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Definition:
Is it ever morally right to start or engage in a war? And, if so, are there more or
less morally justified ways of engaging in a war? These questions are the focus of
"just war theory" - the investigation into the moral status of warfare.
The moral status of warfare was a very important topic for Christian theologians because Jesus' teachings apparently support a strong form of pacifism, but the needs of a Christian government often included the use of violence in order to protect itself. Augustine and Thomas Aquinas are two of the theologians most responsible for creating arguments over when and how warfare might be deemed morally acceptable, although the earliest writings in the West on this topic seem to come from Cicero.
More recently, ideas about a "just war" have been developed by Reinhold Niebuhr. According to him, Chrisitans could not always remain pacifists in the face of an unjust society, especially when injustice is supported by state and/or corporate power. Sometimes, moral arguments are not enough to change a bad situation - in his essay "Why the Christian Church Is Not Pacifist," he argued that sometimes a more forceful solution is required. Violence may be permitted in order to prevent a greater evil, but only so long as it is used quickly and sparringly.
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Related Resources:
What is Christianity?
What are the various Christian groups, denominations, sects and heresies? What are some key concepts in Christian theology? What are some of the most important events in Christian history? All of this and more are covered in the Christianity FAQ.What is the Philosophy of Religion?
Sometimes confused with theology, the Philosophy of Religion is the philosophical study of religious beliefs, religious doctrines, religious arguments and religious history. The line between theology and the philosophy of religion isn't always sharp, but the primary difference is that theology tends to be apologetical in nature, committed to the defense of particular religious positions, whereas Philosophy of Religion is committed to the investigation of religion itself, rather than the truth of any particular religion.What is Theism?
What is the difference between monotheism and monolatry? Between pantheism and panentheism? How about between animism and shamanism? Or theism and deism? What the heck is henotheism?What is Religion?
A system of human beliefs, ideals and practices which is harder to define than it may at first appear. Read more about how dictionaries, scholars and others have tried to define and explain religion.
