The 'just war' tradition in Zimbabwean historiography: Dis(entangling) the Gordian knot between religion and morality of war
Three wars stand out In Zimbabwean historiography with regards to the use and application of the just war tradition. The first was occasioned by the murder of Fr Gonzalo Da Silveira, a Portuguese Jesuit missionary, in 1560. After seeking the advice of the Ecclesiastical Council, the Portuguese King...
| Published in: | Missionalia |
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| Main Author: | |
| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
University of South Africa
[2019]
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| In: |
Missionalia
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| IxTheo Classification: | CG Christianity and Politics KAH Church history 1648-1913; modern history KAJ Church history 1914-; recent history KBN Sub-Saharan Africa NCD Political ethics |
| Online Access: |
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| Summary: | Three wars stand out In Zimbabwean historiography with regards to the use and application of the just war tradition. The first was occasioned by the murder of Fr Gonzalo Da Silveira, a Portuguese Jesuit missionary, in 1560. After seeking the advice of the Ecclesiastical Council, the Portuguese King decided to send an expedition under the leadership of Francisco Barreto to wage war against the Mutapa Empire. Deliberations by the Council hand concluded that the military expedition would constitute a just war'. The second war broke out in 1893, at the instigation of the British South Africa Company (BSAC). This war often referred to as the Matabele war' was a war of conquest against the Ndebele kingdom. Again, the just war' theory was applied. Thirdly, the concept was also utilised in writings by political and Church leaders in support of the Chimurenga/ Umfazo II (1966-1979). In this article, we argue that the three wars fell short of the moral bar to which the just war tradition aspires. Instead, the three wars were geared to and indeed succeeded in, serving parochial and sectarian interests of those behind the war at the expense of the lofty ideals espoused by the just war tradition. The study will rely on available secondary sources that form part of Zimbabwean historiography. |
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| ISSN: | 2312-878X |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Missionalia
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.7832/47-1-301 |