The decline of the Roman Empire gave rise to two problems, which combined to form one of the most perplexing philosophical questions of late antiquity.
On the one hand, Rome found itself under constant military threat as various tribes from the north and east encroached along its borders to fill the power vacuum left by the receding Empire. On the other hand, adherents to the Empire's new official faith - Christianity - found themselves without clear guidance as to what military roles their faith would permit; the death of the apostles left them without revelatory guidance, and the New Testament writings were not definitive on the subject. The question, then, became:� "Can a Christian answer the empire's call to military duty and still answer a clear conscience before God?"�
Fifth-century philosopher, St Augustine of Hippo, sought to provide a solution to the two problems. His approach formed the foundation of the 'just war' tradition, which has had enormous influence upon moral-philosophical thought on military issues in the West ever since. This major new study identifies the fundamental Augustinian premises and evaluates them in light of historical, neo-Platonic, and Christian contexts. It also identifies the effect of the Augustinian legacy upon medieval and modern philosophical reflections on the nature of warfare and on how war might be waged justly and morally.
Ineke Buskens is a Cultural Anthropologist with a passion for research methodology and women's empowerment and a deep appreciation for cultural diversity and individual human uniqueness. Graduated in Leiden, the Netherlands, she has lived in Ghana, India, and Brazil and since 1990 she has lived in South Africa. After having been Head of the Centre for Research Methodology at South Africa's Human Science Research Council for 5 years, she founded Research For the Future in 1996. Ineke works as an independent international research and process facilitation consultant. In her research she focuses on emancipatory approaches that envision a sustainable, just and loving world; in her research training on bringing out the genius in every participant; in her facilitation work, on gender awareness and authentic collaboration. Ineke is a student of Ramtha's School of Enlightenment in Yelm, Washington, USA and this learning journey inspires her to become all she can be.
Anne Webb's commitment to feminist qualitative research is rooted in participatory action research approaches. She has worked with communities and research teams for the past fifteen years pursuing the reduction of inequalities. Trained in sociology, adult education and gender studies in Toronto (Ontario Institute for Studies in Education) and Den Hague (Institute for Social Studies), her education has involved people from all walks of life and locations, formally and informally, in Canada, Europe and Southern Africa, and is a continually enriching process. Anne currently resides in Hull, Quebec, Canada.