meta_pixel
Tapesearch Logo
Log in
Unbelievable?

Classic Replay: War and Peace: is war ever justified or should Christians embrace pacifism? Nigel Biggar and Stanley Hauerwas

Unbelievable?

Premier Unbelievable?

Christianity, Religion & Spirituality

4.62.3K Ratings

🗓️ 16 April 2024

⏱️ 69 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In a world riddled with conflict, where headlines scream of violence and unrest, the age-old question resurfaces: Is war ever justified, or should Christians wholeheartedly embrace pacifism? Join esteemed scholars Nigel Biggar and Stanley Hauerwas as they delve into the moral complexities of war and peace from a Christian perspective in this classic replay episode. Nigel Biggar, renowned theologian and ethicist, brings his nuanced understanding of just war theory, exploring the conditions under which Christians might find themselves compelled to engage in warfare. Stanley Hauerwas, also a leading voice in Christian ethics, advocates for a radical alternative: pacifism. Hauerwas challenges listeners to reconsider conventional notions of power and violence, urging a transformative approach rooted in love and nonviolence. This episode originally aired on: 8 November 2014 • Subscribe to Unbelievable? podcast: https://pod.link/267142101 on your preferred platform to never miss an episode, and join the conversation as we explore the nuances of belief, skepticism, and the evolving landscape of modern thought. • Rate and review this podcast in your podcast provider to help others discover the podcast • Get in touch with us to share your questions for upcoming shows! • Support us: https://www.premierunbelievable.com/donate

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

This episode is brought to you in partnership with our friends at Green Pastures.

0:03.6

For 25 years Green Pastures has been enabling local Christian ministries to house and support the homeless across the UK,

0:10.1

funded by everyday investors who lent some of their savings to help buy homes for those in need.

0:15.0

Listen out for more information about green pastures during the show and head to

0:19.0

green pastures.co.uk to find out how you can make a difference. Hello and welcome to another unbelievable classicving back into the archives to bring you a discussion on the question. Let's jump in on today's discussion.

0:56.3

Well, I've been really looking forward to today's program.

0:59.3

We're debating just war and Christian

1:04.2

pacifism asking are there theological justifications for going to war or does the

1:09.2

gospel require a sort of countercultural choice for peace. Well, Nigel Bigger is Regis Professor of Moral

1:15.2

and Pastoral Theology at Oxford University. He's also the author of In Defense of War, a book that

1:20.8

sets out the case for just war theory and against pacifism.

1:25.0

Stanley Havas is an American theology professor at Duke University.

1:29.0

He's also just accepted a chair in theological ethics at the University of Aberdeen here in the UK.

1:34.6

He was once voted by Time magazine as the best theologian in America, a title that I know he

1:39.5

hates being used for him, but he's often broken, written and spoken in support of Christian pacifism

1:45.1

in one form or another so it's a great pleasure to have you both joining me on the

1:49.1

program today gentleman. Thank you very much Justin. It's great to have you on the line from the States, Stanley, and hopefully at some

1:56.5

point we can have you in studio now that you're a little bit more regularly in the UK.

2:00.9

But let's start with you, Nigel Nigel do you want to sort of give us a just a very brief

2:05.9

outline of what's made you want to write particularly on the issue of war and why we should

2:11.6

effectively be defending certain types of war.

2:15.0

So my book is a defense of Christian thinking about just war theory.

...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Premier Unbelievable?, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Premier Unbelievable? and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.

Copyright © Tapesearch 2025.