Religion and International Affairs: An Anthology
Wide Angle
Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly is acclaimed for its examination of religion’s role—and the ethical dimensions—behind top news headlines. This 14-segment anthology of NewsWeekly reports considers the relationship between religion and international affairs.
Segments include…
• Pope Benedict’s Foreign Policy—A Report: Filmed in advance of the pope’s 2008 address to the UN General Assembly, this report looks at the unique role the pope and the Vatican play on the world stage and in international affairs. (9 minutes)
• Political Buddhism—A Report: Violent protests by Tibetan Buddhists, Buddhist ethics of nonviolence, the Dalai Lama as spiritual and political leader, and the role of the Chinese government in Tibet are explored in this report featuring Columbia University Buddhist studies professor Robert Thurman and Harvard University Chinese history professor Tu Weiming. (9 minutes)
• Chrislam—A Report: This story is reported from Lagos, Nigeria—a place where tensions between Christians and Muslims have often erupted in deadly violence—and features a preacher who sees no religious fault line between the two faith groups. (7 minutes)
• Muslims in Germany—A Report: A story from Berlin reports on large numbers of Muslim immigrants, tensions with German citizens, and how to offer equal opportunities for immigrants and their children. (7 minutes)
• Jean Bethke Elshtein and Shaun Casey on Torture: Ethicists Jean Bethke Elshtein and Shaun Casey discuss the morality of torture, the problem of “dirty hands,” and the debate over whether torture can ever be justified. (9 minutes)
• Hinduism in Modern India—A Report: A report from New Delhi looks at influences of the modern media-driven world on traditional Hindu households and families whose religious practices have changed little over the generations. (9 minutes)
• Islam in Indonesia—A Report: A report from Jakarta examines the growth of religious practice in democratic Indonesia taking place alongside competing secular and Islamist political parties and a booming economy. (9 minutes)
• The Church and the Fall of the Berlin Wall—A Report: A story from Leipzig looks back at the important role one church played in a Germany divided between East and West during the Cold War and in the massive demonstrations that led to the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. (5 minutes)
• Shia-Sunni Conflict—A Report: This story examines the sectarian violence and conflict between the Shia and Sunni branches of Islam and features Professor Vali Nasr, author of The Shia Revival: How Conflicts within Islam Will Shape the Future. (10 minutes)
• Secular Islamic Turkey—A Report: A report from Istanbul explores the balance between Islam and secular society and the rise of more openly Islamic views in a country at the crossroads between East and West. (8 minutes)
• Michael Walzer on War: Michael Walzer, a prominent political philosopher and authority on the ethics of just war, discusses Afghanistan, Iraq, the moral lessons of war, and religious commentary on U.S. foreign policy. (9 minutes)
• Andrew Bacevich on American Power and Military Policy: Andrew Bacevich, a professor of history and international relations at Boston University and a retired U.S. Army colonel, talks about a wide range of ethical and policy issues, including American exceptionalism, Afghanistan, preventive war, national security, and the moral use of force. (23 minutes)
• Egypt’s Coptic Tensions—A Report: This 2010 report from Cairo looks at sectarian violence and the lives of Coptic Christians in a predominantly Muslim country. (8 minutes)
• Islam and Modernity—A Report: This 2009 report from Cairo explores conflicts between the modern and the traditional and considers the challenges of living a devout Muslim life while also accommodating the contemporary technological world. (9 minutes)
(133 minutes)