Reviews of Just War, Lasting Peace For immediate release May 23, 2006 Contact: 202-687-4299 woodstock@georgetown.edu Washington, D.C. - At the periphery of the debate over America's war in Iraq have been moral questions about the proper use of deadly force, questions embodied in the ancient Christian theory of a "just war." Now, a new book - produced by the Woodstock Theological Center at Georgetown University in conjunction with Jesuit leaders - is seeking to help bring the just-war tradition and other religious perspectives closer to the center of public debate. Just War, Lasting Peace: What Christian Traditions Can Teach Us, published by Orbis Press, is the fruit of collaboration between Woodstock and the U.S. Jesuit Conference. With Woodstock senior fellow Dolores Leckey serving as general editor, the text draws on discussions that originated in a November 2003 symposium held during the run-up to war in Iraq. Also includedin the book are the voices of Jewish and Islamic scholars. Among the many questions taken up are: How does just-war theory apply to the situation in Iraq? How can religion, which has been at the heart of so many wars, illuminate a new path to peace? What can Christian traditions teach us about defining a just war and constructing a lasting peace? Catholic views on war and peace "fall along a continuum, where total pacifism forms one end of the continuum and a belief in the acceptability of war under certain conditions forms the other," according to the authors, who include the Jesuit Conference's John Kleiderer, freelance writer Paula Minaert, and Mark Mossa, S.J. "This whole range of positions is acceptable within the Church." However, the book explains that the official teaching authority of the Catholic Church holds only one position, described as the "contemporary just-war position." The other two traditions or schools of thought are that of strict non-violence, or pacifism, and what is termed the "classical" just-war position, which takes a less restrictive view of the recourse to war than does the "contemporary" perspective. Proponents of each position are given an opportunity to speak for themselves in the book, which draws on presentations by more than 50 theologians, ethicists, policy makers, military experts, and others in attendance at the November 2003 symposium. Among the participants were Jim Wallis, Joan Chittister, Drew Christiansen, S.J., Robert Royal, Michael Baxter, Gregory Reichberg, Mary Cusimano Love, and Peter and Margaret O'Brien Steinfels. "Today, the church's position is a composite of nonviolence, but with provision for just war when repeated attempts at nonviolence fail," explains Father Christiansen, a former Woodstock senior fellow and longtime adviser to the U.S. bishops on international questions. "The coherence of this position . resides in the notion of resistance to evil. That is, all people - not just Christians, but all people - must resist, not just avoid but resist, large-scale evil, nonviolently if possible, by legitimate and limited means, if necessary." Father Christiansen, who is now editor of America magazine, adds in his contribution to the text: "Accordingly, the context of the just war in Catholic social teaching has changed. The just war has to be read in the context of an official theology of peace with a strong critique of war as a public policy." In her introduction, Leckey points out that the "basic teachings about war and peace transcend any single spiritual pathway," and so, in addition to Catholic and various Protestant perspectives, the book also includes reflections on the ethics of war and peace from the other "Abrahamic" traditions (Judaism and Islam). The book is designed for use in a variety of settings including college classes, parish adult education, retreats, advanced high-school courses, as well as for individual reflection. To facilitate further conversation, there are related discussions such as the future of official Catholic peacemaking and the role of forgiveness in international politics, as well as accounts of experts grappling with public-policy implications. There is also a far-ranging assortment of resources, such as books and film documentaries, listed at the end of the book. "What can Christian traditions teach us about defining a just war and constructing a lasting peace? A great deal, but we must be willing to struggle with the complexities and subtleties and to continue learning," Leckey writes in the introduction. She adds, "We pray that Just War, Lasting Peace will help communities everywhere faithfully continue their learning, attentively and intelligently, and to stay with the struggle. Therein lies our hope. What we offer is not a final word, but an invitation to dialogue." About the Woodstock Theological Center: The Woodstock Theological Center is an independent nonprofit institute established by the Society of Jesus at Georgetown University in 1974. Its mission is to engage in theological and ethical reflection on topics of social, economic, business, scientific, cultural, religious, and political importance. Drawing on the Roman Catholic tradition, the Woodstock Center is ecumenically open, multi-disciplinary, and collaborative with, among others, the business community, government, religious groups, universities, other research centers, and the media. Just War, Lasting Peace was reviewed by Thomas Massaro, S.J., in the August 28 issue of America Magazine and will be reviewed in an upcoming issue of Catechetical Leader from the National Conference for Catechetical Leadership.