Christian Attitudes Toward War and Peace: A Historical Survey and Critical Re-evaluation

by Bainton, Roland Herbert

• ISBN13: 9781556357886
• ISBN10: 1556357885
• Edition: Reprint
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2008-09-01
• Publisher: Wipf & Stock Pub

Summary

Any scholarship that addresses the evolution of Christian perspectives on warfare generally references this book. first published in 1960. Although the scholarship of this work is now outdated and critiqued, Bainton's work is foundational in the area. Bainton believes that the Christian community started out pacifistic, then developed the just war doctrine, and finally adopted holy war ideals. He traces this trajectory from the Early Church up through the wars and conflicts of the 20th century. Finally, Bainton adds his critique of current militaristic ideas, especially in regards to atomic warfare. (from a review by Andrew Lumpkin)

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations	p. 11
Introduction	p. 13
Ideals of Peace in Antiquity	p. 17
The Classical Origins of the Just War	p. 33
The Origins of the Crusading Idea in the Old Testament	p. 44
War and Peace in the New Testament	p. 53
The Pacifism of the Early Church	p. 66
The Theory of the Just War in the Christian Roman Empire	p. 85
From the Just War to the Crusade and Sectarian Pacifism	p. 101
The Renaissance Utopia and the Revival of the Just War	p. 122
Wars of Religion	p. 136
The Historic Peace Churches and War with the Aborigines	p. 152
The Enlightenment	p. 173
From Waterloo to Armageddon: A Century of Comparative Peace	p. 190
From the Outlawry of War to the Atom Bomb	p. 211
Past and Present	p. 230
What Then?	p. 252
Notes	p. 269
Guide to Literature	p. 289
Index	p. 291
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