A longtime peace activist describes the 35-year history of Plowshares, a movement led by Christian pacifists that advocates active resistance to war and nuclear weapons. The author explains why the group uses symbols such as hammers and blood to convey its message about disarmament, human possibility, and keeping faith with the future. He argues that the group’s protest strategies remain relevant considerations for a new generation of activists – as a way of confronting an existential threat not only to the future of the human species, but also to our fundamental humanity and values.