Just War Tradition

In this volume, Nathan Scot Hosler looks to Stanley Hauerwas, one of the most outspoken pacifist theologians of our time, as inspiration for contemporary “peacemaking” and “peacebuilding” efforts.

The Human Rights Council of the United Nations released “Extrajudicial, Summary, or Arbitrary Executions,” by Special Rapporteur Prof. Dr. Agnès S. Callamard, which holds that the successful drone strike in January killing Gen. Soleimani violated international law.

Pope Francis calls out the language of war. He speaks against “war” as a solution. In this, he echoes many prior popes.

Regardless of what happens to Kyle Rittenhouse in the courts, treating vigilantes like heroes sets a dangerous precedent.

Followers of Christian realism generally share these eight assumptions, which can be found in the works of Reinhold Niebuhr, John C. Bennett, Jean Bethke Elshtain, and others.

For Hildegard, rulers who blatantly violate the virtuous example set by Christ lose their authority to rule. Following from that, an unvirtuous ruler would necessarily fail to be a right authority that can legitimately wage war.

Grey zone conflicts—like those in Ukraine and the South China Sea—are major threats both to a just peace and American security interests. The just war tradition needs to consider them more.

Christians need a big dose of realism. AI is not going away any time soon, nor should it. Most of the ways that AI is deployed are immensely beneficial and non-threatening.

This article by Gerald Monsman from 75 years ago, originally titled “Reflections on Sovereignty,” addresses whether the United States should cooperate with other countries for the global good.