Just how realistic is just war?

“For Americans war is a necessity to sustain our belief that we are worthy to be recipients of the sacrifices made on our behalf in past wars. Americans are a people born of and in war – particularly, as I argue in my next article, the Civil War – and only war can sustain our belief that we are a people set apart.”

- Stanley Hauerwas

In 2001 Stanley Hauerwas was named “America’s Best Theologian” by Time magazine, and for me its easy to see why. His deeply considered yet often radical points of view are an appeal to take another honest look at the beliefs and assumptions we often hold as common sense.

In a recent article on Just War theory, Hauerwas (a committed pacifist) explores the origins and true meaning of Just War theory and holds them up against the grim reality of our modern-day conflicts and military operations… and shows that the so-called ‘realists’ are in many ways more unrealistic than the pacifists they love to deride.

Check out the full article here.