Just War In The Old Testament

Historically three world religions with their roots in the Middle East adopted, at different times, the idea of a 'Holy War', as well as that of a 'Just War'. Brief outlines are discussed below.

Judaism: It is found in the Old Testament as; ‘they shall beat their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more’. (The Old Testament: Isaiah 2:4). In principle, peace is the central teaching of rabbinical Judaism (teachings based on the writings of early Jewish scholars). Yet, Judaism is not a pacifist religion. Although the idea of Holy War is recorded in the Hebrew Bible, but it was not about making others Jewish, rather it is about their survival.
So while revenge and unprovoked aggression are condemned, self defence is justified. Jews have been victims of dreadful persecution, at the beginning of Islamism and later at the hands of Christians for nearly two thousand years, culminating in the Holocaust during the Second World War. On the other hand, defending modern Israel and dealing justly with the Palestinians places Jews people in difficult dilemmas; violence and aggression and peace.

Christianity: During the 2,000 years history of Christianity, all three positions on war (Pacifism, Just War and Crusade or Holy War) have had their position. Jesus’ teachings in the Sermon on the Mount (The New Testament: Matthew 5 - 7) are very clearly non-violent. For example, ‘blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God’ (Matthew 5:9) and ‘love your enemies’ (Matthew 5:44).

Pacifism was the teaching and practice of the Christian Church until the Roman Emperor Constantine (274-337) made Christianity the official religion of the Empire. Pacifism then largely took turn toward the development of the 'Just War' doctrine. Thus politics and religion came together to endorse the idea of
Pacifism is a minority position held by some Christians in the larger denominations (Roman Catholic, Church of England, Methodist, etc.). The Quakers, Mennonites, Amish and Hutterites together make up the historical 'peace churches', with a long tradition of pacifist belief and action. But the question remains: which position on war is the most faithful to the teaching of Jesus, who advised his followers to ‘turn the other cheek’ and who, when arrested, forbade a disciple to use a