Just Statecraft and Niebuhrian Realism: Contrasts in Thinking About War, Peace, and Security

A Christian form of political realism is rather something very old, though there have always been some debates among Christians about how best to understand our fallen world and the appropriate political response to it. This essay distinguishes between two forms of Christian realism on the basis of how they think about a number of perennial issues. The first is the classic form of Christian realism, sometimes called Augustinian realism, perhaps best known as the venerable “just war,” or “just statecraft,” tradition. The second is the Christian realism associated with theologian Reinhold Niebuhr and his contemporaries. The purpose of drawing out this distinction is to show some debatable aspects of the tradition. These disagreements are important because they not only generate debate in scholarly circles or national security op-eds but also raise pressing questions for pastors and parishioners alike. By contrasting elements of these two traditions, this essay attempts to illuminate two different views of these crucial elements: namely, distinctions between force and violence, the so-called “dirty hands” and “lesser evil” ethics, and thinking about patriotism, nationalism, and state idolatry.