A Conscience against Violence is a polemical essay by Stefan Zweig (1936) that depicts the struggle between Sebastian Castellio and John Calvin.
[1] The book, written during the rise of fascism and far-right movements in Europe, remains highly relevant as it serves as a powerful critique against all forms of totalitarianism and intolerance.
[2][3][4] The exact title in German is "Ein Gewissen gegen die Gewalt", which translates to "A Conscience against Violence", capturing the rebellion of an individual against the power of authority.
[5] During the 16th century, in the era of the Protestant Reformation, Geneva was under the control of Calvin, who established a theocratic regime coexisting with a state subjected to the will of the new Church.
Another scholar, Castellio, then decided to rehabilitate Servetus, leading him into a long and challenging struggle between Calvinist austerity and the power of the Catholic Inquisition.