Christ with a Rifle on His Shoulder

About the Book

Christ with a Rifle on His Shoulder (Chrystus z karabinem na ramieniu) is a collection of reportages by Ryszard Kapuściński, published in 1975, devoted to the guerrillas and liberation movements of the second half of the 20th century. The author looks at people who took up arms in the name of revolution and independence — across three continents, from the Middle East, through Latin America, to Africa.

The title alludes to one of the era’s most intriguing phenomena: the involvement of clergy in armed struggle and the birth of liberation theology. Kapuściński recounts conversations with priests who took the side of the poor and the oppressed, revealing the dramatic tension between Christian faith and revolutionary violence, between the Gospel’s commandment of love and the rifle.

The book is, however, more than a reportage about a single movement. It is a deeper reflection on the morality of revolution, on what drives people to rebel, and the price they pay for the dream of justice. Kapuściński passes no easy verdicts — he shows the oppression that breeds resistance, and the ideals that, in collision with war, are so often distorted. It is a portrait of the spiritual and ideological disputes that shook the world in the age of the Cold War and decolonisation.

Themes

• Liberation theology
• The role of the Church in social change
• Revolution and morality
• Oppression and resistance

Perspective

An in-depth portrait of the intellectual and spiritual disputes of the 20th century.

Polish Editions

See the list of Polish editions of Christ with a Rifle on His Shoulder with ISBN numbers.