Description
This is a collection of essays that starts with the premise that the United States inhabits a world it understands far too little and is insufficiently prepared to lead. The author, James W. Skillen, argues that world religions and cultural patterns are forces onto themselves and do not and will not change or adapt at American bidding. In short, this post-cold war era calls for a self-critical reexamination of nationalism, state sovereignty, and the demands of international justice. Published in cooperation with The Center for Public Justice.
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Skillen (president, Center for Public Justice) probes the historical, cultural, and theological roots of the geopolitical moment that currently goes under the name of the "War on Terror" in an effort to answer questions about the proper role of the United States in the world order. He traces the rise and decline of the Islamic world, exploring the ideological roots of radical Islam, and, similarly, explores the relationship between Christianity and the Western state to understand American exceptionalism, especially its religious character. He then turns his attention to George W. Bush's National Security Strategy (which lays out the case for "preemptive" war in pursuit of a "New American Century" of unchallenged military, political, and economic global dominance) offering a critique of its assumptions and effects that is rooted in Christian pacifism and the goal of promoting internationalism and global cooperation. Annotation ©2005 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
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