FAITH-BASED DIPLOMACY by Douglas M. Johnston (Editor) ( 9780195160895 )

Item Details

Title:

FAITH-BASED DIPLOMACY
TRUMPING REALPOLITIK

By:

Douglas M. Johnston (Editor)

Format:

Hardback

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£41.99

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£40.73

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ISBN 10:

0195160894

ISBN 13:

9780195160895

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Publisher:

OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS INC

Pub. date:

1 March, 2003

Pages:

286

Description:

The continued exclusion of religious considerations from the diplomatic enterprise contributes to the inability to communicate across the divide that currently separates the religious world of Islam and the quasi-seculr world of the West. The same holds true of other hotspots around the globe where religion plays a key role in ongoing conflicts. This book suggests a way to bridge the gap by means of a "faith-based diplomacy" that blends religious insights andinfluence with the practice of international politics. This activity, say the authors, cannot be controlled by governments - their political agendas would compromise the integrity of such initiatives - but it is something they can reinforce and build upon to good effect in the right circumstances. Afterpresenting this argument, the book goes on to offer close analyses of five of the world's most intractable conflicts (Sri Lanka, Bosnia, Sudan, Kashmir, and Israel/Palestine) in which the authors attempt to establish guideposts that can help point the way for faith-based intervention in these troubled places. Faith-Based Diplomacy will function as a sequel to Douglas Johnston's groundbreaking collection Religion, the Mission Dimension of Statecraft, which pioneered the studyof the role of the religion in conflict resolution.

Synopsis:

For most of the twentieth century, the most critical concerns of national security have been balance of power politics and the global arms race. The attacks of September 11, 2001 and the motives behind them, however, demand a radical break with this tradition. If the United States is to prevail in its long-term contest with extremist Islam, it will need to re-examine old assumptions, expand the scope of its thinking to include religion and other "irrational" factors, and be willing to depart from past practice. A purely military response in reaction to such attacks will simply not suffice. What will be required is a long-term strategy of cultural engagement, backed by a deeper understanding of how others view the world and what is important to them. In non-Western cultures, religion is a primary motivation for political actions. Historically dismissed by Western policymakers as a divisive influence, religion in fact has significant potential for overcoming the obstacles that lead to paralysis and stalemate. The incorporation of religion as part of the solution to such problems is as simple as it is profound. It is long overdue.This book looks at five intractable conflicts and explores the possibility of drawing on religion as a force for peace. It builds upon the insights of Religion, the Missing Dimension of Statecraft (OUP,1994)-which examined the role that religious or spiritual factors can play in preventing or resolving conflict-while achieving social change based on justice and reconciliation. The world-class authors writing in this volume suggest how the peacemaking tenets of five major world religions can be strategically applied in ongoing conflicts in which those religions are involved. Finally, the commonalities and differences between these religions are examined with an eye toward further applications in peacemaking and conflict resolution.

Illustrations:

3 maps

Publication:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press Inc

Returns:

Returnable

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