What, specifically, constitutes a just war? Clearly no intellectual consensus exists on what rules should apply to such moral considerations. This title discusses how such decisions are justified in different nations, religions and cultures.

Contents: Introduction, Paul Robinson. Jewish, Christian and Islamic Perspectives: Judaism and justice in war, George Wilkes; Catholicism and the just war tradition: the experience of moral value in warfare, Paul Dearey; Justifiable war in eastern orthodox Christianity, Alexander F.C. Webster; The justification of war in Russian history and philosophy, Paul Robinson; War, peace and the imperatives of justice in Islamic perspective: what do the 11 September 2001 attacks tell us about Islam and the just war tradition?, John Kelsay. Eastern Religious Perspectives: Buddhism and the justification of war: a case study from Sri Lanka, Elizabeth J. Harris; Pain but not harm: some classical resources toward a Hindu just war theory, Francis X. Clooney S.J.; Sikhism and just war, Gurharpal Singh. Pre-Modern Perspectives: Inauspicious tools: Chinese thought on the morality of warfare, Thomas M. Kane; The Arabs, the Byzantine state and the Islamic law of war (fiqh al-jihad) (7th-10th centuries CE), Frank R. Trombley; The rules of war in Sub-Saharan Africa, Alexander Moseley. Modern Perspectives: Justifying killing: US army chaplains of World War II, Jenel Virden; Conflicting normative dimensions of justification: the Gulf War, Brendan Howe; Just war and the perspective of ethics of care, Rob van den Toorn; Index.

'Conflicts around the world boldly tell us that issues within military ethics are heavily dependent on national, cultural and religious conditions. 'Just War in Comparative Perspective' is an admirably broad and well-informed collection of case-studies about this comparative matter. For people, both civilian and military, who want to acquire insight into...the diversity of normative thinking about war and warfare, this book definitely turns out to be a major source.' Major Dr. BAYrd MA|land, Editor of Journal of Military Ethics 'No one who seriously wishes to understand the terrorist campaigns of Islamic fundamentalists or the atrocities of ethnic conflict in the former Soviet Union, the sub-continent and Africa, or who wonders what the right response should be, can fail to profit from this book.' Professor Paul Gilbert, University of Hull, UK