So said visionary bestseller author Fr. Vincent Miceli, S.J., in foundations of Violence, a famous book that delves into the intellectual foundations of violence from a Christian viewpoint. What is the taproot that is producing the current metastasizing delirium for violence? It is an assault against God. It is a hate of the truth.
The reluctance to obey God was Satan's rallying cry to foment violence and rebellion among the angels as they faced trial in Heaven's vestibule. According to Miceli, Christ Himself declared that this "father of lies was a murderer from the beginning," establishing a link between hate of truth and passion for violence. Christ warned the Pharisees that those who reject God's plan for redemption would mimic Satan's actions.
In these gripping pages, Fr. Miceli reveals:
- How we are living in the Age of the Persistent Lie
- The fundamental aspect of violence that must be identified to conquer its plague
- The greatest lie of all — and how you can refute it
- Five elements that constitute the nature of violence per St. Thomas Aquinas
- What is really behind the metaphysics of murder (Can you guess?)
- Two ways modern violence is different from historical violence
- The connection between avarice, which causes other vices, and violence
- Two crimes that warrant God’s vengeance against individuals and groups
Fr. Miceli goes on to explain how Nietzsche was the prophet who foresaw and predicted the approach of the beast of violence. Indeed, he extolled its most sacred commandment, the observance of which would result in a barbaric society. “The time has come,” he wrote, “to oppose morality with immorality, to call what priests call good, evil, and what they call evil, good. The time has come for the transvaluation of all values.” Fr. Miceli examines the importance of these occurrences in light of truth and reason, drawing on horrifying instances of violence from ancient to modern times, and explains how Christians should react. The seven elements for a righteous war, the distinction between violence and terrorism, an appendix containing quotes from St. John Paul II's teachings on violence, and much more are included.