UC Davis

The problem of nihilism in the contemporary world stems from individuals’ inability to find meaning in their external environment, leading them to withdrawal entirely into the private sphere. Weber notes that political solutions to this problem of public meaning often lead to catastrophe, as exemplified by the rise of fascism in the 20th century. Under these conditions, how can individuals form meaning for their lives without fully retreating from public life? This paper argues that Jesus’ practice of nonresistance, as conceptualized by Tolstoy and Nietzsche in their texts, What I Believe (1940 [1884]) and The Anti-Christ (2010 [1888]) offers a source of meaning that reconnects individuals to the external world and their communities without falling into the dangers of politicized meaning. Both thinkers critique Christianity’s belief in the Kingdom of Heaven and personal immortality, asserting that these beliefs catalyze the isolating effects of nihilism by removing the need for people to affirm life on earth and their position within their broader communities. Moreover, they assert that Jesus never taught either of these ideas. Instead, Tolstoy and Nietzsche present Jesus’ practice of nonresistance as a source of meaning for individuals that is both life-affirming and community-affirming. However, Nietzsche points out vulnerabilities in the practice of nonresistance, such as its tendency to detach from reality, and its inability to participate in the resistance necessary for creation. This study offers nonresistance as an alternative source of meaning-making that affirms communal and earthly life without depending on politics.