David French on The Iran War: If It's Illegal, Is It Just?
Good Faith
Good Faith
4.8 • 1.9K Ratings
🗓️ 12 March 2026
⏱️ 61 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
The Intersection of Trump, Iran, and the Moral Limits of War
What should Christians think about the U.S. war with Iran, Israel's role in the conflict, and the risk of a wider Middle East war? In this Good Faith Podcast episode, Curtis Chang and New York Times columnist David French unpack the escalating U.S.-Iran war through the lens of Christian theology, just war theory, constitutional checks and balances, and the moral limits of presidential power. They explore whether America's military action against Iran is just, legal, or dangerously reckless, while also addressing Israel, regime change, MAGA foreign policy, and the growing risk of a wider global conflict. Join David and Curtis for a thoughtful framework for understanding war in a volatile moment.
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02:32 - Did Anyone See This Coming?
04:51 - Distinguishing Just and Legal Wars
09:25 - Evaluating America's War Against Iran
14:46 - Why Hasn't Congress Acted?
17:59 - Truthfulness of the Administration
22:32 - Potential Consequences of Prolonged War
33:12 - What About the Theory That Trump's War is a Diversion From Personal Scandals?
39:04 - Evangelical Support for Israel
44:08 - Are We Heading Toward World War III?
53:49 - Christian Prayer and Moral Response
Scriptures:
- 1 Timothy 2:1–2 (ESV)
Mentioned in This Episode:
- A primer on Just War Theory
- Augustine and Just War Theory
- The UN Charter Chapter VII, Article 51: the use of force and collective self-defense
- What is the War Powers Resolution?
- Abraham Lincoln'sLetter to Congress: January 12, 1848 (Speech regarding Mexican War)
- Background on U.S. Relations With Iran (1953-2026)
- Background on Operation Praying Mantis
- Impacts of the U.S. killing of Qassem Soleimani
- More about the Lockerbie bombing
- The Ezra Klein Show, March 3 episode: The Great Lie of War
More From David French:
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The Good Faith Podcast is a production of a 501(c)(3) nonpartisan organization that does not engage in any political campaign activity to support or oppose any candidate for public office. Any views and opinions expressed by any guests on this program are solely those of the individuals and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Good Faith.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | As more people push forward with more military force and more places around the globe, |
| 0:06.0 | I'm not predicting this. |
| 0:08.0 | I think it's not likely. |
| 0:10.0 | But Curtis, I'm getting August 1914 vibes and I do not like it. |
| 0:14.6 | We are playing with fire by pushing outward everywhere in so many different fronts with so much military force. At the same time that Russia is doing that, at the same time that China is massing its forces. I'm not saying we're heading towards World War III. I'm not predicting that. I'm just saying that we're playing with fire here. We are playing with fire. We are playing with fire. |
| 0:56.8 | Welcome to the Good Faith podcast, where friends who follow Jesus help each other make sense of the world. |
| 0:58.9 | I'm your host, Curtis Chang. |
| 1:04.1 | This podcast is produced by a nonpartisan 501C3 organization. |
| 1:13.2 | As we record this episode, America's war against Iran is escalating and the implications for the whole world are widening. |
| 1:17.3 | Each day's headlines are filled with another fast-moving development. |
| 1:22.0 | So I'd like to repeat a guiding principle for good faith. |
| 1:23.4 | And that is this. |
| 1:30.9 | Our mission is to help you make sense of the world with a theological depth that is different from what new services provide. |
| 1:34.6 | We are trying to share what's happening in the most up-to-date fashion. |
| 1:40.3 | Instead, we are trying to help you connect what's happening to timeless Christian truths. |
| 1:46.7 | And we're going to do that now about the war against Iran with the help of our founding friend David French, the award-winning columnist at the New York Times. Here's my conversation with |
| 1:52.7 | David. So David, as always, welcome back to the Good Faith podcast. It is so great to be back. |
| 2:04.4 | So, David, I last saw you in person at your glorious home in Chicago, which was so fun. We had such a great time. And, but my goodness, |
| 2:12.2 | since that time, the world has changed and, well, in some kind of disturbing ways. So, uh, and we're talking most |
| 2:19.3 | notably about how Trump has launched America into a war against Iran. And that's what we're |
| 2:25.1 | going to cover here today. But I want to start by asking you, did you see this coming? Like, |
| 2:30.3 | when we were together two weeks ago, would you, was this in your mind at all as a possibility? |
... |
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