On a whim, I decided to read Tolstoy’s magnum opus, so to speak: “The Kingdom Of God Is Within You”, which asserts non-resistance and etc. which inspired the likes of Martin Luther King Jr. and others.
This book profoundly influenced me, though I have already refuted many of it’s arguments, mostly for fun. (I’m still reading the book, but have much to say of it already)…
I suppose that, after I’m done my BA, (in four or five years – I’m a part-time undergrad), that a book of essays should be published. If such a book of mine occurs, probably self-published on amazon and quietly dismissed, I should think that Tolstoy’s work might be a galvanizing work which inspires me to write, and possibly respond to, his own work.
I ain’t no Tolstoy. I consider myself a ‘literary hack’. But even I can refute these seemingly childish and simple claims, possibly because, over 100 years have passed, and life is so much different now. (note: as I kept reading, I became more and more inspired, and less and less refutations occured. It truly is a remarkable little book. Check it out for free. It’s on Project Gutenberg).
I just hope they don’t burn my responses, they way they burned his work. (Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe they never burned his work, either. Sorry to the literary historians in the audience. I’m a literary hack and don’t give a damn – for now).
In fact, when called upon to serve the military recently, I might have responded directly from Tolstoy’s work: that it is Christian of me to oppose. How’s that for Tolstoy?
Get bent, Greece. Anyway: I’m Canadian. Leave me alone to my writings and theories.
Steve Mini from the 6.
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2.0
I really underestimated Tolstoy and thought the book was a farce of a joke for a few pages. However, I can’t understate how deeply inspired I am by this tiny work. It has inspired me to write my own theories and essays, if only to modify, review or refute some of Tolstoy’s claims.
For a work that is more than a century old, it predicts future world wars, espouses pacifism, and rejects the traditional churches, all in one go, all the while inventing it’s own Christianity, inspired by the gospel and non-violence.
What a remarkable work. And here I thought, as Tolstoy opposes, that Christianity was past it’s time and that it might be time to embrace a modern and secular condition.
He’s changed my mind a little. Maybe his “version” of Christianity has something to say to the modern man, who thinks Christianity is positively archaic.
Check out the book, it’s free because it’s so old. I found it on Project Gutenberg. I might look up other authors and read their theories. Some of the oldies must be great.
