Just war, pacifism, weapons of mass destruction, war on terror, preemptive war. These phrases highlight recent world events that have brought questions about the morality of war into sharp relief.

War and Christian Ethics looks to influential writers throughout history to determine the theoretical issues they faced while shaping a Christian criticism of war. It brings together primary source materials from the most influential patristic, medieval, and modern writers dealing with the morality of war from a variety of Christian perspectives. Writers include (among others):

Plato
Tertullian
Augustine
Bernard of Clairvaux
Thomas Aquinas
Martin Luther
Menno Simons
John Locke
Immanuel Kant
Reinhold Niebuhr
Paul Ramsey
Duane Friesen
George Weigel
Rowan Williams

Instead of advocating a particular approach to war, this collection provides the "theoretical bases on which we must formulate our own conclusions," writes editor Arthur Holmes. In exploring these writings, those seeking to investigate the relationship between Christianity and war are able to decide for themselves what they believe. The second edition includes new selections from Rowan Williams, George Weigel, and Duane Friesen.