During Easter, we have been acutely aware of the increasingly violent world we live in, the criminal ferocity, the ruthless wars, the brutality and anarchy driven by the idea of “violence and might make right”. Should we as Christians glorify the “zeal for war” in an “epic fury” as “Deus vult” (God wills it), reclaiming the battle cry of the Crusaders of medieval times … or should we justify “Allahu Akbar” (Allah is Greater) as a subsequent response?

Does our confession that Jesus Christ truly and bodily rose from death have anything to say about a holy war? Can any war be justified? Or violence in whatever form?

St Augustine’s “just war theory”, developed in the 4th century, has had a significant influence on Christian thought and modern international law regarding the probability of a just war. It also influenced Lutheran theology on the matter. Although war remains evil, it might, in certain circumstances, be the lesser evil.

For Luther, there are two ultimate questions. Firstly, is there a just cause for war? And secondly, is a war conducted justly?

Regarding the first question, Luther reflected on who has the authority to declare war or use violence. No individual or rebellious group, not even the church, but only the appropriately established and God-given authority (Romans 13:1-4) has the power of the sword. There must be a just cause for war and good intentions, which could only be to make peace.

War cannot be made for minor reasons, for an “empty nut”, or for reasons like gaining land, wealth or power. The enemy’s religion cannot serve as a cause for war; religious wars are never justified. A war should be the last resort – only if all else fails. The party that starts a war is always in the wrong. On no occasion may a war be offensive; it may only be defensive – to protect the lives of vulnerable people. Pastors should always advise refraining from war.

Regarding the second major question, namely, just conduct in war, Luther mentioned the proportionality of a war. “Erasing a civilisation” as retaliation, genocide, the killing of innocent civilians, women or children, starvation or using weapons of mass destruction constitute war crimes. Prisoners of war or the injured must be treated fairly, with human dignity. The bodies of the other, dead or alive, deserve respect. And there should be reconstruction and healing after a war.

But, while arguing all the above, what did Jesus teach? Jesus clearly taught: “Blessed are the peacemakers”! His resurrection is even more audible than His words. Throughout the ages, Jesus’ resurrection is understood as a decisive, nonviolent victory over death, injustice, and cruelty, serving as God’s “no” to brutality. It represents the triumph of love, embodying a shift away from vengeance and toward a new reality of peace, justice, and healing. Let us embody a resurrected life as peacemakers, in word and deed, in prayer and relationship.

by Past. Gideon van der Watt