War and Christian Principles

This book, War and Christian Principles is another collection of e-mails that Mr. Jungers wrote in 2004 to his friends, who are interested in the morality of Christianity. This collection of his e-mails is but a snapshot of time amidst an on-going dialogue. There is, however, one event that dominates: the war on Iraq. Some highlights of the war, including the Marines assault on Fallujah, the abuses at the prison in Baghdag, and the beheading of Nicholas Berg, among others, are discussed. The bulk of the material comes from Mr. Jungers' explanation of the Just War Theory, as initiated by Augustine, and perfected by Thomas Aquinas. He contends that some principles of the Just War Theory now need to be updated due to the change in the nature of modern warfare: from conventional arms used against the standing armies of World War II--to the special forces used against the terrorists of Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan. Just as the US Army is taking on the look of the Marines, and the Marines are becoming more like Special Ops, so, too, does our ethic need to be changed to keep up with the morality necessary for guidance during asymmetrical warfare, he argues. All this requires new thinking about how we can be Christians, using Christian principles to protect ourselves against non-Christian, world-wide terrorism. We must begin to think like Special Ops, and go to the enemy before the enemy has the opportunity to come here, even if that means crossing national boundaries. Christ's Sermon on the Mount principles must be recast into a body ethic flexible enough to allow for a realistic defense in this new age.