There is something deeply uncomfortable about watching a government official invoke the name of Jesus Christ whilst praying for "overwhelming violence" against an enemy. Yet that is precisely what has been playing out at the highest levels of power. At monthly Christian worship services hosted inside the world's most powerful military headquarters, prayers have been offered asking God to let every round find its mark against "the enemies of righteousness," and for troops to deliver justice without remorse against those who "deserve no mercy." These prayers have been offered in the name of Christ, drawing on the Psalms and Scripture to frame active military campaigns as divinely sanctioned missions. Whatever one thinks of the politics, the theology deserves scrutiny, because this is not a minor distortion of the Gospel. It is a direct contradiction of it. The Pope has said exactly that. In his Palm Sunday homily, before tens of thousands of faithful gat...