The Horrors We Bless: Rethinking the Just-war Legacy (Facets Series)

Plot

Is war inevitable? Early Christians, says Maguire, were unanimous in opposing this view. They didn't see war as normal but as an outrage and even a sacrilege. Later Christians succumbed to the supposed "normalcy" of war but developed what later became known as the "just war theory" as a deterrent to the rush to war. In this book Maguire analyzes this history and proposes a new framework for thinking of war, peace, and state-sponsored violence. Maguire's proposal brings clarity and hope to the vital conversation about war in our time.