Swords Into Plowshares Begins With You

Violence rarely begins where we expect it. Long before it reaches battlefields and headlines, it takes root in hearts, homes, and ordinary choices about anger, discipline, and authority. Sam Phillips argues that the initiation of violence is itself a sin — one that corrupts individuals, families, and whole societies — and that Scripture has been pointing toward a different way from the very beginning.

Tracing God’s vision from Genesis to Revelation, Phillips follows the thread that runs to Isaiah’s promise of swords beaten into plowshares. He writes with unusual candor about his own story: childhood trauma, mistakes he made as a parent, and a lifelong search for what God actually says about violence. Poems by his brother are woven throughout, alongside practical guidance for peaceful living.

For parents questioning cultural norms around discipline, leaders wrestling with coercion and authority, and anyone carrying anger into their closest relationships, this is a book about transformation rather than information — how committing to God’s peaceful kingdom can heal wounds, restore bonds, and begin a legacy of non-violence.