The Conor Gallagher Show Just War Theory: Regime Change, Nukes, and Defense | Msgr. Stuart Swetland
Apr 6, 2026
Monsignor Stewart Swetland, a Catholic priest, moral theologian, and former U.S. naval officer, reflects on Just War theory from Augustine to modern conflicts. He discusses proportionality, nuclear deterrence, the morality of WWII bombings, drones and targeted killing, NATO obligations, immigration policy, and the moral limits of warfare in today’s world.
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How Just War Emerged From Early Christian Context
- Just war developed as a theological solution allowing Christians to defend the innocent once military oaths to emperors ceased to require emperor-divinity allegiance.
- Monsignor Stewart Swetland traces Ambrose, Augustine, and Basil shaping a duty to defend innocents, grounding modern international law like Geneva and Nuremberg.
The Six Criteria That Make A War Just
- The just war formula requires just cause, last resort, right intention, legitimate authority, probability of success, and proportionality.
- Swetland uses WWII and the Kuwait liberation to illustrate each element and limits like refusing unconditional surrender.
Regularize Longstanding Immigration Before Mass Enforcement
- When a nation has long tolerated unenforced laws, craft regularization rather than abrupt mass enforcement to avoid grave injustices.
- Swetland suggests pathways to legalize long-standing undocumented residents while tightening future border control.
