ORTHODOX VIEW OF VICTORY AND DEFEAT IN WAR

Abstract

This paper analyses the Orthodox view of victory and defeat in war, which means
that, beside the shared Christian standpoint, it focuses on the peculiarities of Orthodox
Christianity of the issue. The Orthodox view is based on the ideas, beliefs and values
found in the Scriptures, both the Old and New Testament, and the teachings of Church
Fathers, Orthodox Church canons, hagiographic writings of Christian-Orthodox saints,
opinions of Orthodox theologians and philosophers and the views and practices of local
Orthodox Churches. The core of the paper is represented by exposition of spiritual and
moral aspects of war, the Orthodox view of the goal and purpose of war and waging war,
and by solution of tensions between honest combat and victory in war.