How does Just War theory help resolve questions about the moral nature of war? Is it sufficient for our times? Andrew Cameron addressed these questions in the first Case magazine, available here.

Since September 2002, over 30,000 U.S. academics (including some 14,000 faculty) have signed an open letter condemning any U.S. invasion of Iraq. Here in Australia, a number of leading Australian politicians and military officials, including a former Governor-General, three former Prime Ministers and two Defence Force Chiefs, have published another letter saying it would be “failure of the duty of government” to commit Australian forces to a United States military offensive against Iraq. Concerns have been expressed across the political spectrum, with some conservative analysts offering very reserved judgments about Bush administration foreign policy since September 11th 2001.

Christian theological ethics either overlap with, or influence outright, the arguments against war found in these documents. My purpose here is to outline this ethical position. While I do not intend to offer a specific appraisal of the arguments for and against war with Iraq, I will offer some remarks about how this Christian heritage assists the current debate. In the Bible, two themes emerge which seem hard to reconcile. The your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44). Can loving one’s enemies involve acts of war against them? The apostle Paul adds, “Never take revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God” (Romans 12:19).

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