Jason Landsel – författare

Is there a better way than capitalism?A much-cited recent poll found that more young Americans have a positive view of socialism than of capitalism. There’s a sense of newly opened possibilities: Might this be the moment for a mass movement of solidarity to overthrow the tyranny of concentrated power and wealth? But what exactly is this cause? Socialism’s champions know how to take effective whacks at capitalism, but diagnosis is not yet the cure.This issue of Plough springs from a conviction that there is a better answer beyond capitalism and socialism, a freely chosen life of sharing and caring that overcomes economic exploitation, a way of life that is both thoroughly practical and independent of the state. This vision is much older than Adam Smith and Karl Marx; it lies at the heart of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount and throughout the New Testament, as well as in the writings of the Old Testament prophets. It is exemplified by the communal life of the first church in Jerusalem, in which “all who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need” (Acts 2:44–45).Also in this issue: poetry by Jane Tyson Clement; reviews of books by Jennifer Berry Hawes, Robert Macfarlane, Emily Bazelon, and John Connell; and art and photography by Wassily Kandinsky, N. C. Wyeth, Deborah Batt, Kari Nielsen, Chris Arnade, William Morris, Hilzías Salazar, Amedeo Modigliani, Benjamin Meader, Bianca Berends, Elise Palmigiani, and Danny Burrows.Plough Quarterly features stories, ideas, and culture for people eager to put their faith into action. Each issue brings you in-depth articles, interviews, poetry, book reviews, and art to help you put Jesus’ message into practice and find common cause with others.

"An ambitious biography – in graphic-novel style – of an early Anabaptist martyr. Intriguing watercolors – evocative of both Hieronymus Bosch and 1970s pop art – precede the opening pages. … The chapters that follow use accessible language and abundant visual cues in softly colored, action-packed art." —Kirkus ReviewsIn a time of social upheaval, in a city astir with dangerous new ideas, the son of a Catholic priest becomes a leader of a nonviolent revolution.Five hundred years ago, in an age marked by war, plague, inequality, and religious coercion, there were people across Europe who dared to imagine a society of sharing, peace, and freedom of conscience. These radicals were ready to die for their vision. They were executed by the thousands—by water, by fire, and by sword—in both Catholic and Protestant states. Their stories come to life in this graphic novel series that dramatically recreates a little-known chapter in the history of the Reformation.By Water, is a true story of friendship and betrayal set in the Swiss city of Zurich. It chronicles the conflict between establishment reformer Ulrich Zwingli (1484–1531) and his student Felix Manz (1498–1527), who at first reveres Zwingli as a father figure but ends up drowned on Zwingli’s orders for insisting that only adult believers should be baptized. In this dramatic visualization of the birth of the Radical Reformation, water is both wonder and weapon, a symbol of new life and a death sentence.This action-packed, historically accurate account of young people standing up for their convictions against the corrupt political and religious leaders of their day will awaken courage and commitment in young readers today.

A graphic novel dramatizes a true story of a corrupt ruler, a courageous resister, a daring alpine escape, a refugee love story, a reckless return, a jealous traitor, and a martyr burned alive at the stake. King Ferdinand, who will later become Holy Roman Emperor, orders the eradication of all heretics in Tyrol, and especially their leader, Jakob Hutter. Like other Anabaptists, Hutter has rejected armed revolt and embraced nonviolence. What if instead of overthrowing oppressive rulers, he asks, we create a peaceful and just alternative society ourselves? Driven into hiding and eventually forced to flee through the mountains into Moravia, Hutter realizes his dream and finds love. But persecution follows him. Despite death warrants, he and his pregnant wife, Katharina, return to Tyrol to support the underground movement there. They are betrayed by a friend turned informant and captured along with their baby. Jakob is burned at the stake in the town square of Innsbruck. Katharina escapes but soon meets a similar fate. Their story comes to life in this graphic novel, the second in a series that dramatically recreates a little-known chapter in the history of the Reformation. These radicals, labeled Anabaptists by their enemies, were ready to die for their vision. They were executed by thousands – by water, by fire, and by sword – in both Catholic and Protestant lands. This action-packed account of young people daring to stand up for their convictions will appeal to today’s nonconformists.