From Just War to Modern Peace Ethics

Heinz-Gerhard Justenhoven, William A. Barbieri, Jr., Heinz-Gerhard Justenhoven, William A. Barbieri, Jr.

• Publisher: De Gruyter
• Year: 2012
• ISBN:
  9783110291926
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Ethics & Religion

This book rewrites the history of Christian peace ethics. Christian reflection on reducing violence or overcoming war has roots in ancient Roman philosophy and eventually grew to influence modern international law. This historical overview begins with Cicero, the source of Christian authors like Augustine and Thomas Aquinas. It is highly debatable whether Augustine had a systematic interest in just war or whether his writings were used to develop a systematic just war teaching only by the later tradition. May Christians justifiably use force to overcome disorder and achieve peace? The book traces the classical debate from Thomas Aquinas to early modern-age thinkers like Vitoria, Suarez, Martin Luther, Hugo Grotius and Immanuel Kant. It highlights the diversity of the approaches of theologians, philosophers and lawyers. Modern cosmopolitianism and international law-thinking, it shows, are rooted in the Spanish Scholastics, where Grotius and Kant each found the inspiration to inaugurate a modern peace ethic. In the 20th century the tradition has taken aim not only at reducing violence and overcoming war but at developing a constructive ethic of peace building, as is reflected in Pope John Paul II's teaching.

Table of contents

• From Just War to Modern Peace Ethics : An Introduction
• Cicero: Just War in Classical Antiquity
• Augustine’s Theology of Peace and the Beginning of Christian Just War Theory
• Augustine: Peace Ethics and Peace Policy
• Thomas Aquinas and Humanitarian Intervention
• Forerunners of Humanitarian Intervention? From Canon Law to Francisco de Vitoria
• Francisco de Vitoria: Just War as Defense of International Law
• Martin Luther on Peace and War: A Systematic Approach
• Morality and Just War According to Francisco Suárez
• Suárez, Aquinas, and the Just War: Self Defense or Punishment?
• Hugo Grotius: Just War Thinking Between Theology and International Law
• Kant’s Cosmopolitanism: Resource for Shaping a “Just Peace”
• Kant and the Just War Tradition
• The Holy See as International Person and Sovereign and Participant in International Law
• From an Ethics of War to an Ethics of Peacebuilding
• The Peace Ethics of Pope John Paul II
• List of Authors
• Index of Names