World of Faith and Freedom

Why International Religious Liberty Is Vital to American National Security

Nonfiction, Religion & Spirituality, Christianity, Church, Church & State
Cover of the book World of Faith and Freedom by Thomas F. Farr, Oxford University Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Thomas F. Farr ISBN: 9780199884513
Publisher: Oxford University Press Publication: November 7, 2008
Imprint: Oxford University Press Language: English
Author: Thomas F. Farr
ISBN: 9780199884513
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Publication: November 7, 2008
Imprint: Oxford University Press
Language: English

Virtually every trouble spot on the planet has some sort of religious component. One need only consider Iraq and Afghanistan, Iran, Israel and Palestine, Turkey, India, Pakistan, Russia, and China, to name but a few. Looming behind national issues, of course, is the problem of regional Islamist extremism and transnational Islamist terrorism. In all of these sectors, religious tensions, ideas and actors are of great geo-political importance to the United States. Yet, argues Thomas Farr, our foreign policy is gravely handicapped by an inability to understand the role of religion either nationally or globally. There is a strong disinclination in American diplomacy to consider religious factors at all, either as part of the problem or part of the solution. In this engaging and well-written insider account, Farr offers a closely reasoned argument that religious freedom, the freedom to practice one's own religion in private and in public, is an essential prerequisite for a stable, durable democratic society. If the U.S. wants to foster democracy that lasts, he says, it must focus on fostering religious liberty, especially in its public manifestations, properly limited in a way that advances the common good. Although we ourselves have developed a remarkably successful model of religious freedom, our foreign policy favors an aggressive secularism that is at odds with the American model. It is essential, says Farr, that we take an approach that recognizes the great importance of religion in people's lives.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Virtually every trouble spot on the planet has some sort of religious component. One need only consider Iraq and Afghanistan, Iran, Israel and Palestine, Turkey, India, Pakistan, Russia, and China, to name but a few. Looming behind national issues, of course, is the problem of regional Islamist extremism and transnational Islamist terrorism. In all of these sectors, religious tensions, ideas and actors are of great geo-political importance to the United States. Yet, argues Thomas Farr, our foreign policy is gravely handicapped by an inability to understand the role of religion either nationally or globally. There is a strong disinclination in American diplomacy to consider religious factors at all, either as part of the problem or part of the solution. In this engaging and well-written insider account, Farr offers a closely reasoned argument that religious freedom, the freedom to practice one's own religion in private and in public, is an essential prerequisite for a stable, durable democratic society. If the U.S. wants to foster democracy that lasts, he says, it must focus on fostering religious liberty, especially in its public manifestations, properly limited in a way that advances the common good. Although we ourselves have developed a remarkably successful model of religious freedom, our foreign policy favors an aggressive secularism that is at odds with the American model. It is essential, says Farr, that we take an approach that recognizes the great importance of religion in people's lives.

More books from Oxford University Press

Cover of the book The Charterhouse of Parma by Thomas F. Farr
Cover of the book Fiduciaries of Humanity by Thomas F. Farr
Cover of the book The People Themselves by Thomas F. Farr
Cover of the book Exorbitant Privilege:The Rise and Fall of the Dollar and the Future of the International Monetary System by Thomas F. Farr
Cover of the book Balkan Idols by Thomas F. Farr
Cover of the book The Oxford Handbook of the Human Essence by Thomas F. Farr
Cover of the book Islam, Gender, and Social Change by Thomas F. Farr
Cover of the book Women's Issues for a New Generation by Thomas F. Farr
Cover of the book Louis Armstrong: Grove Music Essentials by Thomas F. Farr
Cover of the book Planet Taco:A Global History of Mexican Food by Thomas F. Farr
Cover of the book Mastery of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder by Thomas F. Farr
Cover of the book Cognitive Approaches to Early Modern Spanish Literature by Thomas F. Farr
Cover of the book Richard Baxter and the Mechanical Philosophers by Thomas F. Farr
Cover of the book The Shock of the Old by Thomas F. Farr
Cover of the book Assessment of Malingered Neuropsychological Deficits by Thomas F. Farr
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy