The Mighty and the Almighty

Fülszöveg

D
oes America, as George W. Bush has proclaimed, have a special mission, derived from God, to bring liberty and democracy to the world? How much influence does the Christian right have over U.S. foreign policy? And how should America deal with violent Islamist extremists?
Madeleine Albright, the former secretary of state and bestselling author of Madam Secretary, offers a thoughtful and often surprising look at the role of religion in shaping America's approach to the world. Drawing upon her experiences while in office and her own deepest beliefs about morality, the United States, and the present state of world affairs, a woman noted for plain speaking offers her thoughts about the most controversial topics of our time.
In The Mighty and the Almighty, Madeleine Albright examines the profound impact of religion on America's view of itself, the effect on U.S. policy of the rise of the Christian right, the Bush administration's successes and failures in responding to 9/11, the... Tovább

Fülszöveg

D
oes America, as George W. Bush has proclaimed, have a special mission, derived from God, to bring liberty and democracy to the world? How much influence does the Christian right have over U.S. foreign policy? And how should America deal with violent Islamist extremists?
Madeleine Albright, the former secretary of state and bestselling author of Madam Secretary, offers a thoughtful and often surprising look at the role of religion in shaping America's approach to the world. Drawing upon her experiences while in office and her own deepest beliefs about morality, the United States, and the present state of world affairs, a woman noted for plain speaking offers her thoughts about the most controversial topics of our time.
In The Mighty and the Almighty, Madeleine Albright examines the profound impact of religion on America's view of itself, the effect on U.S. policy of the rise of the Christian right, the Bush administration's successes and failures in responding to 9/11, the challenges posed by the war in Iraq, and the importance of understanding Islam. She offers a balanced but, when necessary, devastating analysis of U.S. strategy and condemns those of all faiths who exploit religious fervor to create divisions or enhance their own power.
In this illuminating account, Albright argues that, to be effective, U.S. policy-makers must understand the power and place of religion in motivating others and in coloring how American actions are perceived. Defying the conventional wisdom, she suggests not only that religion and politics are inseparable, but that their partnership, when properly harnessed, can be a force for justice and peace.
MADELEINE ALBRIGHT served as U.S. secretary of state from 1997 to 2001. Her distinguished career in government includes positions in the National Security Council and as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. She is the author of the New York Times bestseller Madam Secretary. She is the founder of the Albright Group LLC, chairman of the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs, and the Mortara Endowed Distinguished Professor at the Georgetown School of Foreign Service. She lives in Washington, D.C., and Virginia.
BILL WOODWARD has advised and written for Secretary Albright, John Kerry, Michael Dukakis, and Gerry Studds. He lives on Capitol Hill with his wife, Robin Blackwood, and their daughter, Mary.
Jacket design by Roberto de Vicq de Cumptich Author photograph © 2006 by Timothy Greenfield Sanders
"In this fascinating book, Madeleine Albright weaves together history, personal experiences, and brilliant analysis in exploring how religion can be a force for liberty and tolerance rather than oppression and terror. That was the awesome insight of America's founders, and it is the critical challenge facing our day and generation."
—Walter Isaacson, author of Benjamin Franklin
"Madeleine Albright's book is timely, compelling, and filled with surprising and sometimes inconvenient observations. A wise and thoughtful leader, she shares piercing insights about the most vital and profound issues facing America and the world. This is a superb and unique book." —^Vaclav Havel, former president, Czech Republic
"This is a must-read for anyone who cares about the future of American foreign policy. It brilliantly demolishes two long-standing myths: that recognizing religion violates church-state separation and that by repudiating the critical role Islam and its sister faiths, Judaism and Christianity, play in world affairs, we can forge good relations with the Islamic world and achieve an Israeli-Palestinian peace. Albright issues a clarion call for an enlightened foreign policy that reflects America's moral and spiritual strengths."
—Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, author of What's Right with Islam Is What's Right with America
"Madeleine Albright offers experienced pragmatism combined with true religious vision—a vision blessedly free of ideology. She clearly believes that God has given human beings both brains and faith, and that they need to use them both. Finally, inspiration in foreign policy. Truly a gift to the world!"
—The Reverend Susan Brooks Thistlethwaite, Ph.D., president and professor of Theology, Chicago Theological Seminary
"A riveting and compelling reassessment of the role of religion in American foreign policy. Albright elegantly and concisely mixes revealing insights from behind the scenes of government with a bold new blueprint of how American statecraft can address religion. Hardened foreign-policy pros and religious ethicists alike will admire and use this groundbreaking work." —Rabbi David Saperstein, director,
Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism
"This is not the standard tome written by former high officials. Instead of a survey of world 'problems and challenges,' Madeleine Albright has picked one theme—religion and foreign policy—and analyzed it from her unusual perspective as a scholar and a stateswoman. The result is a frank, intelligent, and engagingly written book about an urgently relevant topic. Albright has written not a tour d'horizon but a tour de force."
—Fareed Zakaria, author of The Future of Freedom
ISBN-13 978-0-06-089257-9 ISBN-10 0-06-089257-9 Vissza