Just War and Christian Traditions

This volume is a collection of essays that survey various Christian denominational traditions and their statements with regard to ‘The Just War Tradition’. Many of the essays are either heavy with quotations from ‘official denominational sources’ (e.g. Mark Tooley’s essay, ‘Methodism and War’) or choose to focus on particular individual and influential scholars within that tradition who are cited to illustrate elements of the tradition that is addressed (e.g. the strong focus on Thomas Helwys [1550–1616], among a few other individuals, in Timothy Demy’s essay ‘Praying for Peace but Preparing for War: Baptists and the Just War Tradition’). On the whole, the essays are good overviews of denominational traditions. None of the essays examines the details of the Just War tradition or extensively examines the ethical issues raised, preferring to summarize denominational perspectives.

However, why do we need another volume discussing aspects of the Just War tradition? This is a key question in assessing this book—because it is clear that the editors have a great sense of urgency. It seems that they are concerned with pacifist ideas in the 21st century, rather than a more expected concern with Christian nationalism which sees very little need for any moral limitations on the state, and especially the USA. Indeed, Just War thinking would be real progress in the latter case, and thus this tendency among some church leaders requires a robust reaffirmation of the Just War Tradition (or at least general sentiments along these lines—analysis of the Just War Tradition itself is not really a central focus of any of the essays).