This is a topic that many often skim over. Violence is an unfortunate reality that will exist for as long we live in this fallen world. What does the Orthodox Church say about it? How does it approach this delicate topic? In this article, we will explore how the concept of just war and violence is embodied in Orthodoxy and how it is grounded in a faith that seeks to promote peace, justice, and human dignity.
There are two types of war: offensive and defensive. The church is ALWAY against the former whilst usually against the latter. Usually... War is permissible in self defence. In fact it would be immoral NOT to defend your family and children, etc. It is not however to be admired because killing anyone is a sin. It is simply the lesser of the two sins presented. Pacifism is wrong, as ethically, there are situations where it would be immoral to do nothing at all. It is a wrong response to a horrible situation. The willingness to kill to defend yourself, your family, or nation is part of being a man. Pacifism can be good if it causes you to not fight in some meaningless war on behalf of a wicked king or an unjust cause. But we should all be willing to defend our people.
There is a plethora of Saint's writings from those such as St. Ambrose who thinks its unthinkable a Christian would kill someone in their own personal self-defence. Yet ironically it was this same saint that set the gold standard in the church on war, because war is no longer about yourself but also your neighbour. He writes that the war must meet 4 criteria. It must be:
-defensive in nature
-honour agreements
-not utilise unfair advantage
-mercy must be shown to the defeated
In this framework war is not only justified but praiseworthy. This is the same Saint Ambrose that could not imagine a Christian killing anyone and that is why context is important.
This standard is also why reconciliation at Florence was not possible. Mark of Ephesus was horrified that they had canonised crusaders and refused to venerate them. Is this nonsensical since we have warrior martyrs? No. The crusades as pursued by the Latin church did not fulfill the dogmatic criteria of warfare. They were not defensive in nature, the did utilise unfair advantage often, did not honour agreements or show mercy to those they conquered. Here is a distinciton between catholic just war theory and what orthodoxy teaches: Aquinas proposed that some wars as necessary to amend an evil even if offensive in nature. Thomas Aquinas revised Augustine's version, creating three criteria for a just war:
-the war needed to be waged by a legitimate authority
-have a just cause
-have the right intentions
i.e. in his summae theoligica he states that "A just war is wont to be described as one that avenges wrongs, when a nation or state has to be punished", and as orthodox we would have an issue with that. It is not for us to decide when to punish the sinner. Only God is righteous As it is written: “There is none righteous, no, not one" [Romans 3:10]. Who are we to judge who should be punished? "if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch." [Matthew 15:14]
The situation as to what extent you should defend yourself, especially if it means killing another, is generally more on the cautious side. Why the apparent contradiction in the writings of the fathers? There is none, what they are saying is that while defensively war is necessary (which is hardly pacifism, as too many like to argue), a truly conscientious Christian would not want to kill someone else to preserve his own life. The situation as to what extent you should defend yourself, especially if it means killing another, is more on the cautious side. We are to turn the other cheek as Christ commands(Matthew 5 or Luke 22:36) Not every armed conflict is exactly good and we shouldn't be war-hawks for someone's private interest. In sense of defending your neighbour, it is another distinct matter from defending yourself. We should always proceed remembering that it is sinful to fight in an immoral war for an immoral regime.
Another topic I would like to bring up is that it is often mentioned as some kind of incriminatory accusation that we have warrior saints as Christians, so we are not so peaceful after all. Most warrior Saints were martyrs. Being a soldier or a police officer is not a forbidden or sinful profession, though you inevitably have to face some exceedingly hard choices and many of them will be bad, so it is a tough occupation. Defending citizens and your neighbours is honourable, but often even if the best option for you in a situation is one that ends in someone's death, it will still leave a mark on your soul, and you will be denied the Eucharist for generally several years, even if it was the most justifiable circumstances.
Ultimately, the Orthodox Church teaches that the goal of a just war should be peace, not victory. This means that the use of force should be seen as a means to an end, rather than an end in itself. The ultimate goal should be to resolve the underlying conflict through negotiation and diplomacy, and to promote the common good of all parties involved.
In conclusion, the Orthodox understanding of a justified war is grounded in a moral and theological framework that emphasises the importance of love, justice, and peace. While the use of force may be necessary in certain circumstances, it should always be guided by ethical principles and a commitment to the common good. By upholding these principles, the Orthodox Church seeks to promote a world in which violence is minimised and human dignity is respected, so that we can focus on what really matters. The world to come and saving as many souls around us as we can.