Just War and Christian Traditions

Eric Patterson is executive vice president at the Religious Freedom Institute and scholar at large at Regent University. He is author or editor of eighteen books, including Just American Wars: Ethical Dilemmas in U.S. Military History.J. Daryl Charles is affiliate scholar of the John Jay Institute and a contributing editor of Providence: A Journal of Christianity and American Foreign Policy. He is the author or editor of twenty-one books, including America and the Just War Tradition: A History of U.S. Conflicts (University of Notre Dame Press, 2019).John Ashcroft served as the seventy-ninth attorney general of the United States of America. He serves in numerous capacities, including as Distinguished Professor of Law and Government at Regent University.

"This wonderful, balanced collection explores the development of just war thinking in eight major religious traditions/denominations. It should be read by anyone interested in how Christians have approached, or should approach, matters of war and peace." —Mark David Hall, author of Great Christian Jurists in American History"This collection reminds us that the just war framework is not a new way of thinking but one grounded in scripture, natural law, and the wide Christian intellectual tradition." —Marc LiVecche, author of The Good Kill"Just War and Christian Traditions is a rich, multi-layered compendium of essays from a wide array of Christian thinkers. This is a treasure trove of just war history, thought and application. Patterson and Charles should be commended for writing such a timely and necessary book." —David C. Iglesias, director of the Center for Faith, Politics & Economics"So much more than merely a reminder of the development of just war thinking throughout the years, this splendid book offers wise, insightful, and truly useful guidance for readers as they seek to navigate the challenges of our complex twenty-first century. It is a privilege to recommend this remarkable volume." —David S. Dockery, co-editor of Christian Worldview Handbook"It is a special tragedy that the tradition of Just War, so earnestly needed as bellicose powers rise and global order strains, is too often forgotten or dismissed. Thanks to the scholars in these pages, a contemporary, accessible, and tradition-anchored anthology is now available to Christians on both why and how Just War matters. It is a magnificent and long overdue effort." —Robert J. Joustra, author of The Religious Problem with Religious Freedom"Eric Patterson and J. Daryl Charles have produced a substantive and highly accessible book for anyone interested in the ethics of warfare. Highly recommended." —Bruce Riley Ashford, author of One Nation Under God"This book is a superb resource that documents the many Christian roots of the just war tradition's thought and practice. It is much needed now to remind us of how God's people have sought best to meet each age's spiritual and temporal challenges. Just War and Christian Traditions deserves a central place of reference and influence in debates on this topic." —Mark A. Jumper, co-editor of The Holy Spirit and the Reformation Legacy"A valuable and helpful resource that fills a particular gap in existing just war literature. The collection's essays are thoughtful, accessible, and rich with theological and historical insights." —Reading Religion

• ContributorsForeword: The Honorable John Ashcroft1. Christian Approaches to Just War, Peace, & Security, Eric Patterson and J. Daryl Charles2. Catholic Just War Thinking, Joseph Capizzi3. The Orthodox Church on Just War, Darrel Cole4. Luther's Political Thought and Its Contribution to the Just War Tradition, H. David Baer5. John Calvin and the Reformed View of War, Resistance, and Political Duty, Keith Pavlischek6. Anglican Thought on Just War, Daniel Strand and Nigel Biggar7. Methodism and War: Mark Tooley8. Praying for Peace but Preparing for War: Baptists and the Just War Tradition, Timothy Demy9. Anabaptists and the Sword, J. Daryl Charles