Faith and Force
![]() 320 pp., 6 x 9 Paperback ISBN: 9781589011656 (1589011651) June 2007 LC: 2006031181 EXPLORE THIS TITLE DescriptionTable of Contents Chapter Questions Reviews |
Faith and Force
A Christian Debate about War
David L. Clough and Brian Stiltner
2008 Catholic Press Association Book Award for Theology, Second Place
"This book began in an argument between friends surprised to find themselves on opposite sides of the debate about whether the United States and the United Kingdom should invade Iraq in 2003. Situated on opposite sides of the Atlantic, in different churches, and on different sides of the just war/pacifist fence, we exchanged long emails that rehearsed on a small scale the great national and international debates that were taking place around us. We discovered the common ground we shared, as well as some predictable and some surprising points of difference....When the initial hostilities ended, our conversation continued, and we felt the urgency of contributing to a wider Christian debate about whether and when war could be justified." David L. Clough is a professor of theological ethics at the University of Chester, UK. He is the author of Ethics in Crisis: Interpreting Barth's Ethics, coeditor of Creaturely Theology: God, Humans and Other Animals, and a Methodist lay preacher. Brian Stiltner is an associate professor and chair of the department of philosophy and religious studies at Sacred Heart University. He is the author of Religion and the Common Good.
Reviews
"Rarely does one encounter a text that approaches Christian doctrine on war with as much clarity and energy as David L. Clough and Brian Stilner's Faith and Force . . . [the] dialogue segments, as well as the book's inviting introductory style, lend the text a refreshing, even exciting feel."—Politics and Religion "Faith and Force helps us understand war and conflict in a new way. We're challenged to examine our personal thoughts and views in an effort to find alternatives. This is important work for citizens living in a free and democratic society."—Theological Book Review "Here is an innovative and eminently effective way of presenting the ethics of war and peace . . . Clough and Stilner have produced what must be one of the most pedagogically useful texts on the Christian deliberation over war."—Reviews in Religion and Theology "This is a well-writen and well-crafted book that brings familiar Christian debates, with the subtleties of differences even within Just War theory and pacifism, and applies them to new situations, challenging the wider political and intelligence communities to focus on ethical issues."—International Journal of Intelligence Ethics "The dual perspective limns the strengths and the weaknesses of the two traditions, exposing both the risk that pacifists will embolden agressors and the danger that just-war advocates will fight unnecessary wars. A cogent analysis of both immediate and long-term relevance."—Booklist "The presentation of issues is clear, the analysis of opposing views is searching, and the engagement between them is both thoughtful and candid. Far from a sterile textbook survey, this is a model of careful and honest dialogue, generating lively heat while shedding fresh light."—Nigel Biggar , professor of theology and ethics, Trinity College Dublin "Engaging, highly readable, literally conversational . . . in touch with the conversation its readers will carry out inside themselves. . . . I do not know of a more readable text on the topic, or a text so current, or such a mutually respectful conversation and debate on the topic."—Glen H. Stassen, Lewis B. Smedes Professor of Christian Ethics, Fuller Theological Seminary Table of Contents List of Tables Preface Introduction The Debate over War in a Christian Context Chapter 1 Sources and Methods for a Christian Ethic of War Chapter 2 Christian Pacifism and Just War Tradition Chapter 3 Does Humanitarian Intervention Pass the Test? Chapter 4 The Challenges of Weapons Proliferation Chapter 5 Political and Holy Terrorism: Frameworks for Analysis and Action Chapter 6 Spreading Democracy or Asserting National Interests? The case of the Wars on Iraq Conclusion A Christian Agenda for a Warring World Notes Bibliography Index |