War in the Christian Tradition

One of the most controversial issues in the Christian tradition has been its attitude to violence of all kinds. In particular, Christian attitudes to war and peace have been analyzed and debated by almost all major Christian theologians throughout history. This course will look at Christian attitudes to - and the theological and ethical bases for- war, peace, and revolution. The course will begin with Scripture, continue by examining the viewpoints of figures such as Augustine, Aquinas, Vitoria, Grotius, Calvin, Luther, among others, and also examine a variety of 20th and 21st century authors on the subject. Topics to be considered will include some of the following: just war, pacifism, realism, non-violence vs. non-resistance, revolution, civil war, peace-making, nuclear war, deterrence theories, total war doctrine, humanitarian intervention, and the responsibility to protect doctrine.