United States (US)

US Should Work with Russia in Syria to Avoid Iran-Israel War

Russia and Iran are coordinating to prop up Assad in Syria but this could bring Iran one step closer to war with Israel.

Whose Fault is the Yemeni Crisis Anyway?

Though the Yemen conflict is in many ways a proxy war between Iran and the Saudi coalition, it is much more complicated, and not all the blame should be placed on the coalition for worsening the humanitarian crisis in Yemen.

Former Liberian President Sirleaf Offers Optimistic Vision of Democracy, Africa, and America
Former Liberian President Sirleaf Offers Optimistic Vision of Democracy, Africa, and America

Last April, former Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf spoke at Georgetown University. Asked to assess the state of African democracy, she also spoke about the United States. Her conclusion was optimistic.

An Ecumenical Consensus: A Moral Calling for International Engagement
An Ecumenical Consensus

In this article, originally published on July 26, 1943, in Christianity and Crisis, John C. Bennett praises the document “The Church and International Reconstruction” issued by the World Council of Churches. He notes that it unequivocally supports public engagement by the Church, organized worldwide political interaction, and consistent condemnation of national shortcomings for all countries, not merely those most culpable.

Some Soils and Seeds of Isolationism
Some Soils and Seeds of Isolationism

Isolation may be impractical, but its appeal is very understandable. In this article, originally published on June 14, 1943, in Christianity and Crisis, Charles Gilkey presents six influences upon this school of thought, and emphasizes the importance of giving primacy to the opinion of returning veterans in defining future U.S. foreign policy.

American Power and World Responsibility
American Power and World Responsibility

The United States’ involvement in two world wars indicates clearly that American isolationism is at a practical end, Reinhold Niebuhr asserts in this article, originally published on April 5, 1943 in Christianity and Crisis. Working toward international integration is a national responsibility – morally and in the interests of security. Alliances depend on the will of their members; it is no different for the United States. Niebuhr also warns of a new danger: a unilateral “imperialist” American military establishment, simultaneously preoccupied with hegemony and unconcerned with the rest of the world.

Mutual Security Comes First
Mutual Security Comes First

In seeking the ultimate aim of World War II, William Adams Brown candidly reiterates in this article, originally published on March 22, 1943, in Christianity and Crisis, the enduring broadly applicable political truth that security is a precondition for democracy. Brown adds that while democracy is the superior form of government, it is best promoted by first reinforcing an inter-state international order. The mutual trust formed by open discourse is the basis of democracy; excluding illiberal forces from that discourse actively hampers the goal of spreading democracy.

Battle Hymn of Responsibility
Battle Hymn of Responsibility

Christian clergymen of today typically prefer to disparage power and prestige as demonic ensnarements that Jesus shunned when offered. But Jesus exemplifies not the rejection of power per se but rather a godly deployment of it.

This Is My Body: Communion Eschatology
This Is My Body: Communion Eschatology

In this military vignette, originally published in Christianity and Crisis on April 19, 1943, John Joseph Stoudt depicts the religiosity of men confronting their own mortality. The Chaplain employs the clearest ritual means of communicating the weight of their task, the nature of their profession: Communion. In taking up the body and the blood, the gathered soldiers experience camaraderie in a common meal, and unanimously acknowledge of the enduring, indisputable value of sacrifice; both God’s and their own.