What is just war theory and how did it relate to Saint Augustine? According to Augustine, there is no private right to kill. According to Paul Ramsey in The Just War, Christian participation in the war "was not really an exception to the commandment 'you shall not kill,' but rather an expression of the Christian understanding of moral and political responsibility." One can only kill under the authority of God. Saint Augustine held that Christian leaders had such an obligation to make peace to protect their subjects, even if the only way to eliminate such a threat was by force of arms. Saint Augustine believed that in wars there was good intention. Augustine also noted that wars should not be fought with hatred but with the desire to defeat evil and injustice. “The wise will wage just wars.” This means they are not fighting just to get paid. Saint Augustine formed the foundation of the just war tradition that has influenced moral and philosophical thinking on military matters in the West ever since. Just war theory deals with the historical set of rules and agreements that have been applied in various wars throughout the ages. The just war tradition is a set of mutually agreed upon rules of combat and can be said to evolve commonly between two culturally similar enemies. Just war theory was about women and children or the treatment of prisoners. Just war has undergone a renaissance primarily in response to the intervention of nuclear weapons. The theory of just war: having good intentions constitutes the condition of moral activity, whatever the consequences envisaged or provoked, and independently or despite any personal interest in the action that the agent may have. When a just war is waged, the military...... middle of paper...... 1992). War and Peace. Everyone.Anscombe, Elizabeth. (1981) “War and Murder”. In ethics, religion and politics. University of Minnesota Press. pp. 51-71. Dockrill, Michael and Barrie Paskins (1979). The ethics of war. Robinson, Paul ed., (2003) Just War in Comparative Perspective. Ashgate. Walzer, Michael (1978). Just and unjust wars. Basic books. "Religious_Studies - Just War Theory." Tutor2u | Economy | Business studies | Politics | Sociology | History | Law | Marketing | Accounting | Business strategy. Internet. April 6, 2011. "Time for war? | Christianity today | A magazine of evangelical conviction." ChristianityToday.com | Magazines, news, church leadership and Bible studies. Internet. April 6. 2011. .