This paper wants to answer questions related to the following: different types of war, the purpose and nature of holy war, the secularization of war by the monarchy of Israel, the Old Testament vision of peace, and what can the modern church learn about war from the Old Testament.

Wright surveys the way the early church viewed war. He demonstrates how complex the views were during the period of the early martyrs, i.e. the first three centuries. The prominence of idolatry in the Roman army complicated the attitudes of Christians. The church did not function with a worked-out public ethics.

This article reflects upon the theme of holy war in the Maccabean literature by examining 2 Maccabees and 4 Maccabees. It wants to demonstrate that the martyr theology ultimately has its genesis in the book of Daniel.

This article is about the holy war and the holy peace of church unity.