What is a "Just War"

by Rev. Jay Hancock 

 
The Christian just war theory is a 1,600-year-old attempt to answer the questions “When is it permissible to wage war?” and “What are the limitations on the ways we wage war?”

St. Augustine of Hippo (354-430 A.D.) was the first theologian to write extensively on the issue. Since that time various theologians have expanded the theory. Today, the theory is widely accepted by most Christian theologians and denominations.

There are two underlying teachings that are critical to understanding the Just War Theory. They are the reality of sin and the right to govern. First, the Bible teaches that everyone is a sinner. Romans 3:23 states that “all have sinned.” The Bible also teaches that because of Adam’s first sin, every human is born with a bent toward evil and is, therefore, separated from God. This doctrine is known as “original sin” and has been a standard Christian belief for centuries. It is important to note that this view of humankind is no longer widely accepted. Ask a person today if people are basically “good” or basically “evil” and most people will tell you that we are basically “good.” What they are saying is that a person’s basic propensity is to do good. They only do evil because of outside influences, oppression, or evil done to them. What the Bible teaches is that a person’s basic propensity is to do evil. Left on their own they will behave immorally. Thus, they have a need for moral guidance and a system of civil justice.

One must realize that war is only necessary due to the presence of sin.  When governments fall into the hands of sinful leaders, they may do evil things such as denying their citizens their basic human rights.  War may need to be waged in order to protect innocent citizens or to deny the expansion of such governments. 

The second critical doctrine relates to the right to govern. Jesus and the Apostle Paul both validated the role of government and our responsibility to be good citizens. Jesus briefly mentioned this when asked if his followers should pay taxes. He said “render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s” (Luke 20:25). Paul stated more explicitly that governmental authority is from God:

Romans 13:1-4 (NASB)
1 LET every person be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. 2 Therefore he who resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves. 3 For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same; 4 for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath upon the one who practices evil.

For Augustine, governance itself was ordained of God and the right to wage war was a logical extension of the act of governance. Once again, it is important to realize that this view of authority that leads to the right to govern is no longer widely accepted today. Many of the groups in America and Europe that oppose acts of war and capitalism are anarchists or extreme libertarians who believe that there should be little if any government rule. They believe that smaller communities should organize themselves and not impose in any way on other communities. Under this system, open-minded dialogue will foster peace and understanding. Religion, nationalism and/or capitalism, they say, typically do not foster peace. The Christian view recognizes that sinful people need a system of authority to maintain order and justice. The biblical grounds for authority is found in the fifth commandment to honor one’s mother and father.

Without a proper understanding of these two foundational principles, there is no common ground for people to discuss a “Just War.” This is why the Christian community needs to address these truths as they discuss the need to determine if there is just cause for a war.

So what are the tenets of the “Just War Theory”? There are four standards which must be met in order to determine if a government can engage in war. They can be defined as follows:

Once a war is declared, two other factors must guide the actions of the combatants:

The guiding principles listed above are clearly not objective. Leaders must, under the authority of God, make judgment calls about each of the guidelines. There will be disagreement and there should be respectful debate about proper application of the principles. However, if a good faith decision is made, the government has the authority to exercise its will and believers are obligated to submit to its authority. 

Along these lines, one should note the view of Christian pacifists. Though they have always respected the government and its role, they believe they should not hold political office or participate in government. They believe that they are not to be citizens of a nation since they are citizens of heaven. However, Christian pacifists have traditionally never doubted the right to govern nor the right of governments to wage war. In fact, they have written extensively about the government’s obligation to protect its citizens. Only recently has there been the hint from this group that war is never allowable and inherently evil.

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