The Virtue of War
I recently finished reading The Virtue of War by Alexander F.C. Webster and Darrell Cole. While I got bogged down in the middle, I found the book quite interesting. Here is the review I posted on Amazon.com:
"This scholarly work provides ample evidence that a Just War is not the "lesser of two evils" but is rather a positive good. Using the Bible and reams and reams of references to the Church Fathers, Orthodox prelates, and Protestant reformers, the authors painstakingly back up their premise that war can be virtuous. The end of the book includes analyses of the war in Afghanistan and the war in Iraq. This worthwhile reading bogs down a bit in the middle where the authors continue to list their extensive references. The writing in this area speaks more of a scholarly effort than of popular fare, but once I was through this area, I was pleased to have made the effort. For those interested in learning about the historical, moral view of war, and seeing how recent developments in pacifistic thought have modified Just War Theory, I highly recommend this book."
I know it is now fashionable to think of war as a "lesser evil," but Fr. Webster and Professor Cole clearly show this is a modern tendency not shared throughout most of the Church's history.