Just War Tradition

The Christian realist just war tradition is primarily concerned with aiding reflection on how to meet the obligations of of love through, not despite, war

The first in a series, this introductory essay grounds the historical development of just war tradition in Christian moral and political responsibility

Necessary, discriminate, and proportionate force in the last resort in defense of good was essential in the Wild West–just as it’s essential today

Patriotism is part of our repertoire of civic ideals and identities, as Jean Bethke Elshtain reminded us. While its excesses and perversions are to be lamented, Patriotism rightly perceived yields a concern for the moral tenor of one’s culture.

American audiences are still hungry for cinematic portrayals of the old virtues: patriotism, heroism, courage, and self-sacrifice

Ukraine’s actions have been broadly reflective of the desire to protect innocents and to stop the military aggressor that is killing innocents through indiscriminate strikes.

The Catholic tradition reminds us that just war thinking is critical to peacemaking.

Providence editors Mark Tooley and Marc LiVecche discuss Abigail Lindner and Eric Patterson’s article on G.K. Chesterton and war memorials, Lubomir Ondrasek’s piece on Czech leader Vaclav Havel’s warning against hatred, and Lee Trepanier’s counsel for how Russian Orthodoxy, lacking the Just War tradition, can oppose injustice with church teaching on personhood.

While Orthodox Christianity lacks the historical tradition of just war theory to criticize war, it does have a theological resource it could draw upon to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine: personhood.