Gary Scott Smith
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- January 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780195300604
- eISBN:
- 9780199785285
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195300604.003.0011
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
Although George W. Bush is not more personally devout than Woodrow Wilson or Jimmy Carter, religious issues have played an even more important role in his presidency than for any of his predecessors. ...
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Although George W. Bush is not more personally devout than Woodrow Wilson or Jimmy Carter, religious issues have played an even more important role in his presidency than for any of his predecessors. The impact of Bush’s faith is evident in his personality, rhetoric, campaigns, appointments, and policies. It has helped shape his electoral strategy, his political agenda, and his relationship with domestic constituencies and leaders of other nations. The nature of his personal faith, the many religious factors involved in his campaigns, and the influence of his religious convictions on his policies have provoked an immense amount of discussion, debate, and disagreement. More than that of any other president, his White House is filled with individuals who have strong faith commitments. Bush has been frequently accused of being a Christian zealot who wants to remake America in accordance with his own religious views, as evident in his domestic agenda, political appointments, and approach to international relations. Detractors also protest that many of Bush’s policies and his belief that he is God’s instrument violate First Amendment guarantees of church-state separation and are extremely dangerous. Bush faithfully reads the Bible and stresses the power of prayer. The support Bush received from evangelicals and conservative Catholics contributed significantly to his narrow victories in the 2000 and 2004 elections. Bush’s faith played a major role in his promotion of compassionate conservatism and faith-based initiatives. The war on terrorism and the invasion and occupation of Iraq have provoked substantial debate among America’s religious communities. Critics and supporters reach dramatically different conclusions about Bush’s faith and its effect on his presidency. Some argue that Bush’s faith is insincere, hypocritical, and a political cover for his right-wing agenda. Others counter that his faith has sustained him during crises, strengthened his resolve, increased his courage, confidence, and compassion, and shaped his policies in many positive ways.Less
Although George W. Bush is not more personally devout than Woodrow Wilson or Jimmy Carter, religious issues have played an even more important role in his presidency than for any of his predecessors. The impact of Bush’s faith is evident in his personality, rhetoric, campaigns, appointments, and policies. It has helped shape his electoral strategy, his political agenda, and his relationship with domestic constituencies and leaders of other nations. The nature of his personal faith, the many religious factors involved in his campaigns, and the influence of his religious convictions on his policies have provoked an immense amount of discussion, debate, and disagreement. More than that of any other president, his White House is filled with individuals who have strong faith commitments. Bush has been frequently accused of being a Christian zealot who wants to remake America in accordance with his own religious views, as evident in his domestic agenda, political appointments, and approach to international relations. Detractors also protest that many of Bush’s policies and his belief that he is God’s instrument violate First Amendment guarantees of church-state separation and are extremely dangerous. Bush faithfully reads the Bible and stresses the power of prayer. The support Bush received from evangelicals and conservative Catholics contributed significantly to his narrow victories in the 2000 and 2004 elections. Bush’s faith played a major role in his promotion of compassionate conservatism and faith-based initiatives. The war on terrorism and the invasion and occupation of Iraq have provoked substantial debate among America’s religious communities. Critics and supporters reach dramatically different conclusions about Bush’s faith and its effect on his presidency. Some argue that Bush’s faith is insincere, hypocritical, and a political cover for his right-wing agenda. Others counter that his faith has sustained him during crises, strengthened his resolve, increased his courage, confidence, and compassion, and shaped his policies in many positive ways.
Rebecca Sager
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- February 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780195391763
- eISBN:
- 9780199866304
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195391763.003.0002
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
Since 1996 states have created a variety of faith‐based practices, such as adding faith‐based members to advisory boards or creating programs that help faith‐based groups write grant applications. ...
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Since 1996 states have created a variety of faith‐based practices, such as adding faith‐based members to advisory boards or creating programs that help faith‐based groups write grant applications. This chapter explores the history of early implementation at the state level. The data show three main ways states have altered government culture to increase the access and information going to faith‐based groups: by creating faith‐based liaison positions, by passing faith‐based legislation, and by offering faith‐based conferences. This chapter also outlines the story behind the original implementation at the state‐level, starting with Texas and then Governor George Bush, and the subsequent spread to many states, in many different forms.Less
Since 1996 states have created a variety of faith‐based practices, such as adding faith‐based members to advisory boards or creating programs that help faith‐based groups write grant applications. This chapter explores the history of early implementation at the state level. The data show three main ways states have altered government culture to increase the access and information going to faith‐based groups: by creating faith‐based liaison positions, by passing faith‐based legislation, and by offering faith‐based conferences. This chapter also outlines the story behind the original implementation at the state‐level, starting with Texas and then Governor George Bush, and the subsequent spread to many states, in many different forms.
Heidi Rolland Unruh and Ronald J. Sider
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- October 2005
- ISBN:
- 9780195161557
- eISBN:
- 9780199835836
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195161556.003.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
Religious entities play a vital though limited role in our social safety net. The majority of congregations engage in community-serving activities, though their commitments tend to be shallow. Four ...
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Religious entities play a vital though limited role in our social safety net. The majority of congregations engage in community-serving activities, though their commitments tend to be shallow. Four currents in the broader political and social setting have particular implications for understanding faith-based social services: devolution, faith-based initiatives, changing norms for religion in public life, and ambivalence toward evangelism. Shifting patterns in church-state relations have generated both opportunities and uncertainties. This dynamic context invites a fresh conceptual framework for interpreting churches' public engagement. In particular, new language is needed to describe the “faith factor” that has meaning outside of the religious community, but does not reduce faith to a product of other social variablesLess
Religious entities play a vital though limited role in our social safety net. The majority of congregations engage in community-serving activities, though their commitments tend to be shallow. Four currents in the broader political and social setting have particular implications for understanding faith-based social services: devolution, faith-based initiatives, changing norms for religion in public life, and ambivalence toward evangelism. Shifting patterns in church-state relations have generated both opportunities and uncertainties. This dynamic context invites a fresh conceptual framework for interpreting churches' public engagement. In particular, new language is needed to describe the “faith factor” that has meaning outside of the religious community, but does not reduce faith to a product of other social variables
Heidi Rolland Unruh and Ronald J. Sider
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- October 2005
- ISBN:
- 9780195161557
- eISBN:
- 9780199835836
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195161556.003.0012
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
Research on the “faith factor” in solving social problems should take into account the complexity of the religious dynamics of social action. More nuanced understandings of the role of religion in ...
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Research on the “faith factor” in solving social problems should take into account the complexity of the religious dynamics of social action. More nuanced understandings of the role of religion in public life are needed for accurate assessments of the risks and rewards of faith-based initiatives—shifting the focus from whether to how government should partner with faith-based social services. Well-crafted public policy can expand the civic contributions of religious groups with a public mission to serve society. As some Christians emphasize social service as a vehicle for evangelism, it is important to learn whether conversionist, socially engaged churches represent a growing movement. The “both-and” paradigm of a holistic mission orientation bridges the conservative-liberal dualism that has long characterized American Protestantism. Less
Research on the “faith factor” in solving social problems should take into account the complexity of the religious dynamics of social action. More nuanced understandings of the role of religion in public life are needed for accurate assessments of the risks and rewards of faith-based initiatives—shifting the focus from whether to how government should partner with faith-based social services. Well-crafted public policy can expand the civic contributions of religious groups with a public mission to serve society. As some Christians emphasize social service as a vehicle for evangelism, it is important to learn whether conversionist, socially engaged churches represent a growing movement. The “both-and” paradigm of a holistic mission orientation bridges the conservative-liberal dualism that has long characterized American Protestantism.
Heidi Rolland Unruh and Ronald J. Sider
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- October 2005
- ISBN:
- 9780195161557
- eISBN:
- 9780199835836
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195161556.003.0010
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
Many supporters of faith-based initiatives claim that a religious approach is better at solving social problems. Without purporting to evaluate these claims, this chapter describes the ways Christian ...
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Many supporters of faith-based initiatives claim that a religious approach is better at solving social problems. Without purporting to evaluate these claims, this chapter describes the ways Christian activists explain a link between faith and social efficacy, in the form of five postulates: Being faith-based expands social service program capacity; people of faith serve more effectively; a religious perspective enhances program content; spiritual conversion empowers beneficiaries to achieve socioeconomic goals; and church-based programs offer beneficiaries the support of the faith community. While ministry practitioners disagree whether faith is necessary to social outcomes, seldom do they claim it is sufficient. The potential of faith-based approaches may be limited by a disconnect between the ideals of religious practitioners and actual praxis.Less
Many supporters of faith-based initiatives claim that a religious approach is better at solving social problems. Without purporting to evaluate these claims, this chapter describes the ways Christian activists explain a link between faith and social efficacy, in the form of five postulates: Being faith-based expands social service program capacity; people of faith serve more effectively; a religious perspective enhances program content; spiritual conversion empowers beneficiaries to achieve socioeconomic goals; and church-based programs offer beneficiaries the support of the faith community. While ministry practitioners disagree whether faith is necessary to social outcomes, seldom do they claim it is sufficient. The potential of faith-based approaches may be limited by a disconnect between the ideals of religious practitioners and actual praxis.
Heidi Rolland Unruh and Ronald J. Sider
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- October 2005
- ISBN:
- 9780195161557
- eISBN:
- 9780199835836
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195161556.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
The political controversy surrounding the role of religion in public life calls for more objective attention to the faith factor in social activism. What does it mean for a community-serving program ...
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The political controversy surrounding the role of religion in public life calls for more objective attention to the faith factor in social activism. What does it mean for a community-serving program to be “faith-based”? How do churches and other religious organizations express their religious identity or convey a religious message in the context of social services? Drawing on case studies of fifteen Philadelphia-area Protestant churches with active community outreach, Saving Souls, Serving Society introduces a new vocabulary for describing the religious components and spiritual meanings embedded in social action, and provides a typology of faith-based organizations and programs. This analysis yields a framework for Protestant mission orientations that makes room for the diverse ways that churches interrelate spiritual witness and social compassion. In particular, the debate over faith-based initiatives has highlighted a small but growing segment of churches committed to both saving souls and serving society. The book illuminates the public engagement of these “;conversionist” churches, exploring how they navigate the tension between their spiritual mission and the constraints on evangelism in the context of social services. The closing chapters explicate the potential contribution of religious dynamics to social outcomes, assess the relationship between mission orientations and social capital, present recommendations for research on faith-based social services, and draw implications for a constructive approach to church-state relations. Openness to a fresh perspective can equip policy makers, scholars and practitioners to respond wisely to the evolving complexities of the religious contours of social ministry. Less
The political controversy surrounding the role of religion in public life calls for more objective attention to the faith factor in social activism. What does it mean for a community-serving program to be “faith-based”? How do churches and other religious organizations express their religious identity or convey a religious message in the context of social services? Drawing on case studies of fifteen Philadelphia-area Protestant churches with active community outreach, Saving Souls, Serving Society introduces a new vocabulary for describing the religious components and spiritual meanings embedded in social action, and provides a typology of faith-based organizations and programs. This analysis yields a framework for Protestant mission orientations that makes room for the diverse ways that churches interrelate spiritual witness and social compassion. In particular, the debate over faith-based initiatives has highlighted a small but growing segment of churches committed to both saving souls and serving society. The book illuminates the public engagement of these “;conversionist” churches, exploring how they navigate the tension between their spiritual mission and the constraints on evangelism in the context of social services. The closing chapters explicate the potential contribution of religious dynamics to social outcomes, assess the relationship between mission orientations and social capital, present recommendations for research on faith-based social services, and draw implications for a constructive approach to church-state relations. Openness to a fresh perspective can equip policy makers, scholars and practitioners to respond wisely to the evolving complexities of the religious contours of social ministry.
Lew Daly
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- March 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780226134833
- eISBN:
- 9780226134857
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- University of Chicago Press
- DOI:
- 10.7208/chicago/9780226134857.001.0001
- Subject:
- Political Science, American Politics
President Barack Obama has signaled a sharp break from many policies of George W. Bush's administration, but he remains committed to federal support for religious social service providers. Like ...
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President Barack Obama has signaled a sharp break from many policies of George W. Bush's administration, but he remains committed to federal support for religious social service providers. Like Bush's faith-based initiative, though, Obama's version of the policy has generated loud criticism as the communities that stand to benefit suffer through an ailing economy. This book reveals that virtually all of the critics, as well as many supporters, have long misunderstood both the true implications of faith-based partnerships and their unique potential for advancing social justice. Unearthing the intellectual history of the faith-based initiative, the book locates its roots in the pluralist tradition of Europe's Christian democracies, in which the state shares sovereignty with social institutions. It argues that Catholic and Dutch Calvinist ideas played a crucial role in the evolution of this tradition, as churches across nineteenth-century Europe developed philosophical and legal defenses to protect their education and social programs against ascendant governments. Tracing the influence of this heritage on the past three decades of American social policy and church-state law, the book finally untangles the radical beginnings of the faith-based initiative. A major contribution from an important new voice at the intersection of religion and politics, this book points the way toward policymaking that combines strong social support with a new moral focus on the protection of families and communities.Less
President Barack Obama has signaled a sharp break from many policies of George W. Bush's administration, but he remains committed to federal support for religious social service providers. Like Bush's faith-based initiative, though, Obama's version of the policy has generated loud criticism as the communities that stand to benefit suffer through an ailing economy. This book reveals that virtually all of the critics, as well as many supporters, have long misunderstood both the true implications of faith-based partnerships and their unique potential for advancing social justice. Unearthing the intellectual history of the faith-based initiative, the book locates its roots in the pluralist tradition of Europe's Christian democracies, in which the state shares sovereignty with social institutions. It argues that Catholic and Dutch Calvinist ideas played a crucial role in the evolution of this tradition, as churches across nineteenth-century Europe developed philosophical and legal defenses to protect their education and social programs against ascendant governments. Tracing the influence of this heritage on the past three decades of American social policy and church-state law, the book finally untangles the radical beginnings of the faith-based initiative. A major contribution from an important new voice at the intersection of religion and politics, this book points the way toward policymaking that combines strong social support with a new moral focus on the protection of families and communities.
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- March 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780226134833
- eISBN:
- 9780226134857
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Chicago Press
- DOI:
- 10.7208/chicago/9780226134857.003.0001
- Subject:
- Political Science, American Politics
In recent years, America has found inspiration from European religious ideas about government and society to help it achieve welfare reform and end poverty. A new model of church-state relations in ...
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In recent years, America has found inspiration from European religious ideas about government and society to help it achieve welfare reform and end poverty. A new model of church-state relations in social welfare provision, similar to what is known in Europe as “Christian Democracy,” is increasingly well-established in constitutional law, federal and state legislation, new rules and principles of public administration, and many government contracting regimes. This book explores the legal and political developments behind this distinctive transformation of American welfare governance, the religious and political ideas that shaped it, and what a new era of “faith-based initiatives”—as the model came to be known under its first White House sponsor, George W. Bush—can and should mean for impoverished communities and destitute families and children across America. It discusses the Catholic and Dutch Calvinist theories of the limited state that shaped the design and implementation of the faith-based initiative, focusing on the Catholic concept of subsidiarity and the concept of sphere sovereignty. The book concludes by “reframing” the debate on faith-based social policy.Less
In recent years, America has found inspiration from European religious ideas about government and society to help it achieve welfare reform and end poverty. A new model of church-state relations in social welfare provision, similar to what is known in Europe as “Christian Democracy,” is increasingly well-established in constitutional law, federal and state legislation, new rules and principles of public administration, and many government contracting regimes. This book explores the legal and political developments behind this distinctive transformation of American welfare governance, the religious and political ideas that shaped it, and what a new era of “faith-based initiatives”—as the model came to be known under its first White House sponsor, George W. Bush—can and should mean for impoverished communities and destitute families and children across America. It discusses the Catholic and Dutch Calvinist theories of the limited state that shaped the design and implementation of the faith-based initiative, focusing on the Catholic concept of subsidiarity and the concept of sphere sovereignty. The book concludes by “reframing” the debate on faith-based social policy.
Gregorio Bettiza
- Published in print:
- 2019
- Published Online:
- July 2019
- ISBN:
- 9780190949464
- eISBN:
- 9780190949495
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780190949464.003.0004
- Subject:
- Political Science, International Relations and Politics
The chapter identifies the constellation of desecularizing actors embedded in postsecular processes responsible for the emergence of the Faith-Based Foreign Aid regime under President Bush in the ...
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The chapter identifies the constellation of desecularizing actors embedded in postsecular processes responsible for the emergence of the Faith-Based Foreign Aid regime under President Bush in the early 2000s. It examines the continuation and evolution of the regime over time and shows how this has depended on the type of desecularizing actors that have had access to the Bush and Obama administrations. It argues that the regime generates considerable forms of institutional desecularization, sustained by parallel processes of ideological and state-normative desecularization. In terms of global effects, the regime is potentially shaping global religious landscapes primarily by supporting Christian organizations and communities, and contributing to processes of religionization especially through mechanisms of elevation. The conclusion summarizes the chapter’s findings, compares the regime to the International Religious Freedom regime, and considers developments occurring under President Trump.Less
The chapter identifies the constellation of desecularizing actors embedded in postsecular processes responsible for the emergence of the Faith-Based Foreign Aid regime under President Bush in the early 2000s. It examines the continuation and evolution of the regime over time and shows how this has depended on the type of desecularizing actors that have had access to the Bush and Obama administrations. It argues that the regime generates considerable forms of institutional desecularization, sustained by parallel processes of ideological and state-normative desecularization. In terms of global effects, the regime is potentially shaping global religious landscapes primarily by supporting Christian organizations and communities, and contributing to processes of religionization especially through mechanisms of elevation. The conclusion summarizes the chapter’s findings, compares the regime to the International Religious Freedom regime, and considers developments occurring under President Trump.
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- March 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780226134833
- eISBN:
- 9780226134857
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Chicago Press
- DOI:
- 10.7208/chicago/9780226134857.003.0005
- Subject:
- Political Science, American Politics
This chapter tries to “reframe” the debate on faith-based social policy in America, arguing that the confessional/philosophical genealogy of the faith-based initiative is becoming more relevant in ...
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This chapter tries to “reframe” the debate on faith-based social policy in America, arguing that the confessional/philosophical genealogy of the faith-based initiative is becoming more relevant in the emerging debate on economic insecurity. It considers these confessional welfare models as an expression of pluralist thought, or what it calls social pluralism. Pluralist political theory, associated in different ways with thinkers such as Felicité de Lamennais, Otto von Gierke, Harold Laski, and J. N. Figgis, roughly coincided with the emergence of confessional challenges to welfare and liberal education, as well as with the earliest stages of the politics of Christian Democracy. This “social pluralism” built in part on the older legal traditions of “church autonomy” and “freedom of the church,” but should not be confused with the rationalistic “interest-group” pluralism that characterizes American political theory. Rather, social pluralism is essentially an idea of political order that depends on older ideas of the intrinsic sovereignty of natural social structures and morally integrated groups.Less
This chapter tries to “reframe” the debate on faith-based social policy in America, arguing that the confessional/philosophical genealogy of the faith-based initiative is becoming more relevant in the emerging debate on economic insecurity. It considers these confessional welfare models as an expression of pluralist thought, or what it calls social pluralism. Pluralist political theory, associated in different ways with thinkers such as Felicité de Lamennais, Otto von Gierke, Harold Laski, and J. N. Figgis, roughly coincided with the emergence of confessional challenges to welfare and liberal education, as well as with the earliest stages of the politics of Christian Democracy. This “social pluralism” built in part on the older legal traditions of “church autonomy” and “freedom of the church,” but should not be confused with the rationalistic “interest-group” pluralism that characterizes American political theory. Rather, social pluralism is essentially an idea of political order that depends on older ideas of the intrinsic sovereignty of natural social structures and morally integrated groups.
Heidi Rolland Unruh and Ronald J. Sider
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- October 2005
- ISBN:
- 9780195161557
- eISBN:
- 9780199835836
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195161556.003.0009
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
The current conversation about faith-based initiatives calls for closer attention to socially active conversionist churches—those that serve society alongside, or motivated by, a desire to save ...
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The current conversation about faith-based initiatives calls for closer attention to socially active conversionist churches—those that serve society alongside, or motivated by, a desire to save souls. Five main dialectical qualities depict these churches' public mission: engaged orthodoxy that balances this-worldly engagement with anticipation of other-worldly salvation; a whole-person anthropology, concerned with meeting both spiritual and social needs; invitational voluntarism that recruits others to Christian faith while respecting their free will; expressive relationalism that promotes caring relationships as a channel for communicating the gospel; and expanded individualism that values personal regeneration and structural reform as mutually reinforcing objectives. These attributes help to explain how conversionist churches are able to adapt and diversify their outreach strategies to expand their access to secular resources. The impact of socially engaged conversionist churches is likely disproportionate to their number, particularly among evangelical, inner-city and ethnic minority congregations.Less
The current conversation about faith-based initiatives calls for closer attention to socially active conversionist churches—those that serve society alongside, or motivated by, a desire to save souls. Five main dialectical qualities depict these churches' public mission: engaged orthodoxy that balances this-worldly engagement with anticipation of other-worldly salvation; a whole-person anthropology, concerned with meeting both spiritual and social needs; invitational voluntarism that recruits others to Christian faith while respecting their free will; expressive relationalism that promotes caring relationships as a channel for communicating the gospel; and expanded individualism that values personal regeneration and structural reform as mutually reinforcing objectives. These attributes help to explain how conversionist churches are able to adapt and diversify their outreach strategies to expand their access to secular resources. The impact of socially engaged conversionist churches is likely disproportionate to their number, particularly among evangelical, inner-city and ethnic minority congregations.
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- March 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780226134833
- eISBN:
- 9780226134857
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Chicago Press
- DOI:
- 10.7208/chicago/9780226134857.003.0004
- Subject:
- Political Science, American Politics
In a public debate dominated by ideological interest groups that thrive on creating fear about religion, the intellectual genealogy of the faith-based initiative was not well understood. Yet because ...
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In a public debate dominated by ideological interest groups that thrive on creating fear about religion, the intellectual genealogy of the faith-based initiative was not well understood. Yet because of its religious ideas, the faith-based initiative holds the key to a new debate on poverty, one that neither side of the culture war is prepared to have. This chapter examines the Catholic and Dutch Calvinist theories of the limited state that shaped the design and implementation of the faith-based initiative in America. It first looks at the Catholic concept of subsidiarity before turning to the concept of sphere sovereignty developed by the Dutch Calvinist statesman and theologian Abraham Kuyper. The chapter also discusses Christian Democracy as opposed to Christian America, as well as social pluralism whose leading English theorists were John Neville Figgis and Harold Laski. Finally, it looks at Germany, in which confessional critics of the Weimar Republic's social-democratic welfare system helped pave the way for the Nazi seizure of power.Less
In a public debate dominated by ideological interest groups that thrive on creating fear about religion, the intellectual genealogy of the faith-based initiative was not well understood. Yet because of its religious ideas, the faith-based initiative holds the key to a new debate on poverty, one that neither side of the culture war is prepared to have. This chapter examines the Catholic and Dutch Calvinist theories of the limited state that shaped the design and implementation of the faith-based initiative in America. It first looks at the Catholic concept of subsidiarity before turning to the concept of sphere sovereignty developed by the Dutch Calvinist statesman and theologian Abraham Kuyper. The chapter also discusses Christian Democracy as opposed to Christian America, as well as social pluralism whose leading English theorists were John Neville Figgis and Harold Laski. Finally, it looks at Germany, in which confessional critics of the Weimar Republic's social-democratic welfare system helped pave the way for the Nazi seizure of power.
Gregorio Bettiza
- Published in print:
- 2019
- Published Online:
- July 2019
- ISBN:
- 9780190949464
- eISBN:
- 9780190949495
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780190949464.003.0001
- Subject:
- Political Science, International Relations and Politics
Since the end of the Cold War religion has increasingly become an organized subject and object of American foreign policy. This has been notable with the emergence of four religious foreign policy ...
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Since the end of the Cold War religion has increasingly become an organized subject and object of American foreign policy. This has been notable with the emergence of four religious foreign policy regimes—International Religious Freedom, Faith-Based Foreign Aid, Muslim and Islamic Interventions, and Religious Engagement—which together constitute an American foreign policy regime complex on religion. The introduction poses the book’s three guiding questions. First, why and how did these different, yet closely related, religious foreign policy regimes emerge? Second, have the boundaries between religion and state been redefined by these regimes, and if so, how? Third, what are the global effects of the growing entanglement between faith and American foreign policy? The chapter introduces the concepts and arguments that are central to answering these questions. It also highlights the contributions made to the existing literature, discusses some definitional and methodological issues, and presents the plan of the book.Less
Since the end of the Cold War religion has increasingly become an organized subject and object of American foreign policy. This has been notable with the emergence of four religious foreign policy regimes—International Religious Freedom, Faith-Based Foreign Aid, Muslim and Islamic Interventions, and Religious Engagement—which together constitute an American foreign policy regime complex on religion. The introduction poses the book’s three guiding questions. First, why and how did these different, yet closely related, religious foreign policy regimes emerge? Second, have the boundaries between religion and state been redefined by these regimes, and if so, how? Third, what are the global effects of the growing entanglement between faith and American foreign policy? The chapter introduces the concepts and arguments that are central to answering these questions. It also highlights the contributions made to the existing literature, discusses some definitional and methodological issues, and presents the plan of the book.
Gregorio Bettiza
- Published in print:
- 2019
- Published Online:
- July 2019
- ISBN:
- 9780190949464
- eISBN:
- 9780190949495
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780190949464.001.0001
- Subject:
- Political Science, International Relations and Politics
Since the end of the Cold War, religion has been systematically brought to the fore of American foreign policy. US foreign policymakers have been increasingly tasked with promoting religious freedom ...
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Since the end of the Cold War, religion has been systematically brought to the fore of American foreign policy. US foreign policymakers have been increasingly tasked with promoting religious freedom globally, delivering humanitarian and development aid abroad through faith-based channels, pacifying Muslim politics and reforming Islamic theologies in the context of fighting terrorism, and engaging religious actors to solve multiple conflicts and crises around the world. Across a range of different domains, religion has progressively become an explicit and organized subject and object of US foreign policy in ways that were unimaginable just a few decades ago. If God was supposed to be vanquished by the forces of modernity and secularization, why has the United States increasingly sought to understand and manage religion abroad? In what ways have the boundaries between faith and state been redefined as religion has become operationalized in American foreign policy? What kind of world order is emerging in the twenty-first century as the most powerful state in the international system has come to intervene in sustained and systematic ways in sacred landscapes around the globe? This book addresses these questions by developing an original theoretical framework and drawing upon extensive empirical research and interviews. It argues that American foreign policy and religious forces have become ever more inextricably entangled in an age witnessing a global resurgence of religion and the emergence of a postsecular world society.Less
Since the end of the Cold War, religion has been systematically brought to the fore of American foreign policy. US foreign policymakers have been increasingly tasked with promoting religious freedom globally, delivering humanitarian and development aid abroad through faith-based channels, pacifying Muslim politics and reforming Islamic theologies in the context of fighting terrorism, and engaging religious actors to solve multiple conflicts and crises around the world. Across a range of different domains, religion has progressively become an explicit and organized subject and object of US foreign policy in ways that were unimaginable just a few decades ago. If God was supposed to be vanquished by the forces of modernity and secularization, why has the United States increasingly sought to understand and manage religion abroad? In what ways have the boundaries between faith and state been redefined as religion has become operationalized in American foreign policy? What kind of world order is emerging in the twenty-first century as the most powerful state in the international system has come to intervene in sustained and systematic ways in sacred landscapes around the globe? This book addresses these questions by developing an original theoretical framework and drawing upon extensive empirical research and interviews. It argues that American foreign policy and religious forces have become ever more inextricably entangled in an age witnessing a global resurgence of religion and the emergence of a postsecular world society.
Karl F. Seidman
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- May 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780199945511
- eISBN:
- 9780199333189
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199945511.003.0004
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
At New Orleans’ eastern edge, Vietnamese refugees settled and built a community in the Village de L’Est neighborhood. This chapter explains how this tight- knit community rebuilt after Katrina with ...
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At New Orleans’ eastern edge, Vietnamese refugees settled and built a community in the Village de L’Est neighborhood. This chapter explains how this tight- knit community rebuilt after Katrina with the strong leadership of its Catholic priest. It details efforts to help homeowners and businesses rebuild while fighting to close an adjacent landfill. Aided by the national Vietnamese-American community and other partners, the church formed a community development corporation to assist businesses and residents and pursue development projects. Despite difficulties completing real estate projects, grassroots rebuilding contributed to a high rate of homeowner recovery, the return and expansion of local businesses, a new charter school and two new health clinics. However, repopulation rates for renters and black households were low and many blighted properties remained. Greater political and civic capacity emerged from recovery efforts, including a new wave of young leaders committed to the community’s development.Less
At New Orleans’ eastern edge, Vietnamese refugees settled and built a community in the Village de L’Est neighborhood. This chapter explains how this tight- knit community rebuilt after Katrina with the strong leadership of its Catholic priest. It details efforts to help homeowners and businesses rebuild while fighting to close an adjacent landfill. Aided by the national Vietnamese-American community and other partners, the church formed a community development corporation to assist businesses and residents and pursue development projects. Despite difficulties completing real estate projects, grassroots rebuilding contributed to a high rate of homeowner recovery, the return and expansion of local businesses, a new charter school and two new health clinics. However, repopulation rates for renters and black households were low and many blighted properties remained. Greater political and civic capacity emerged from recovery efforts, including a new wave of young leaders committed to the community’s development.
