HON351, American Values in Global Perspective
Spring Semester 2008
Study Guide
Democracy and Religion
Assigned readings:
Walter Mead, "God's Country," Foreign Affairs, Vol 85, No. 5, Sept/Oct 2006, pp. 24-43. (electronic reserves)
Timothy Shah and Monica Toft, "Why God is Winning," Foreign Policy, No. 155, July/Aug 2006, pp. 38-43. (electronic reserves)
Optional Websites
Stephen Holmes, "The European Dilemma," The American Prospect, March 18, 2007
Bill Miller, "UN Challenges Conflict of Civilizations Theory," UNA-USA, March 20, 2007
"In Africa, the Missionary Tables Have Turned," Christian Science Monitor, March 1, 2007
"Evangelical Leaders Join Global Warming Initiative," New York Times, February 8, 2006 Statement of Initiative
Questions to consider while reading the Mead article:
1. What beliefs distinguish the following three Christian traditions in the United States?
fundamentalist
liberal
evangelical
2. What trends have there been in the numbers of people in the United States identified with the fundamentalist, liberal, and evangelical streams of Christianity?
3. What foreign policy issues have been important to evangelicals?
4. Why have evangelicals been such strong supporters of Israel in its conflicts with Arab peoples? How does the perspective of liberal Christians on Israel differ from that of the evangelicals?
5. In the author's view, what positive impacts might the rising influence of evangelicals have on American foreign policy?
Questions to consider while reading the Shah and Toft article:
1. Which religions around the world have seen an upsurge in followers and/or intensity of religious commitment?
2. What are some of the countries that are seeing a trend toward increased religiosity?
3. To what factors do the authors attribute the rise of religion in numerous countries?
4. What concerns do the authors have about an increased influence of religions in the political sphere?
5. What more positive outcomes might result from a growing link between religion and politics?