The Kingdom of God is Within You

The Kingdom of God Is Within You is the nonfiction masterpiece of Leo Tolstoy. A philosophical treatise, the book was first published in Germany after being banned in his home country of Russia. It is the culmination of thirty years of Tolstoy's thinking, and lays out a new organization for society based on an interpretation of Christianity focusing on universal love.

The Kingdom of God is Within You is a key text for Tolstoyan proponents of nonviolence, of nonviolent resistance, and of the Christian anarchist movement.

In the book Tolstoy speaks of the principle of non-violent resistance when confronted by violence, as taught by Jesus. Tolstoy sought what he believed was the true message of Jesus Christ, as contained in the Gospels. Mahatma Gandhi wrote in his autobiography that this book "overwhelmed" him and "left an abiding impression." Gandhi listed Tolstoy's book as one of the most important modern influences in his life. Reading this book directly inspired his fight for social justice. Martin Luther King, too, was deeply influenced by this book.