Morality and Contemporary Warfare by James Turner RELIGION BOOKS
Hehir, Johnson J. Bryan
political or moral...
...While tions of international relations, illusJames Turner Johnson he is surely correct to stress the shift from trating how the just-war ethic relates to Yale Univcrsihv, $25, 256 pp, interstate to intrastate warfare which oc- and differs from each tradition...
...All have used an ap- ISBN: 1-893732.10-X - 224 pages, $13.95 A SORl5 ROOKS puhlication distributed by .Ave Maria Prey proach that begins with a presumption against the use of force, which, then can EVERYDAY SIMPLICITY yield-in specific, rule-defined cases- A Practical Guide to Spiritual Growth to an exception endorsing force...
...Here James Finley and in other writings he has opposed Opening everyday living to the contemplative traditions, teachings and practices, The Contemplative Heart enables readthe position both of Protestant ethicists ers to realize that the richest possibilities of contemplative life (Jim Childress and Ralph Potter) and of are within reach...
...Catholic bishin his efforts to shape an adequate ethic tegic significance of the very conflicts ops' statement of 1993 (The Harvest of for the late twentieth century...
...Offering the just-war tradition and cannot be solid, common-sense advice on getting a spiritual life - no matter how busy we may he ---Everyday Simplicity is an ideal found in the classical authors...
...To say Augustine and Aquinas did aye maria press not use the categories does not demonstrate that using these corrupts their the- PO Box 428 - Notre game, Indiana 46556-0428 Ph 800-282-1865, Ext...
...I think guide for beginning seekers and a welcome companion for conall would concede the last point and tinuing pilgrims...
...Johnson's analysis of Bosnia and Rwanda in the chapter on "War against Noncombatants" stands in direct relationship to Ramsey, who did more than any other scholar to establish "the principle of discrimination" or noncombatant immunity at the very heart of modern just-war doctrine...
...The tional Affairs...
...Both the idea that either Vatican I or Pius XII was tionally directed against noncombatants instruments of modern war and the influenced by pacifism is, in my expein such conflicts as those in Bosnia and devastation of civilian society which has rience, an idiosyncratic reading of the in Rwanda-Zaire is simply wrong: what accompanied most contemporary con- Catholic tradition on war and peace...
...ames Turner Johnson of Rut- dominant assumptions of the moral de- In light of this normative framework, gers University is a standard bates of the 1980s...
...it advances the nornically or religiously...
...Childress explicitly ISBN: 1-893732-12-6 - 208 pages...
...combatants do may make them liable to flicts provide good reasons to pause But these are controversies among have armed force used against them, not (analytically) before legitimating force scribes...
...El noncombatants do not do-participate about endorsing "just wars" in modern in the making of war-means that they papal teaching...
...While dissenting from Johnson's deIN DEFENSE OF JUSTICE scription of the status questionis, I find his own contribution to the ongoing wider discussion carefully drawn and that building a consensus is necessary constructive...
...ISBN: u-8-793-931-4 -- 128 pages, $10.95 While strongly endorsing many of Johnson's policy conclusions, I differ THF CO VTEMPL4TYYE HEART with him on a theoretical point...
...Johnson's final two chapters arise directly from the conflicts of the 1990s and highlight key aspects of his scholarship...
...Macrina Wiederkehr encourages readers to reflect on their memobook...
...Their conclusions are not issue of the 1990s after discussing Rwanter, "Reshaping and Affirming a Con- identical, but these authors have neither da and Bosnia: "Intervening to help the sensus on the Purposes and Limits of ignored the newness that evolved in the victims of such conduct in war, then, is War...
...Johnson deproblems of modern war...
...it also serves the cause of international peace and stability...
...He is much less convincing Religion and Society at Harvard's Divinity whatever their beliefs, ethnicity, religion, when he identifies the roots of this po- School and Weatherhead Center for Internaor sympathies...
...A lapidary sentence summarizes his case: "In moral terms, the arCommonweal 3 2 March 10, 2000 gument that allows warfare to be inten- in my view, entirely necessary...
...important topic...
...His curred in the 1990s, I find quite over- statement of the normative tradition is drawn his judgment that "Moral analy- characteristically well documented and sis has been slow to react to this changed lucid, and provides the reader with a J. Bryan Hehir empirical face of war and when it has solid sense of the continuing vitality of reacted, it has done so on the basis of the just-war ethic...
...He is surely correct J. Bryan Hehir is professor of the Practice in should not have war made against them, about this...
...In this forty-day pilgrimage, solid historical background for efforts to Wiederkehr guides readers to let go of bitterness and blame and to prayerfully, simply behold their lives...
...In the end he comes to a carea synthetic summary of the just-war ethic ternal conflict and international inter- fully drawn position for humanitarian and engages new issues of politics and vention...
...A principal theme of the book is 1990s nor addressed it from outdated not simply a humanitarian action oriented to the good of those victims...
...establish war-crimes tribunals today...
...Behold Your Life is such an imitation...
...obsolete...
...with the clarity and power it deserves...
...Moreover, the substantive rea- In Ca ndo: Order from your lotol bookstore son for placing a presumptive restraint or BBroughtan (a., ltd., Toronto or Ingram Book Co...
...political or moral assumptions...
...860-28 4-0687 or Baker & Taylor 800-775.2300 on war as an instrument of politics is, Commonweal 3 3 March 10, 2000...
...John- Robert J. Wicks son has often stated his view that such A solid spiritual life is within everyone's reach and Robert Wicks a construct is detrimental to the use of provides a simple, yet significant guide for the journey...
...His mastery of both moral and ries, both joyous and painfull so that they can move into the future legal literature equips him to provide a with new wisdom and strength...
...likewise, what Johnson finds systematic hesitation mative debate...
...His first two chapters sumbecause contemporary warfare presents marize and analyze the legacy of justMorality and problems quite different from the kinds war thought and bring it into dialogue Contemporary of conflict that moralists have addressed with both the realist and liberal tradiWarfare for much of the past fifty years...
...NEW INSP1KXT1ON)sL REM1Nc The chapter "Conflicts Inflamed by Cultural Differences" draws heavily on his BEHOLD YOUR LIFE recent work on the relationship of Islamic A Pilgrimage Through Your Memories and Christian moral doctrines on war...
...Johnson does not though I differ with Johnson on some is- Roberts, Joseph Nye, John Langan, Drew ignore the cautions of realism in advosues of theory and judgment...
...In such cases, not acting is the worse evil...
...This book, like several before it, dressed by Bernard Williams, Michael herited norms of international law but will enrich the normative analysis of pol- Walzer, Pierre Hassner, Stanley Hoff- recognizes that advances in this area itics and war...
...I recommend it highly, even mann, Ernest Haas, Bruce Russett, Adam must be incremental...
...At the center Justice), and the resources of internaand Contemporary Warfare, Johnson offers of these "new wars" lie the issues of in- tional law...
...Spiritual seekers will drover something on Catholic bishops in their formulation of every page that elicits a heartfelt "WOW...
...That states a basic truth sition as a form of papal pacifism...
...Johnson invokes his four sources to refute the assertion that the character of modern war has rendered the principle of discrimination "I don't know...
...the just-war ethic...
...Johnson proceeds to analyze two issues: reference for scholars who Unless one uses a very restricted def- the problem of intervention, and poliJ address the moral and legal inition of who can contribute to moral cies which target civilians...
...Christiansen, Kenneth Himes, Jean cating an interventionist policy, but he Johnson's objective is best summa- Bethke Elshtain, and George Weigel, nicely captures the fundamental moral rized by the title of his concluding chap- among others...
...contest the first...
...11,95 noted in his formulation of the require- A 5OR15 BOOKS publication distributed be Ave Maria Press ments of the just-war ethic that he was using categories of modern moral phi- Available from your loco I religious bookstore or losophy to interpret an ancient tradi- Amp tion...
...These issues have been ad- intervention, one which goes beyond instrategy...
...In Morality Johnson wants to analyze...
...This is a very good book on an what they believe or who they are eth- as an instrument of justice...
...Macrina Wiederkehr His chapter on "War Crimes and Recon- Sometimes on fifes long road it is helpful to pause and reflect on ciliation after Conflict" is the best of the the journey one is making...
...Maybe war is too important to be left to us...
...A student of analysis of war, a quick literature search velops his own position on intervention the late Paul Ramsey, Johnson has both of the 1990s produces a range of authors in dialogue with four other sources: extended Ramsey's legacy and revised it engaging the moral, political, and stra- Ramsey, Walzer, the U.S...
...1 - Fax 800.282.5681 ories of legitimating war in defense of Wail avemoriapress.1©nd.edu justice...
Vol. 127 • March 2000 • No. 5
