God in the Midst of Human Warfare Joseph C
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Seton Hall University eRepository @ Seton Hall Theses 12-2009 God in the Midst of Human Warfare Joseph C. Udeze Seton Hall University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarship.shu.edu/theses Recommended Citation Udeze, Joseph C., "God in the Midst of Human Warfare" (2009). Theses. 202. https://scholarship.shu.edu/theses/202 SETON HALL UNIVERSITY GOD IN THE MIDST OF HUMAN WARFARE A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF JEWISH-CHRISTIAN STUDIES IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENT FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS DEPARTMENT OF JEWISH-CHRISTIAN STUDIES BY UDEZE, JOSEPH .c. SOUTH ORANGE, NEW JERSEY DECEMBER, 2009 DEDICATION THIS THESIS IS DEDICATED TO ALL LOVERS OF PEACE AND SOCIAL ACTIVISTS AROUND THE WORLD Approved ~C~~,.tL Mentor ~__________''71" __r{. __~~~~~~.~~~ ____ ~#"j____ . / ~,,,;7/, I tCJ ~lit? Member ofthe Thesis Committee Date /' ~~~__~~________~&I~AI &r Member ofthe Thesis Committee Date 1 I I Acknowledgements 1 I Since no one tree makes a forest, I consider it worthwhile to express my profound I appreciation to all who faciJitated the accomplishment of this work. First of all, I am I grateful to God for his blessings and protection all through the course of my studies in ! Seton Hall University in New Jersey, United States of America. My unalloyed gratitude goes I to my mentor and moderator, Rev. Dr. Lawrence Frizzell, who adeptly supervised and guided this work to a completion. I thank him immensely particularly for his love, patience, understanding and painstaking attitude during the course of this study. I am in no small measure indebted to all my professors, especially those of the Department of Jewish- Christian Studies. I thank Rabbi (Dr.) Asher Finkel, Rabbi (Dr.) Brill and Rev. (Dr.) David Bossman, I say bravo! to them all, for taking me "around the globe" through their powerful methodologies in handing down their wealth of knowledge to the students. I really feel enriched and privileged meeting all of you during the course of my studies at Seton Hall. Jay Wolferman is another humble and good man that I will never skip, he was so available and ready to help at all calls. I thank my Superior Very Rev.fr. Emmanuel Edeh and the entire management and staff of Judeo-Christian Studies, for facilitating my studies financially and other supports which made this endeavor a reality. Finally, I feel indebted to my Pastor and mentor, Rev. Dr. Bob Antczak, for offering the moral support and understanding that inspired this work. May God replenish your efforts. 1 Abstract Violence (as inappropriate use of force) is a tendency in Man that is learnt and so can be eradicated through training and positive thinking. It is basically a disease of the enviranment polluted by man's rebellion against his Creator whose loving kindness humans sometimes overlook as weakness. Violence/war is an abuse and rejection of the divine gift of peaceful existence to man. It is a refusal to I acknowledge the divine wisdom that wrought the beauty of unity in diversity in human existence. It is l therefore the product of man's false freedom that turns against him and puts him in danger of extermination. So in vain do the nations amass sophisticated nuclear and biological warheads, in vain do I religious sects defend their stances for either support or condemnation of war and conflicts, and in vain do philosophers and thinkers of our epoch produce theories and logic, the truth is that humanity needs peace as in shalom, a holistic concept of peace that takes care of the common good and tranquility in all its aspects. God's involvement/intervention in this predicament of human beings flows out of his hesed (loving-kindness) and his concern for the salvation of the innocent and the defense of the defenseless. Abbreviations Deut ........................................................................ Deuteronomy. Col .......................................................................... Colossians Eph ........................................................................................Ephesians Exod .......................................................................... Exodus Ezek .......................................................................... Ezekiel Gen ......................................................................... Genesis. Hos .......................................................................... Hosea Isa ............................................................................. Isaiah Jer .............................................................................. Jeremiah Joel .............................................................................. Joel Josh ............................................................................ Joshua. Judg ............................................................................. judges. JWT ..............................................................................just War Theory. Kgs ............................................................................... Kings. Lev ............................................................................... Leviticus. Lk.................................................................................. Luke. Matt.................................................................................................Matthew. Num ................................................................................ Numbers O.I.C ......................................................... Organization of Islamic Countries. Ps .................................................................................. Psalms Rom .............................................................................. Romans Sam ................................................................................ Samuel BCE ............................................................................. Before Common Era. JBL. ........................................................................ journal of Biblical Literature. RSV ............................................................................... Revised Standard Version. TRC.................................. (South African) Truth and Reconciliation Commission. I S.l.D.I.C ........................... Service International de Documentation judeo-chnftienne. NATO ................................................................. North Atlantic Treaty Organization. U.N.O .................................................................. United Nations Organization. U.S.A........................................................................ United States of America. UNESCO .............................. United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization. UNICEF ................... The United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund. TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction........................................................................................................................1 Cbapter I: God's Involvement in the Act of Human Warfare 1.1 Explication oftbe Concepts of War and Scope of Tbis Study...................................7 1:2 Etymology oftbe Term "War" And Its Implications.................................................l0 1:3. Semantic Articulation oftbe Term-War...................................................................19 1:4. Causes ofWar..............................................................................................................22 1:5. Woes of Human Warfare on Our Society...............................................................26 1:6. Morality ofWar..............................................................................................................31 Cbapter II: Holy Warriors 2:1 Holy War...........................................................................................................................42 2:2: Ho]yWarTbeory...........................................................................................................49 2:3: Holy War in Judaism........................................................................................................58 .:. The Divine Warrior...................................................................................................60 .:. Distinctiveness oftbe Israelite War Motifs from Tbeir Neigbbors....................65 .. Herem...........................................................................................................................70 2:7: Islamic Appraisal of Holy War.........................................................................................82 Cbapter III: Just War Tbeory 3.1: Just War Ethic (A Historical Perspective)....................................................................93 3:2. Major Content of Just War Ethics....................................................................................100 3.3: JUs Ad Bellum ....................................................................................................................103 .:. SelfDefense............................... tI •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• , •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••105 .:. Legitimacy ofAuthority.................................................................................................107 .:. Right Intention................................................................................................................109 .:. Last Resort........................................................................................................................110 .:. Principle