still teaching at Goshen, he also began teaching at the University of Notre Dame, where he became a Professor of Theology and later was named a Fellow of the Institute of International Peace Studies. He died of a heart attack in South Bend, Indiana on Dec. 30, 1997.
Of his many books, the most widely recognized has undoubtedly been The Politics of Jesus (1972); it has been translated into at least ten languages. In this masterpiece, Yoder dismantles popular views of Jesus, particularly those views held by Reinhold Niebuhr, which were dominant in the day. Niebuhr argued a particular view of just war philosophy, which Yoder felt failed to take seriously the call or person of Jesus Christ. After demonstrating the inconsistencies of Niebuhr's perspective, Yoder showed by a careful exegesis of the Gospel of Luke and parts of Paul's letter to the Romans that a radical Christian pacifism was the most faithful approach for the faithful disciple of Christ. Yoder's call resonated throughout Western Christendom and, while it never became the dominant view, challenged all who took "just war" thinking for granted. Yoder argued that being Christian is a political standpoint, and Christians ought not ignore that calling.
The Politics of Jesus was named by Christianity Today as one of the most important Christian books of the 20th century.
He was a major influence on his student Stanley Hauerwas.
Other books by Yoder include Body Politics: Five Practices of the Christian Community Before the Watching World, The Christian Witness to the State, Discipleship As Political Responsibility, Nevertheless: The Varieties and Shortcomings of Religious Pacifism, Preface to Theology: Christology and Theological Method, The Priestly Kingdom, The Royal Priesthood, and When War Is Unjust: Being Honest in Just-War Thinking.
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