By Sword

Jason Landsel is a New York-based writer and illustrator with a lifelong fascination with the history of social and religious radicalism. He is a regular contributor to Plough Quarterly and a member of the Bruderhof, an Anabaptist community movement that traces its roots to the Radical Reformation.Sankha Banerjee has illustrated graphic novel adaptations of The Count of Monte Cristo and The Wind in the Willows as well as graphic historical biographies of Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King Jr., and the Wright Brothers. His works have been exhibited at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Lyon, France and the India International Centre in Delhi. He is an assistant professor in the Department of Multimedia and Animation, St. Xavier’s College, Kolkata, India.Richard Mommsen is a scriptwriter, videographer, podcast producer, and director of the Bruderhof’s historical archives.

By Sword tells how Peter Riedemann, a leader of the sixteenth century Anabaptist movement in Europe, refused to take the sword, choosing rather to be part of a group that experienced thousands of its members being executed for their beliefs. The authors have made careful use of historical sources and have added superb artwork and other features which make this book suitable to be used in many different settings. I warmly commend what is a little-known story of Christian witness in the face of violent opposition. —Ian Randall, CambridgeBy Sword uses expository dialogue, primary sources, and imagery that blends the realistic and fantastical to give an account of the life and faith of Peter Reidemann. With this series, Plough has done a great service to the church by making landmark stories of faithfulness accessible and engaging to youth and adults alike. —Joel Nofziger, director, Mennonite Heritage Center