I particularly enjoyed the depiction of Pilate's "film noir" reaction in The Master and Margarita.
> "The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult; and left untried." —GKC
The story would've been shocking to his Jewish audience because of the enmity that existed between Jews and Samaritans. They would've been thinking along the lines of "but how could those people be good?" upon hearing the story.
> If we really take Jesus' message it would mean no borders, no wars, just pure love for each other.
This is why Christian Nationalism is an oxymoron.
Some of the big ideas in there:
1. Nonviolence as a Principle: Tolstoy concludes that the core of Jesus’ teachings is nonviolent resistance to evil. This was a radical idea at the time, influencing figures like Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. later on.
2. Rejection of the State and All Violence: He argues that all forms of violence, including state-sanctioned violence (like police and military), are fundamentally opposed to Christian teachings.
3. Critique of the Church: Tolstoy is critical of the institutionalized church, asserting it has strayed far from Jesus’ original teachings. He believes the church supports violence and coercion, contrary to the principles of Christianity.
4. Personal Morality Over Legal Systems: He suggests that true Christian ethics are based on personal morality and conscience rather than legal systems or government decrees.
5. The Kingdom of God Is Within: Tolstoy interprets the Kingdom of God not as a physical location or afterlife promise, but as a state of being one can achieve by living in accordance with Jesus’ teachings.
6. Universal Love and Brotherhood: He emphasizes the idea of universal love and brotherhood, extending beyond one’s community or nation, challenging prevailing notions of nationalism and tribalism.
7. Civil Disobedience: Tolstoy advocates for civil disobedience as a means of opposing unjust laws and government actions, prefiguring many 20th-century movements for social change.
8. Simplicity and Asceticism: He also extols the virtues of a simple, ascetic lifestyle, free from the pursuit of wealth and material excess.
There is a theory that since he was resurrected three days (one long weekend) after dying for our sins, it's a bit of a gaslight to keep eternally playing the guilt card over the whole affair.
(personally, although this theory is amusing, I prefer Bulgakov's interpretation of the passion)