1. Clausewitz on Biblical Themes
● Carl von Clausewitz brought
enlightenment thought into the military
realm. His Magnus Opus "On War" has
become a textbook for military
operations.
● Clausewitz is also a child of his
Christian heritage. Throughout "On
War" he makes countless explicit and
implicit references to biblical themes.
● Chaplain Daniel Haas has tracked 22
of those instances down for this
slideshow.

2. Clausewitz on Trinity
War is, therefore, not only a true chameleon, because it changes its nature in
some degree in each particular case, but it is also, as a whole, in relation to the
predominant tendencies which are in it, a wonderful trinity, composed of the
original violence of its elements, hatred and animosity, which may be looked upon
as blind instinct; of the play of probabilities and chance, which make it a free
activity of the soul; and of the subordinate nature of a political instrument, by
which it belongs purely to the reason. (On War, Book 1, Chapter 1)
Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the
Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything
that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of
the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20)

3. Clausewitz on Heaven
Heaven preserve every theorist from such an undertaking! We shall keep to the
world of things in their totality, and not pursue our analysis further than is
necessary from time to time to give distinctness to the idea which we wish to
impart, and which has come to us, not by a speculative investigation, but through
the impression made by the realities of war in their entirety. (On War, Book 3,
Chapter 1)
Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. (Matthew
24:35)

4. Clausewitz on Spirit
The national spirit of an army (enthusiasm, fanatical zeal, faith, opinion,) displays
itself most in mountain warfare, where every one down to the common soldier is
left to himself. On this account, a mountainous country is the best campaigning
ground for a people in arms. (On War, Book 3, Chapter 4)
And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.
(1 Corinthians 13:13)

5. Clausewitz on Blood
Let us not hear of generals who conquer without bloodshed. If a bloody slaughter
is a horrible sight, then that is a ground for paying more respect to war, but not for
making the sword we wear blunter and blunter by degrees from feelings of
humanity, until some one steps in with one that is sharp and lops off the arm from
our body. (On War, Chapter 4, Book 11)
The anointed priest shall take some of the blood of the bull and bring it into the
tent of meeting. The priest shall dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle some of
the blood seven times before the Lord in front of the curtain of the sanctuary.
(Leviticus 4:5-6)

6. Clausewitz on Shepherd
Moreover, at this moment the whole weight of all that is sensuous in an army, its
wants and weaknesses, are dependent on the will of the commander. All the
thousands under his command require rest and refreshment, and long to see a
stop put to toil and danger for the present; only a few, forming an exception, can
see and feel beyond the present moment; (On War, Book 4, Chapter 12)
A second time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He said to
him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Tend my sheep.”
(John 21:16)

7. Clausewitz on Lions
Retreats of great generals and of armies inured to war have always resembled the
retreat of a wounded lion, and such is, undoubtedly, also the best theory. (On
War, Book 4, Chapter 13)
Daniel then said to the king, ‘O king, live for ever! My God sent his angel and shut
the lions' mouths so that they would not hurt me, because I was found blameless
before him; and also before you, O king, I have done no wrong'. (Daniel 6:21-22)

8. Clausewitz on Turning the other Cheek
If we reflect upon the commencement of war philosophically, the conception of
war properly does not originate with the offensive, as that form has for its absolute
object, not so much fighting as the taking possession of something. The idea of
war arises first by the defensive, for that form has the battle for its direct object, as
warding off and fighting plainly are one and the same. (On War, Book 6, Chapter
7)
You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I
say to you, Do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek,
turn the other also; (Matthew 5:38-39)

9. Clausewitz on Sanctuary
As places of refuge for weak or defeated corps. (On War, Book 6, Chapter 10)
These six cities shall serve as refuge for the Israelites, for the resident or transient
alien among them, so that anyone who kills a person without intent may flee there.
(Numbers 35:15)

10. Clausewitz on Kabbalah
but according to the second kind of conception, the possession of the point which
we have called key, cannot be imagined without the possession of the country
following as a necessary consequence; that is plainly, something marvellous,
common sense is no longer sufficient to grasp this, the magic of the occult
sciences must be called into requisition. This cabala came into existence in works
published fifty years ago, and reached its zenith at the end of the last century; (On
War, Book 6, Chapter 23)
For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your
ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:9)

11. Clausewitz on Fortresses
We therefore look upon it as a principle equally simple and important in all cases
in which the defender has one or more fortresses near him, that he should keep
them before him, and give the decisive battle behind them. (On War, Book 6,
Chapter 28)
You who live in the shelter of the Most High, who abide in the shadow of the
Almighty, will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress; my God, in whom I
trust.” (Psalm 91:1-2)

12. Clausewitz on Beatitudes
If we add to this result of experience the substantial importance of the possession
of the surface of the ground in war, then that maxim which has become a proverb,
beati sunt possidentes, holds good here as well as in peace. (On War, Book 6,
Chapter 30)
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:3)

13. Clausewitz on Sieges
Even a general, devoid of either the spirit of enterprise or energy, who would
never make up his mind to a battle, will proceed to undertake a siege with perhaps
nothing but field artillery, when he can approach a fortress without risk. At the
worst he can abandon his undertaking without any positive loss. (On War, Book 6,
Chapter 30)
And in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the
month, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came with all his army against
Jerusalem, and laid siege to it; they built siegeworks against it all around. So the
city was besieged until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah. (2 Kings 25:1-2)

14. Clausewitz on Will
Without an imperious commanding will, the influence of which penetrates through
the whole army, war cannot be well conducted; and whoever would follow the
practice of always expecting the best from his subordinates, would from that very
reason be quite unfit for a good Commander of an army. (On War, Book 6,
Chapter 30)
“Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me; yet, not my will but yours be
done.” (Luke 22:42)

15. Clausewitz on Truth
Where neither system nor any dogmatic apparatus can be found, there may still
be truth, and this truth will then, in most cases, only be discovered by a practised
judgment and the tact of long experience. Therefore, even if history does not here
furnish any formula, we may be certain that here as well as everywhere else, it will
give us exercise for the judgment. (On War, Book 6, Chapter 30)
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the
Father except through me. (John 14:6)

16. Clausewitz on Sin
The act of attack in war, but particularly in that branch which is called strategy, is
therefore a perpetual alternating and combining of attack and defence; but the
latter is not to be regarded as an effectual preparation for attack, as a means by
which its force is heightened, that is to say, not as an active principle, but purely
as a necessary evil; as the retarding weight arising from the specific gravity of the
mass; it is its original sin, its seed of mortality. (On War, Book 7, Chapter 2)
Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells within
me. (Romans 7:20)

17. Clausewitz on Diversion
This is a point which should be kept well in view in every diversion, in order that
we may not dig our own graves. (On War, Book 7, Chapter 20)
They make a pit, digging it out, and fall into the hole that they have made. (Psalm
7:15)

18. Clausewitz on Light
A conquering army is like the light of a lamp in this respect; the more the oil which
feeds it sinks in the reservoir and recedes from the focus of light, the smaller the
light becomes, until at length it is quite extinguished. (On War, Book 7, Chapter
22)
Then all those bridesmaids got up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish said to the
wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ (Matthew 25:7-8)

19. Clausewitz on Providence
The losses on the retreat are increased thereby, and the hitherto successful party
now generally thanks providence if he can escape with only the surrender of all his
gains, without losing some of his own territory. (On War, Book 7, Chapter 22)
just as he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4)

20. Clausewitz on Repentance
When once the mind has taken a decided direction towards an object, or turned
back towards a harbour of refuge, it may easily happen that the motives which in
the one base naturally serve to restrain, and those which in the other as naturally
excite to enterprise, are not felt at once in their full force; (On War, Book 7,
Chapter 22)
Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news
of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near;
repent, and believe in the good news.” (Mark 1:14-15)

21. Clausewitz on Imperfection
We must, therefore, decide to construe war as it is to be, and not from pure
conception, but by allowing room for everything of a foreign nature which mixes up
with it and fastens itself upon it—all the natural inertia and friction of its parts, the
whole of the inconsistency, the vagueness and hesitation (or timidity) of the
human mind: we shall have to grasp the idea that war, and the form which we give
it, proceeds from ideas, feelings, and circumstances, which dominate for the
moment; (On War, Book 8, Chapter 2)
For this perishable body must put on imperishability, and this mortal body must put
on immortality. (1 Corinthians 15:53)

22. Clausewitz on David
Had Frederick the Great gained the Battle of Kollen, and taken prisoners the chief
Austrian army with their two field marshals in Prague, it would have been such a
tremendous blow that he might then have entertained the idea of marching to
Vienna to make the Austrian Court tremble, and gain a peace directly. This, in
these times, unparalleled result, which would have been quite like what we have
seen in our day, only still more wonderful and brilliant from the contest being
between a little David and a great Goliath, might very probably have taken place
after the gain of this one battle; (On War, Book 8, Chapter 3)
Then David ran and stood over the Philistine; he grasped his sword, drew it out of
its sheath, and killed him; then he cut off his head with it. (1 Samuel 17:51)

23. Clausewitz on Soul
In men of an ordinary stamp freedom and activity of mind are depressed not
increased by the sense of danger and responsibility: but where these things give
wings to strengthen the judgment, there undoubtedly must be unusual greatness
of soul. (On War, Book 8, Chapter 3)
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and
with all your might. (Deuteronomy 6:5)