Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
Can religious convictions promote a more moral foreign policy? Do these convictions lead to fanaticism, or do they encourage a new realism about the forces shaping the choices confronting the United States? The contributors to this volume examine these issues and offer insights on a question now at the forefront of American foreign policy.
Synopsis
What role should religion play in shaping and implementing U.S. foreign policy? The dominant attitude over the last half century on the subject of religion and international relations was expressed well by Dean Acheson, Harry Trumans secretary of state: Moral Talk was fine preaching for the Final Day of Judgment, but it was not a view I would entertain as a public servant. Was Acheson right? How a nation commits itself to freedom has long been at the heart of debates about foreign aid, economic sanctions, and military intervention. Moral and faith traditions have much to say about what is required to achieve this end. And after September 11, no one can doubt the importance of religious beliefs in influencing relations among peoples and nations. The contributors to this volume come at the issue from very different perspectives and offer exceptional and unexpected insights on a question now at the forefront of American foreign policy.