{
  "id": "dict_005958",
  "term": "War and peace",
  "slug": "war-and-peace",
  "letter": "W",
  "entry_type": "theological_term",
  "entry_family": "theological_term",
  "depth_profile": "standard",
  "short_definition": "Broad biblical topic covering warfare, peacemaking, civil authority, and God’s ultimate gift of peace.",
  "simple_one_line": "A biblical theme about war in a fallen world and the call to pursue peace under God’s rule.",
  "tooltip_text": "Scripture treats war as a reality of the fallen world, while peace is God’s gift of reconciliation and ordered well-being.",
  "aliases": [
    "War & Peace"
  ],
  "scripture_references": [],
  "original_language_terms": [],
  "related_entries": [
    "peace",
    "peacemaking",
    "justice",
    "civil government",
    "enemy-love",
    "reconciliation",
    "self-defense",
    "just war"
  ],
  "see_also": [
    "Romans 12",
    "Romans 13",
    "Matthew 5",
    "Isaiah 2",
    "Ephesians 2"
  ],
  "lede_intro": "This entry belongs under the broader biblical theme of war and peace, where Scripture addresses both the reality of conflict and the call to peacemaking.",
  "at_a_glance_definition": "War is a tragic feature of a fallen world; peace is more than the absence of conflict and includes reconciliation with God and others.",
  "at_a_glance_key_points": [
    "Peace is a biblical good, not merely an emotional state.",
    "Believers are commanded to pursue peace and enemy-love.",
    "Scripture also recognizes the role of governing authority in restraining evil.",
    "Christians have differed on pacifism, just war, and self-defense."
  ],
  "description_academic_short": "Biblically, war is a reality in a fallen world, while peace is God’s gift of reconciliation, justice, and well-ordered life under his rule.",
  "description_academic_full": "Scripture presents war and peace within the larger story of creation, fall, redemption, and final restoration. War appears as a grievous feature of a sinful world and, in some passages, as an instrument of divine judgment or civil restraint; it is never the final hope of God’s people. Peace is a richer biblical theme, involving not only the absence of hostility but also reconciliation with God, justice, and the well-being that flows from his righteous rule. Believers are therefore commanded to seek peace, love their enemies, and live honorably in society, while Christians have differed on how biblical teaching applies to warfare, self-defense, and the use of force by governing authorities. Scripture clearly honors peacemaking and locates true peace in God, while allowing careful moral reflection on the limited and accountable use of force.",
  "background_biblical_context": "The Old Testament shows both the reality of war among nations and the hope of lasting peace under the reign of God. The New Testament intensifies the call to peacemaking, enemy-love, and reconciliation through Christ.",
  "background_historical_context": "Christian interpreters have long debated pacifism, just war, and state authority. Evangelical traditions generally affirm peace as the Christian ideal while recognizing that civil government may use force to restrain evil.",
  "background_jewish_ancient_context": "In the ancient world, war was a common reality, and biblical Israel lived among hostile nations. The prophets anticipated a future in which God would establish lasting peace and justice.",
  "key_texts_primary": [
    "Matt 5:9",
    "Matt 5:38-48",
    "Rom 12:18",
    "Rom 13:1-4",
    "John 14:27"
  ],
  "key_texts_secondary": [
    "Isa 2:4",
    "Eph 2:14-17",
    "Jas 3:18",
    "Ps 46:9",
    "Luke 3:14"
  ],
  "original_language_note": "Biblical peace is often expressed by Hebrew shalom and Greek eirēnē, terms that can include wholeness, welfare, reconciliation, and ordered well-being.",
  "theological_significance": "War and peace touch doctrine, ethics, and eschatology. The topic highlights God’s justice, the believer’s call to peacemaking, the role of civil authority, and the future peace Christ will establish.",
  "philosophical_explanation": "The topic raises the question of when, if ever, coercive force may be morally justified in a fallen world. Scripture does not glorify violence, but it does distinguish between personal revenge and lawful restraint of evil.",
  "interpretive_cautions": "Do not equate biblical peace with mere absence of conflict. Do not flatten all Christian views into one position on war, pacifism, or self-defense. Avoid using selective proof texts without attention to context.",
  "major_views_note": "Orthodox Christians have commonly held either pacifist or just-war style convictions, with many also allowing limited self-defense or state force. The entry should present these as interpretive applications, not as the core definition of peace itself.",
  "doctrinal_boundaries": "Scripture commands peacemaking and forbids vengeance, hatred, and reckless violence. It also recognizes governmental responsibility to restrain evil. Any Christian ethic of force must remain accountable to Scripture and subordinate to love of neighbor.",
  "practical_significance": "This topic shapes how believers think about conflict, public life, military service, civil order, reconciliation, and personal conduct. It also calls Christians to pursue peace in the church and with their neighbors.",
  "meta_description": "Bible dictionary entry on war and peace: Scripture’s teaching on conflict, peacemaking, civil authority, and the gift of God’s peace.",
  "public_url": "/companion-bible-dictionary/war-and-peace/",
  "json_url": "/companion-bible-dictionary/data/dictionary/war-and-peace.json",
  "final_disposition": "PUBLISH_CANONICAL"
}