Seelsorger Volume 4 A Word to Sheepdogs a century ago the vacant stares of young doughboys returning from the hell-holes of the trenches in France were telltale signs of what was then labeled “shell shock.” In every war since, those who endure the atrocities of warfare have shown various degrees of the same phenomenon. Now we give it a more sophisticated label: “post traumatic stress disorder.” Most soldiers, Christian or not, need help coping with their wartime experiences. Dr. Maj. (ret.) Harold Ristau, who pastored soldiers on the battlefelds of Afghanistan as a chaplain in the Canadian Armed Forces, charts the direction for responsible pastoral care of those who answer the call to take life in order to protect life. Outlining the parameters of Luther’s masterful “Two Kingdoms” theology derived from Augustine’s magisterial The City of God, Harold Ristau lays a foundation for responsible pastoral care of deployed soldiers and veterans alike. God calls on certain citizens to defend life by taking the lives of would-be attackers. Yet you can’t just walk away from killing someone as if nothing has happened. A theologian of the cross calls a thing what it actually is, Dr. Luther reminded us. Careful pastoral care never whitewashes sin and shame, but erases it in the shed blood of Jesus. For good measure, Pastor Ristau provides several instances of how he treated souls burdened with the residue of the fog of war. Reading this essay will help you immensely — whether you’ve ever pulled a trigger on another fellow human or merely are called to convey a clean conscience to those who are dealing with the spiritual aftermath of that terrible (yet essential) God-given vocation. Dr. H. L. Senkbeil 76 The Pastoral Care of Killers The Pastoral Care of Killers: The utility of Luther’s theology of the two kingdoms to the moral, spiritual and psychological considerations of engaging in a just war Harold Ristau Adapted from a keynote lecture delivered in ntioninette Dominican College Department of Philosophy, “On Christian Killing” during their annual Symposium on Just War Theory. ost pastors serve at least a couple of soldiers or veterans in their congregations. Counseling them requires not so much a unique set of Mskills as it does a mature appreciation for the complexity involved in our con- ficting vocational identities. Christian soldiers suffer a unique set of chal- lenges when recovering from the experiences of war, such as killing. As a retired military chaplain who has served extensively as a frst responder and counselor in the Middle East, having also spent several years in the train- ing system exploring the way soldiers are trained to cope with the mental and spiritual consequences of being killers, I have found Dr. Martin Luther’s observations regarding the relationship between the two kingdoms to be an indispensable tool in offering this kind of pastoral care and counseling. Whether Soldiers, Too, Can Be Saved The issues that soldiers face today with regards to their identity as killers were very much the same during the late medieval period, when Luther was prompted to write Whether Soldiers, Too, Can Be Saved in 1526. Most people think Luther’s main opponent was the Pope, but he was equally 77 Seelsorger Volume 4 critical of what we would today call Luther’s view of the two kingdoms “generic Protestantism.” He was not helps answer the question as to a radical reformer. His reformation whether there is a moral or Christian was a conservative one in that it piv- way of killing. In doing so, we must oted around one single question of delve into questions of Luther on vo- doctrine. In fact, he was sometimes cation, which is highly infuenced by viewed by colleagues as a “papist” St. Augustine. I suppose the wider due to his conservative approach to question is: considering the com- church and polity regarding sacra- plexities of being a soldier, can Chris- ments, liturgy, governance, and so tian theology help a soldier reconcile forth. Yet it was his view of forensic the obvious timeless metaphysical justifcation or imputed righteous- contradictions inherent to soldier- ness that distinguished him from ing and war, while also offering them the Roman concept of grace as an practical tools in coping with the infused righteousness (that is, that struggles of conscience, when mani- I cannot one spiritually progresses through a fested in individual guilt and lack of count stratum of increasing degrees of ho- faith in the mission, and if so, how? liness). Luther’s belief that sinners The frst half of this paper focuses on how many were declared completely righteous Luther’s theology of two kingdoms soldiers by Christ as the basis for salvation and its origins, while the second half have said or distinguished him not only from on the practical applications to war implied to Rome, but from other protestant and soldiering. movements as well. If individuals Whether Soldiers, Too, Can Be me, “Padre, were truly saved by grace without Saved was written to a counselor to what does anything worthy to point to within a protestant duke who appears to themselves, Luther believed that his God think have been troubled in conscience forensic understanding of justifca- and unable to reconcile his confes- about what tion was the only option. Both the sion of the Christian faith with his I do for a Roman Catholics’ view of salvation profession as a soldier. The pacifst and the non-Lutheran protestant living?” Anabaptists took the position that a understanding of salvation (contin- Christian could not bear arms under gent upon some version of fulflling any circumstances asking: “How can the requirements of the law in sanc- a Christian practice such obviously tifcation), demonstrated a huge unholy and ‘unchristian’ jobs?” I difference in this regard. The con- cannot count how many soldiers fessional writings of the Lutheran have said or implied to me, “Padre, church clearly demarcate the early what does God think about what I do Lutherans from both camps, as they for a living?” perceived the same error ironically manifested: confusion of the two Years ago, in Afghanistan, I served realms of faith and works, or two as chaplain for numerous helicopter kinds of righteousness, with serious repair technicians who saw noth- soteriological consequences. Yet in ing of war outside of a hangar, but the case of ethics and war Luther struggled intensely with their role in was much more allied with Roman contributing to a war effort in which Catholics, and against the Anabap- they were no longer sure they could tist protestants. support, based on lack of situational awareness coupled with constant exposure to one-sided media report- 78 The Pastoral Care of Killers age. But even in the case of a just (Rom 13:1) and does not want war, the questions were always re- men to say or think that they have duced to how one can live with an invented it or instituted it. For the ethic of love, or North American val- hand that wields this sword and ues, and yet help shoot other peo- kills with it is not man’s hand, but ple. I think we could all agree that God’s; and it is not man, but God, the question is worth losing some who hangs, tortures, beheads, sleep over. kills, and fghts. All these are 1 Yet Martin Luther responds with the God’s works and judgments. classic argument of war as legalized use of violence as a necessary evil A Holy Ofce in maintaining order. Luther affrms Luther continues by discussing how the legitimacy of the military profes- a soldier must execute his God-given sion by identifying it with the divine offce assuming that “it’s a dirty job institution of the sword to punish but someone must do it.” Although evil, protect the good, and preserve the argument is not unique, the way peace. Now Luther candidly ad- that Luther justifes it is. He not only mits that the military calling can be tolerates the position of soldier but abused, but misuse by no means in- exalts it to the level of a holy offce/ validates its legitimacy and function. vocation/calling in the way he sees Luther views just war in terms of self people as instruments of God even defense (which would include, today, in killing!2 In late medieval Catholi- pre-emptive strikes) and applies the cism, if priesthood was the highest same logic to justifcation of violence offce in the spiritual strata, soldier- by police forces. After all, a ruler is ing or executing would have tied at charged by God to defend and pro- the bottom with peasantry. Among tect his people when they are at- Anabaptists, it disqualifed you from tacked, and to do this he needs sol- the heavenly kingdom since Jesus diers who serve him: preached forgiveness, not revenge, What men write about war, say- turn the other cheek, and so forth. ing that it is a great plague, is all But the way in which Luther makes true. But they should also con- distinctions between the person sider how great the plague is that and the offce that he holds, ac- war prevents. If people were good companied by the corollaries of his and wanted to keep peace, war forensic justifcation (such as the would be the greatest plague on principle of universal priesthood), al- earth. But what are you going to lows him to elevate these offces as do about the fact that people will places equally dignifed as those of not keep the peace, but rob, steal, clergy.