This paper develops a theology of Just Restraint—a virtue capable of governing the unprecedented reach of nuclear strategy, cyberwarfare, and artificial intelligence. Drawing upon the humility of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, the pedagogical spirituality of Blessed Basil Moreau, and the personalist anthropology of Pope John Paul II, the work proposes that restraint is not the negation of power but its sanctification through truth, hope, and love. The essay demonstrates that divine self-limitation—manifest in Creation, the Incarnation, and the Cross—provides the pattern for human moral agency. Rather than viewing technological and geopolitical power through consequentialist frameworks, the paper contends that Christian moral theology offers a constructive alternative: a form of power ordered toward communion. Just Restraint emerges as a virtue that disciplines capability through charity, ensuring that technological achievement serves human dignity and nurtures lasting peace. Structured in five movements, the paper: Establishes the theological and moral crisis of modern power and the role of virtue in technological practice Illuminates the spiritual foundations of restraint through three complementary witnesses (Thérèse, Moreau, John Paul II) Develops a comprehensive theology of Just Restraint as a virtue integrating prudence, temperance, and charity Applies this framework to contemporary crises: nuclear deterrence, cyberwarfare, and artificial intelligence ethics Grounds the virtue in the Cross as the metaphysical and moral pattern for all legitimate human authority This work bridges virtue ethics and nuclear ethics while extending theological analysis into domains of peace studies and technology ethics. It serves scholars, theologians, policymakers, and formation leaders seeking resources for applying Catholic social teaching to emerging technologies and geopolitical challenges.
C. J. Hudson (Tue,) studied this question.