The Business of War: Theological and Ethical Reflections on the Military-Industrial Complex

by James McCarty, Jonathan Tran (Foreword), Matthew Tapie (Editor)

• Explores the connections between global capitalism, the military-industrial complex in the United States, and never-ending warfare • Provides Christian interpretations and responses to the moral problem that is "the business of war" in the 21st century • Provides in-depth analyses of the theological, historical, economic, and political aspects of the military-industrial complex • Suggests Christian ways of responding to "the business of war" in our personal, church, social, and political lives The Business of War incisively interrogates the development and contemporary implications of the military-industrial complex. It exposes the moral dangers of life in neoliberal economies dependent upon war-making for their growth and brings the Christian tradition's abundance of resources into conversation with this phenomenon. In doing so, the authors invite us to rethink the moral possibilities of Christian life in the present day with an eye toward faithful resistance to "the business of war" and its influence in every aspect of our lives. In combining biblical, historical, theological, and ethical analyses of "the business of war," the authors invite us to better understand it as a new moral problem that demands a new, faithful response. With contributions Pamela Brubaker Stan Goff Christina McRorie Logan Mehl-Laituri Kara Slade Won Chul Shin David Swartz Jonathan Tran Myles Werntz Matthew Whelan Tobia Winright "The Business of War is full of theologically critical, morally challenging, and epistemologically innovative voices! The superb collection of well-argued and researched essays disrupts the conventional wisdom about the necessity of the military for peace by revealing that war has been always a lucrative profit-making business. Retrieving Christianity's long history of resistance to war, the book presents the possibilities of peace, embodied by audacious and compassionate peace activists since the birth of Christianity." --Keun-Joo Christine Pae, Associate Professor of Religion/Ethics, Chair of the Religion Department, Denison University "Every now and then one reads a book that raises up fresh questions in an enlightening way, and even offers thoughtful alternatives for addressing the questions. This collection of essays does just it prompts Christians to think about the moral aspects of the U.S. military-industrial complex and it provides signposts for charting a moral path through the morass. A very worthwhile read." --Kenneth R. Himes, OFM, Professor of Theological Ethics, Boston College "This book is about an urgent moral war is a wildly profitable and growing business. Most of us who are complicit in this problem do not think about it nearly often or deeply enough, but The Business of War offers the tools needed for Christians to take up that thoughtful analysis of the roots of the problem, accounts of its impacts on human lives and the world around us today, and paths of resistance and protest. This is an excellent, important book." --Kevin J. O'Brien, Dean of the Division of Humanities and Professor of Christian Ethics, Pacific Lutheran University

280 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 1, 2020