War: A Primer for Christians

War: A Primer for Christians provides a concise introduction to the main approaches that Christians have taken toward war and examines each approach critically. 

Some Christians have supported their country's wars as crusades of good against evil.  Others, as pacifists, have rejected participation in or support for any war.  Still others have followed the just-war tradition in holding that it can be justifiable under some conditions to resort to war, but that then Christian love must limit the conduct of war.

In an updated preface and new afterword, Allen explores aspects of current international relations that have a special bearing on the context of war.

“Joseph Allen’s War: A Primer for Christians is just that: a succinct, fair-minded, wonderfully reasoned, and accessible account of the major Christian traditions on war—Just War, Holy War, and the Pacifist renunciation of violence. His book is also a primer in the further sense, that it will prime the pump for further discussion and debate as to when wars are just and how a nation might keep the means employed under restraints.”—William F. May
1119619401
War: A Primer for Christians

War: A Primer for Christians provides a concise introduction to the main approaches that Christians have taken toward war and examines each approach critically. 

Some Christians have supported their country's wars as crusades of good against evil.  Others, as pacifists, have rejected participation in or support for any war.  Still others have followed the just-war tradition in holding that it can be justifiable under some conditions to resort to war, but that then Christian love must limit the conduct of war.

In an updated preface and new afterword, Allen explores aspects of current international relations that have a special bearing on the context of war.

“Joseph Allen’s War: A Primer for Christians is just that: a succinct, fair-minded, wonderfully reasoned, and accessible account of the major Christian traditions on war—Just War, Holy War, and the Pacifist renunciation of violence. His book is also a primer in the further sense, that it will prime the pump for further discussion and debate as to when wars are just and how a nation might keep the means employed under restraints.”—William F. May
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War: A Primer for Christians

War: A Primer for Christians

by Joseph L. Allen
War: A Primer for Christians

War: A Primer for Christians

by Joseph L. Allen

Paperback(Reprint)

$12.95 
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Overview


War: A Primer for Christians provides a concise introduction to the main approaches that Christians have taken toward war and examines each approach critically. 

Some Christians have supported their country's wars as crusades of good against evil.  Others, as pacifists, have rejected participation in or support for any war.  Still others have followed the just-war tradition in holding that it can be justifiable under some conditions to resort to war, but that then Christian love must limit the conduct of war.

In an updated preface and new afterword, Allen explores aspects of current international relations that have a special bearing on the context of war.

“Joseph Allen’s War: A Primer for Christians is just that: a succinct, fair-minded, wonderfully reasoned, and accessible account of the major Christian traditions on war—Just War, Holy War, and the Pacifist renunciation of violence. His book is also a primer in the further sense, that it will prime the pump for further discussion and debate as to when wars are just and how a nation might keep the means employed under restraints.”—William F. May

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781623492434
Publisher: Texas A&M University Press
Publication date: 08/25/2014
Edition description: Reprint
Pages: 80
Product dimensions: 5.40(w) x 8.30(h) x 0.30(d)

About the Author


JOSEPH L. ALLEN is professor emeritus of Christian ethics at Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University.

Table of Contents

Preface ix

1 Is War a Crusade? 1

Some Expressions of a Crusade Approach

The Convictions and Logic of the Crusade

Strengths and Weaknesses of a Crusade Approach

2 The Pacifist Standpoint 9

Pacifism in the Christian Tradition

The Convictions and Logic of Pacifism

Strengths and Weaknesses of a Christian Pacifist

3 Just-War Thinking 23

The Christian Just-War Tradition

Underlying Convictions of Just-War Thinking

Just-War Criteria

Strengths and Weaknesses of Christian Just-War Thinking

4 What Can We Do? 43

General Observations

Some Responses Christians Can Make

Afterword 53

The Present International Situation

Some Implications for Moral Reflection about War

Notes 65

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