medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
This discussion of 'Just War Theorư', made me think of the short treatise
that Augustine of Hippo wrote to Count Boniface in AD418 as he went off to
campaign against Saharan tribesmen. Augustine is after all usually credited
with thinking up the concept, at least in the context of Christianity.
Augustine's military morality was basically that war should be waged
necessary to achieve peace, with the minimum necessary violence, and with
clemency to the vanquished enemy, who should not be executed. Of course,
this was intself derivative, as Cicero said much the same, in 'De Officiis
1.11, 34-36, and 'De Re Publica', 3.23.34-35.
The same ideas, or pieties, have of course been much bandied around in the
recent conflict, especially in the context of the suppression of the revolt
at Maazar-i-Sharif, and I suspect that in the Roman Empire and Middle Ages,
when there were no journalists there searching for a new and controversial
angle on a story, there was nothing but fear for one's soul to stop one
committing battlefield excesses, and dispatching prisoners. It is also worth
remembering that unless a statement of absolution, as in the case of the
Crusades, was made in advance, medieval knights (and other soldiers?), were
required to undertake penance after combat. Presumably, the prospect of
steep financial penalty, enforced pilgrimage, or some other act of
penitance, would have discouraged many from perpetrating atrocities. The
immediate and worldly prospect of a tangible penitentiary act of this kind
would probably have had been a more effective way of enforcing the notion of
Just War than an abstract and deferred threat to one's soul. For example,
Odo of Bayeux, required the soldiers and nobles who took part in the 1066
invasion of England to undertake sometimes substantial financial and severe
physical acts of penitence to gain absolution for thier 'sins' of bloodshed,
rising proportionately according to their rank and degree of involvement in
the campaign, or a cynic might say, rising in severity according to the
wealth of the penitent, and their ability to pay money or grant lands to the
church in lieu of physical penance, or effective exile of pilgrimage.
Presumably, excommunication or interdiction could also be used to enforce
Just War theory, or at least to ensure that penitentary acts should be
carried out? What attempts were made to ensure that campaigns were fought
according to the ideal of Just War, rather than merely impose penitentiary
acts after the conflict?
Graham Mallaghan
Occasional Contributor.
>From: Dennis Martin <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
> <[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: [M-R] Crusades, just wars, and such
>Date: Fri, 30 Nov 2001 17:37:00 -0600
>
>medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
>
>What difference does it make that Just War theory at best justifies one
>side? If both sides are justified, why war? "Just war" is not a misnomer,
>despite the fact that very few wars were just, that is, very have satisfied
>the criteria fully. But the whole point of the theory is to set criteria
>which, if met, would justify war. That is no misnomer. Since the basic
>criterion for just cause is to defend the innocent, if one truly has an
>innocent people unjustly attacked, were capable of defending them, and
>chose not to defend them, this would be manifestly unjust.
>
>Defending unjustly attacked innocent people is of course, not
>easy--prosecuting a war that has a just cause often ends up in injustice
>because the other criteria are not followed. However, to declare the very
>idea of a just war impossible would leave innocently and therefore unjustly
>attacked people utterly defenseless.
>
>Bainton was a pacifist and his account must be read in that light. It has
>much valuable information in it, but his account of the early Christian
>centuries as completely pacifist has been creditably disputed. I have
>posted regarding other resources in the past on this list.
>
>Dennis Martin
>
> >>> [log in to unmask] 11/30/01 17:04 PM >>>
>medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
>
>Hi all.
>
>This may be an oversimplification, but here goes.
>
>In general, there have been three distinct Christian views concerning
>participating in warfare:
> a. Pacificism -- the complete refusal to take part in war.
> b. The Just War Theory -- a huge misnomer if ever there was one!
> The theory, in whatever form one wishes to accept it, does
> not in fact justify a given war; at most it justifes the
> participation of one side in a given war. (It is quite
> possible for both sides in a war to participate unjustly
> according to most forms of the theory.)
> c. The Crusade -- generally a war where the organized church takes
> a directing role in the conduct of the war.
>
>Russell's book provides an excellent map through this often vexing
>territory.
>
>More specialized, as the title indicates is Joan Tooke's THE JUST WAR IN
>AQUINAS AND GROTIUS. I found Tooke's discussion of Thomas on this subject
>quite valuable.
>
>For a readable introduction to this whole area, there is also Roland
>Bainton's CHRISTIAN ATTITUDES TOWARD WAR AND PEACE.
>
>I do hope this helps.
>
>
>Regards to all!
>
>Frank
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>Frank Morgret
>15 Towering Hts -- #1206
>St Catharines, Ontario
>CANADA
>L2T 3G7
>
>[log in to unmask]
>
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