History of Christian Thought about War and Peace

Following the classic work by Roland Bainton, Christian Attitudes toward War and Peace, we will explore the historical presence of three Christian perspectives on war: pacificism, just war thought, and the crusade mentality. We will then discuss the 20th-century revival of just war thought, perhaps best exemplified in "The Challenge of Peace," a letter written by the US Catholic Bishops in 1983. Finally, we will talk about a few recent Protestant contributions to this engaging debate within the Christian faith.