War has been a part of human existence since the dawn of time. No civilization has risen to power and influence without the brutality of war. From the ancient Egyptians to Alexander the Great’s expansive empire; from the Crusades of the Middle Ages to today’s religious wars in the Middle East. We fought a war to end all wars but ended up fighting another world war not even a generation later. War is a dark reality in the human experience.

Christians are called to live in a new reality, that of the Kingdom of God. But it’s difficult to reconcile that invisible reality with the one that we see. Of course, there is the hope that one day all will be made right, but the pain and suffering of our present reality is still a difficult one to live through. And yet it is one which Christians are called to.

Today, we’re starting a new series on war and violence. In this episode, we ask: How does the Bible depict war? How did the idea of “just war” develop and is there a theological foundation for it in our modern age? All that and more in this edition of the podcast.