Between Qualification and Overvaluation of Government Authority
Early Reformed Theological Contributions to the Just War Tradition
In: Journal of Reformed TheologySearch for other papers by Pieter Vos in
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Abstract
This article examines how the doctrine of the two kingdoms shaped early Reformed theologians’ contributions to the just war tradition. It demonstrates that their view of the right to resistance, rooted in a vision of government authority as qualified by the aim to ensure justice and peace, yields innovative ideas of what counts as ‘legitimate authority’ in the ius ad bellum (the right to wage war). Furthermore, it is argued that the role they assign to the government in defending not only religious freedom but also ‘true religion’ opens the door to state interference in religion, with problematic consequences for their account of the ‘just cause’ in just war theory.
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Between Qualification and Overvaluation of Government Authority
Early Reformed Theological Contributions to the Just War Tradition
In: Journal of Reformed TheologySearch for other papers by Pieter Vos in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Abstract
This article examines how the doctrine of the two kingdoms shaped early Reformed theologians’ contributions to the just war tradition. It demonstrates that their view of the right to resistance, rooted in a vision of government authority as qualified by the aim to ensure justice and peace, yields innovative ideas of what counts as ‘legitimate authority’ in the ius ad bellum (the right to wage war). Furthermore, it is argued that the role they assign to the government in defending not only religious freedom but also ‘true religion’ opens the door to state interference in religion, with problematic consequences for their account of the ‘just cause’ in just war theory.
| All Time | Past 365 days | Past 30 Days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abstract Views | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Full Text Views | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| PDF Views & Downloads | 3 | 3 | 3 |
