Through with Kings and Armies

In an era of seemingly endless war, and similarly endless debates about the nature of marriage, Through with Kings and Armies offers a fresh look at what both war and marriage might mean for Christians. This is a love story: the tale of a sixty-three-year marriage grounded in the love of Jesus Christ and shaped by the conviction that his disciples must witness publicly to their faith in him. As a Presbyterian ministerial student in 1941, George Edwards renounced a draft deferment to register as a conscientious objector, serving at home and abroad for five years. Jean, his childhood friend, turned against war when the Battle of the Bulge left her a widow at twenty-three. After George and Jean fell in love overnight at the end of the war, their pacifist beliefs became the foundation for their life together. A pastor and biblical scholar yoked to a Christian educator, their gifts complemented each other as they organized communities of witnesses against war and racial violence, while raising three children and remaining active in the church that rarely supported their witness.

""A masterful study of the personal lives and peace activities of an extraordinary couple. Everyone concerned about peace should read this book. Meticulously researched and beautifully written, it opens wide windows on the complexities of living faithfully today.""
--E. Glenn Hinson, Senior Professor of Church History, Baptist Seminary of Kentucky

""This gracefully written book recounts the inspiring lives of George and Jean Edwards, itself a most worthy achievement. Yet Through with Kings and Armies does much more. It illuminates the true meaning of discipleship and shows that the Christian tradition of nonviolence remains alive and vibrant.""
--Andrew J. Bacevich, Professor of International Relations and History, Boston University

""Rhonda Lee's narrative of the life and contagious witness of George and Jean Edwards is wonderful, and it will call you, as it does me, to more consistent and impactful witness. Rhonda Lee tells the story with great human interest, and she gets it right.""
--Glen Stassen, Professor of Christian Ethics, Fuller Theological Seminary


Rhonda Mawhood Lee is a priest, independent scholar, and spiritual director. She currently serves as associate rector of St. Philip's Episcopal Church in Durham, North Carolina.