, an influential Christian anarchist philosophical work, faced an initial ban in Russia and found publication in Germany in 1894. This culmination of Tolstoy's three decades of contemplation presents a unique societal structure based on a Christian interpretation centered on universal love. Inspired by Luke 17:21, the book explores nonviolent resistance, pivotal for Tolstoyan followers of nonviolence and Christian anarchism. Tolstoy discusses the principle of nonviolent resistance in response to violence, asserting that Jesus Christ's directive to "turn the other cheek" means renouncing all forms of violence, including self-defense and revenge. In his autobiography,
The Story of My Experiments with Truth, Mohandas Gandhi expressed how Tolstoy's book deeply impacted him, considering it one of the three most significant modern influences in his life. This Warbler Classics edition includes a new introduction that contextualizes Tolstoy's relentless search for truth and his yearning for a practical understanding of how to live according to the principles set forth in the New Testament.