Tag: St Augustine

In theological debate and magisterial statements, the concept of ‘just war’ is increasingly being called into question in support of the idea that war is intrinsically illicit. Yet the concept continues to resurface, and the authority of St Augustine (354–430) is often invoked in its defence. In the conventional account of the history of war, Augustine frequently appears as the first Christian theorist of ‘just war’, if not its actual ‘inventor’. But Augustine, as we know, was always a restless (inquietus) soul, attentive to the developing challenges posed by history, and his thinking evolved over time. Scholars understand that his positions must be read both in context, with due attention to their historical setting, and as part of a broader vision that places them in perspective. Instead, they are often embalmed or taken out of context, or even attributed to the later Augustinian tradition. In the case at hand, anyone with the patience — and good fortune — to read Augustine himself will find signs that his acute understanding of history did not overlook the fundamental ambiguity, or even the outright inadmissibility, of ‘just war’.

Pope Leo XIV met on Thursday with participants in the Ordinary Federal Assembly of the Federation of Augustinian Monasteries in Italy. In...

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