Anthropologically nonviolence must be understood against the background of the contagious nature of violence. Frederick Hacker, a psychiatrist and expert on violence, rightly observed that "violence is as contagious as the plague," an insight that is also confirmed by René Girard's mimetic anthropology. The Gospels show an awareness of this anthropological insight and provide a way out of the circle of violence. Many Christians understood this alternative, however, as a non-resistant attitude that remained passive and did not confront evil. Peace activists like Gandhi - influenced to some degree by Muslims - enabled Christians to discover an active and even militant nonviolence as the true meaning of Gospel nonviolence. From this perspective it is possible to criticize Max Weber's thesis that the Sermon on the Mount represents an "ethic of indignity" and is politically irresponsible.