The Risk of the Cross

August 6–9, 2026, marks the 81st year commemorating the U.S. atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Now more than ever, the US and other nuclear nations must heed the appeal of the A-Bomb Survivors (Hibakusha): “Humanity and nuclear weapons cannot coexist.”

What does it mean to follow Jesus’ way of the Cross and to place our trust in God for our true security, instead of in nuclear weapons that can destroy all life on earth? How do we find hope and courage to stand for God’s reign of love, justice, and nonviolence in a world threatened by nuclear weapons and other perils? This new edition of The Risk of the Cross will inspire Christians seeking answers to these questions today, just as the first edition helped Christians a generation ago. Each small-group session focuses on Jesus’ call to discipleship in Mark’s gospel—and links to information and inspiration for embracing the way of gospel nonviolence and taking action to avert nuclear annihilation and abolish nuclear weapons.

On January 27, 2026, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists reset the "Doomsday Clock" to 85 seconds to midnight—the closest to global catastrophe it has ever been—due to dangerous threats posed by Nuclear Weapons, the Climate Crisis, the Ukraine War, Nuclear Proliferation, Artificial Intelligence, worsening world tensions, and other perils. Pope Francis declared that the possession of nuclear weapons is immoral. The United Nations Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) has been ratified by 74 nations and entered into force on January 22, 2021, thereby making nuclear weapons illegal under international law. 

This book is an invaluable resource for all followers of Jesus committed to bringing about peace, social justice, nuclear abolition, and a nonviolent world. Additionally, it is a timely resource for parish study and reflection during Advent and Lent.

144 pages  |  5.5" x 8.5"

ARTHUR LAFFIN