An Evangelical Update to Just War Theory

The first time I heard about just war theory was in my military ethics class. As midshipmen at the U.S. Naval Academy, we understood that our nation expected more from us than just tactical excellence; it theoretically charged us to be the custodians of peace and justice—to wage war morally and ethically. Many years later, after several operational tours and witnessing a close friend take his life following direct engagement with autonomous drone warfare, I know that those classes at the Naval Academy were not simply outdated; they were practically inconsequential, tacked on to a curriculum rather than comprising the ethos behind all that we did.