Saints Light
Social Teaching · Lesson 8 of 8

How Should Christians Think About Peace and War?

Peace is the order that comes from justice and love; war may be used only in strict self-defense, never against the innocent, and every Christian is called to be a peacemaker.

This is a summary of Lesson 8 of Catholic Social Teaching. The full lesson takes about 3 minutes in the Saints Light app.

Saint Martin and the Beggar, a painting by El Greco
Saint Martin and the Beggar, El Greco, 1597-1599

What this lesson teaches

  • Peace is the tranquility of order, the fruit of justice and love, not just the absence of war.
  • Legitimate defense is permitted only under the strict conditions of CCC 2309.
  • Even in war, civilians, the wounded and prisoners must be respected.
  • Peacemaking begins in daily life, and the Gospel must judge our politics, not the reverse.

Catechism paragraphs this lesson cites

  • CCC 2304
  • CCC 2307-2311
  • CCC 2312-2317

CCC means the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Saints Light teaches it in its own words and never quotes it. Look up any paragraph in a printed copy or at vatican.va. See every lesson by paragraph in the Catechism index.

Scripture read in this lesson: Matthew 5:9; Isaiah 2:4 (Isaias 2:4 in Douay-Rheims); John 14:27.

A sample question from this lesson

What does "tranquility of order" mean as a description of peace?

  1. A ceasefire enforced by the strongest nation
  2. The absence of any disagreement among people
  3. The calm that results when justice is done and persons are respected
  4. A balance of weapons between rival powers
Show the answer

The calm that results when justice is done and persons are respected. Peace is more than the absence of war; it is the fruit of justice and love (CCC 2304).

The lesson in the app has three questions, each with an explanation.

Words to know

Tranquility of order
St Augustine's description of peace as the calm that comes from a just and right order.
Just war criteria
The strict conditions under which the use of military force in defense may be morally legitimate.

More terms in the Catholic glossary. More passages in the Scripture index.

Read the full lesson in the app

"How Should Christians Think About Peace and War?" is lesson 8 of Catholic Social Teaching. In Saints Light you get the whole teaching, the Scripture quoted in full, all three questions and a step to live it this week.

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