Reviewed in the United States on March 5, 2018
David Kopel's monumental book, The Morality of Self-Defense and Military Action — [ in] the Judeo-Christian Tradition has not received the attention it deserves. This is a well-researched and magnificently written tome. Kopel has been able to explicate objectively a difficult and controversial theological and political topic in an eloquent, logical, and enthralling fashion.
The morality of individual self-defense and engagement in collective military action are discussed succinctly and engagingly in this book, as it pertains to the Judeo-Christian inheritance of Western civilization. Kopel, who is not a philosopher, ethicist, or moralist, but a civil rights attorney and a constitutional law professor has achieved, what other experts have tried to accomplish but failed because of preconceived notions, unbending and selective interpretation of Biblical passages, as well as immersion in theological obscurantism. Fortunately, this is not so with Kopel's more tolerant approach.
The book is divided into two major parts: Part 1 deals with the Old Testament and the Jews and proceeds chronologically with the history of the Israelites, the problem of violence in the Hebrew Bible, the Old Prophets, the Diaspora, the Holocaust, and modern Israel. Part 2 discusses the New Testament, the Apostles and continues with Rome, the Middle Ages, the Reformation, the major revolutions (including the American Revolution), and concludes with modern Christianity, the Quakers, and modern Pacifism.
This book is momentous, not just because of important theoretical or academic considerations, but perhaps more opportunely for practical and more down-to-earth reasons: Too many thugs deny by their actions that human life is sacred, crime is rampant, and Islamic terrorists continue to carry acts of savagery throughout the world. Innocent civilians are subject to mass shootings by derange killers, and suicide bombings and increasingly being plowed over by deadly moving vehicles driven by terrorists. Christians in particular are subject to selective terrorists attacks in foreign lands. And yet we are constantly being told that citizens should not respond with violence to these frequently deadly and unprovoked attacks. Christian Scripture is often cited as invoking pacifism —e.g., "If someone slaps you on the right cheek, offer the other cheek also (Matthew 5:39). Kopel does not deny that some Biblical evidence can be found to support seemingly contradictory points, but he also reminds us that Scripture must be interpreted in its totality. Thus moral points can not be made by isolated passages. Kopel writes: "... attempting to show that much of what the Bible has to say about the legitimacy and illegitimacy of violence can be read in a variety of ways all of which are reasonable good-faith interpretations."
Conclusions, though, based on the totality of the Scriptures, both in the words and actions of the religious leaders, can be drawn about the morality of self defense and participation in wars. Kopel's conclusion is that self-defense is not only a personal right but even more importantly a moral duty, especially when protecting others. And as far as nations and soldiers, to fight a just war, as defined by St. Augustine and expounded upon by St. Thomas Aguinas, to thwart aggression and prevent the imposition of evil governments, is not only a permissible responsibility, but also a moral duty of soldiers to preserve benevolent societies and eventually bringing about lasting peace. In the modern world good citizens in general have the right to armed self-defense, and persecuted Jews and Christians in particular have the moral duty to defend themselves and their families from terrorists in this very dangerous world. I agree.
This book is highly recommended for those interested in the gun control and gun rights debate, as well as moral philosophers, lawyers, sociologists, criminologist, and the lay public.
Miguel A. Faria, M.D., Associate Editor in Chief in socioeconomics, politics, medicine, and world affairs of Surgical Neurology International (SNI). Miguel A. Faria, M.D., Associate Editor in Chief in socioeconomics, politics, medicine, and world affairs of Surgical Neurology International (SNI). His upcoming book is America, Guns, and Freedom — A Journey Into Politics and the Public Health & Gun Control Movements (2019).
