_ How should Christians think about the ethics of war? Can a war be just? Should Christians be pacifists? If there are “just war” principles, then how should they be applied in an age of terrorism? How should we think about the conflict between Israel and Hamas? _ These are just some of the questions that Jonathan Morrow asked Dr. Scott Rae on this episode of the Intersection podcast.

Latest on the Israel / Hamas Conflict

• Hamas rejects Palestinian call for Gaza cease-fire
• Israel Destroys Home of a Top Political Leader of Hamas
• Netanyahu slams UN cease-fire plan for not addressing Israel security

About Scott Rae

Scott Rae is Dean of Faculty, Professor of Christian Ethics and Chair of the Department of Philosophy at Talbot School of Theology, He holds a Th.M. from Dallas Theological Seminary and a Ph.D. from the University of Southern California. He is the author of 11 books, including _ Moral Choices: An Introduction to Ethics (Zondervan, 3rd edition, 2009) _ and _ Doing the Right Thing (Zondervan, 2013) _, a companion book to the film series written and produced by the late Chuck Colson. He has articles in various journals and consults with several southern California hospitals in ethics. He is married to his wife, Sally, with three sons.

What Are the Criteria of “Just War” Theory?

The “Just War” tradition has a long history and dates to the time of St. Augustine. Whenever the morality of war is discussed, these criteria are interacted with by media and public officials. For this and other reasons, it is important to be aware of them in order to think clearly about what is a very emotional topic.

Justice in Going to War (Jus Ad Bello Criteria)

1. The war in question must be prompted by a just cause

2. The war in question must have a just intention, that is, its intent must be to secure a fair peace for all parties involved.

3. The war in question must be engaged in as a last resort.

4. The war in question must be initiated with a formal declaration by properly constituted authorities.

Justice in the Conduct of War (Jus In Bello Criteria)

5. The war in question must be characterized by limited objectives.

6. The war in question must be conducted with proportionate means, that is, the amount of force used must be proportionate to the threat. Only sufficient force to repel and deter the aggressor can be justifiably used.

7. The war in question must respect noncombatant immunity. Only those individuals who are representing their respective governments in the military can be targeted in the course of the war.

Resources on the Morality of War

-   _ Moral Choices: An Introduction to Ethics (Zondervan, 3rd edition, 2009) _

• _ War, Peace, and Christianity: Questions and Answers from a Just-War Perspective by J. Daryl Charles _

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The post #005 – How Should Christians Think About War? Scott Rae Interview appeared first on Impact 360 Institute.