Augustine And Tertullian s Theories On War And Violence

Throughout this course we have gone over numerous different topics and issues that all relate to the Bible. The topics range from Genesis and the different accounts of creation to who founded the African Methodist Episcopal Church. A topic that seems very intriguing is Augustine and Tertullian’s theories on war and violence. This paper will discuss the two main theories on violence in the Christian tradition. Throughout history, Christians have had different perspectives on violence. Some of the accounts are on the pacifist side, while others are on the side that violence is necessary in some instances. The two leading authors on violence are Tertullian and Augustine. Tertullian seems to base his facts more on the Bible, specifically Matthew’s teachings. These teachings based his thinking as to why a person should not commit violence under any circumstances. Augustine bases his teachings off of Saint Thomas Aquinas as well as accounts in the bible. These things helped him create what is known as the â€Å"Just War Theory†. In the end, one can see how Augustine’s â€Å"Just War Theory† is a much more viable option grounded in a Christian tradition which allows for one to practice their faith, but not be pushed around by those looking to forcefully push one away from God. Tertullian was a pacifist, which means he is completely against violence and anything that involves violence, including war. He even disagrees with a military simply for the fact that it involves