Source: (2001) In Response to James Turner Johnson’s lecture ‘Can Force be Used Justly?’ The 2001 Kuyper Lecture. November. Fordon Collenge, Wenham, MA. Downloaded 5 May 2003.
In this paper, Kenneth Johnson responds to James Johnson’s paper, “Can force be used justly? Questions of retributive and restorative justice.â€? Both papers were contributions to the 2001 Kuyper Lecture at Gordon College, Wenham, Massachusetts. K. Johnson states he is largely in agreement with J. Johnson’s criticism of an uncritical Christian pacifism. Thus, K. Johnson believes that the Bible morally permits, and even commands, the use of force under certain conditions, though he readily admits the moral ambiguities of force may make matters worse despite good intentions and extensive planning. In this framework K. Johnson examines the moral aspects of the use of force in relation to the administration of justice, domestically and internationally, with particular attention to retributive and restorative justice.
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