Vol. 7, No. 2 (Summer 2009)
This issue presents 12 consecutive years of the Templeton Lectures on Religion and World Affairs—an initiative that recognized early how religion's resurgence impacts international affairs.
Faith and the Intellectual Firmament of Foreign Affairs
Dennis Hoover Thursday, 4 June 2009
The Templeton Lectures are the product of an early and sustained investment in intellectual leadership that began to rectify the past neglect of religious factors in international relations. [FREE]
Read more: Faith and the Intellectual Firmament of Foreign Affairs
Religion and Civic Virtue at Home and Abroad
George Gallup, Jr. Thursday, 4 June 2009
A proper understanding of society is impossible without an appreciation for the powerful religious dynamic that affects the attitudes and behavior of the populace. (1996)
Religion and Russia’s Future
James Billington Thursday, 4 June 2009
The United States faces significant foreign policy challenges, and several of them involve Russia. Americans need better and deeper interfaith understanding to comprehend Russia's ongoing spiritual struggle. (1997)
Religion and Globalization
James Kurth Thursday, 4 June 2009
What will be the responses of peoples in this new era to the deep insecurities produced by globalization? America's Protestant roots have produced a secularized, individualist creed that dominates today. (1998)
The Coming Transformation of the Muslim-majority World
Dale Eickelman Thursday, 4 June 2009
Both mass education and mass communications have had a profound effect on how people think about religion and politics throughout the Muslim-majority world. (1999)
Read more: The Coming Transformation of the Muslim-majority World
Pope John Paul II and the Dynamics of History
George Weigel Thursday, 4 June 2009
John Paul II has been the most politically consequential pope in centuries, and his "culture-first" reading of history is a sharp challenge to the regnant notions that politics runs history, or economics runs history. (2000)
The Sacred and the Profane: Judaism and International Relations
Harvey Sicherman Thursday, 4 June 2009
Judaism's approach to international relations can be seen through the narrative, rules, and ideas found in the Bible; statecraft in ancient sovereign Israel; and Jewish political thought that shapes the modern state of Israel. (2001)
Read more: The Sacred and the Profane: Judaism and International Relations
The Dignity of Difference: Avoiding the Clash of Civilizations
Jonathan Sacks Thursday, 4 June 2009
In the 21st century we need a new religious paradigm equal to the challenge of living in a diverse society. This paradigm is neither universalism nor tribalism, but a third option: the dignity of difference. (2002) [FREE]
Read more: The Dignity of Difference: Avoiding the Clash of Civilizations
The New Jihad and Islamic Tradition
John Kelsay Thursday, 4 June 2009
Islamic political thought traditionally centers on two great themes: establishing a just public order and notions of honorable combat. For the last 80 years, Islamic political thought has been under stress or under dispute. (2003)
Public Theology and Democracy’s Future
Max Stackhouse Thursday, 4 June 2009
The Judeo-Christian tradition offers two deeply rooted biblical themes that undergird the "principled pluralism" that presses society toward democracy: the recognition of sin and the possibility of covenant. (2004)
Religion, Identity, and Mideast Peace
David Rosen Thursday, 4 June 2009
Institutional religion cannot in itself spearhead a political peace process in the Middle East. However, it is an essential partner in providing the psycho-spiritual glue without which no peace process will hold together. (2005)
Media and Religion in the Arab/Islamic World
S. Abdallah Schleifer Thursday, 4 June 2009
The Arab media seem adverse not only to the broader canons of journalism but also to the Muslim heritage that insists on the accuracy of the word. There are now countervailing trends and alternative perspectives. (2006)
Americanism vs. Islamism: A Personal Perspective
Zuhdi Jasser Thursday, 4 June 2009
The American Muslim community needs to pursue a positive vision consistent with modernity and pluralism. The way for individuals to be closest to God is to live in freedom. (2007)
An Imam and a Pastor Make Peace
Abigail Skeans Thursday, 4 June 2009
A review of The Imam and the Pastor: Responding to Conflict, by Imam Muhammad Nurayn Ashafa and Pastor James Movel Wuye.
Policing for Peace
Daniel Edward Young Thursday, 4 June 2009
A review of Just Policing, Not War: An Alternative Response to World Violence, by Gerald W. Schlabach, editor.