DOCSLIB.ORG

Nations Under God Edited by Luke M

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Nations Under God Edited by Luke M i Nations under God EDITED BY LUKE M. HERRINGTON, ALASDAIR MCKAY & JEFFREY HAYNES Nations under God The Geopolitics of Faith in the Twenty-First Century i Nations under God The Geopolitics of Faith in the Twenty-First Century EDITED BY LUKE M. HERRINGTON ALASDAIR MCKAY & JEFFREY HAYNES ii E-IR Edited Collections Series Editors: Stephen McGlinchey, Marianna Karakoulaki and Robert Oprisko E-IR’s Edited Collections are open access scholarly books presented in a format that preferences brevity and accessibility while retaining academic conventions. Each book is available in print and e-book, and is published under a Creative Commons CC BY-NC 4.0 license. As E-International Relations is committed to open access in the fullest sense, free electronic versions of all of our books, including this one, are available on the E-International Relations website. Find out more at: http://www.e-ir.info/publications Recent titles Popular Culture and World Politics: Theories, Methods, Pedagogies Ukraine and Russia: People, Politics, Propaganda and Perspectives Caliphates and Islamic Global Politics Forthcoming Restoring Indigenous Self-Determination (New edition) System, Society & the World: Exploring the English School (2nd Edition) About the E-International Relations website E-International Relations (www.E-IR.info) is the world’s leading open access website for students and scholars of international politics. E-IR’s daily publications feature expert articles, blogs, reviews and interviews – as well as a range of high quality student contributions. The website was established in November 2007 and now reaches over 200,000 unique visitors a month. E-IR is run by a registered non-profit organisation based in Bristol, England and staffed with an all-volunteer team. iii E-International Relations www.E-IR.info Bristol, England Published 2015 (e-book and print) This book is published under a under a Creative Commons CC BY- NC-4.0 license. You are free to: • Share — copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format • Adapt — remix, transform, and build upon the material Under the following terms: • Attribution — You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use. • NonCommercial — You may not use the material for commercial purposes. Any of the above conditions can be waived if you get permission. Please contact [email protected] for any such enquiries. Other than the license terms noted above, there are no restrictions placed on the use and dissemination of this book for student learning materials / scholarly use. Copy Editing: Gill Gairdner Production: Ran Xiao Cover Image: Iryna_Rasko ISBN 978-1-910814-04-8 (paperback) ISBN 978-1-910814-06-2 (e-book) A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library iv Acknowledgments The editors would first like to thank Stephen McGlinchey who agreed to green light this ambitious project for E-International Relations. The contributors to the book must also be thanked for taking the time to produce their pieces. Some of the content in the editors' introduction to this volume was adapted from Luke M. Herrington's MA thesis written for the University of Kansas. As such, he would like to extend his gratitude to Hal Elliott Wert, Brent J. Steele and Eric A. Hanley for their thoughtful encouragement and feedback on that embryonic work. He would also like to thank Dan G. Cox, Hal Elliott Wert and Brent J. Steele for the professional guidance and mentorship they have provided through the years. v Abstract Nations under God: The Geopolitics of Faith in the Twenty-first Century is a timely contribution to the ongoing discussion on religion and global politics. The volume brings together over thirty leading scholars from a variety of disciplines such as political science, international relations theory, sociology, theology, anthropology and geography. Utilising case studies, empirical investigations and theoretical examinations, this book focuses on the complex roles that religions play in world affairs. It seeks to move beyond the simplistic narratives and overly impassioned polemics which swamp the discourse on the subject in the media, on the internet and in popular nonfiction by acting as a vessel for scholarly research on religion. Overall, the book presents a more balanced analysis of the multifaceted roles taken on by religions (and religious actors) in global politics. --- Luke M. Herrington is an editor-at-large at E-International Relations and Assistant Reviews Editor for Special Operations Journal. He is a PhD student in the Department of Political Science at the University of Kansas where he previously earned an MA in Global and International Studies. His interests include the role(s) of religion in international politics, hegemonic stability theory and ontological security. Alasdair McKay is an editor-at-large at E-International Relations. He holds undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in politics from the universities of Manchester and Aberystwyth. He has worked for an African human rights NGO and in the parliamentary office of an MP. His research interests include intrastate conflict, African politics, Islamism, political anthropology, religion and violence, and IR theory. Jeffrey Haynes is Associate Dean of Faculty (Research and Postgraduate Studies) and Director of the Centre for the Study of Religion, Conflict and Cooperation, London Metropolitan University. He is recognised as an international authority in five separate areas: religion and international relations; religion and politics; democracy and democratisation; development studies; and comparative politics and globalisation. He has written many books, journal articles and book chapters, totalling around 160 such publications since 1986. His most recent book is Faith-Based Organizations at the United Nations (Palgrave Macmillan, 2014). vi Nations under God Contents INTRODUCTION Luke M. Herrington and Alasdair McKay 1 PART ONE – UNDERSTANDING RELIGION(S) IN THE WORLD TODAY 1 THE RELIGIOUS RESURGENCE: PROBLEMS AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS THEORY Stephen Dawson 23 2 ‘LittLE DO THEY KNOW…’ HOW (NOT) TO THEORISE RELIGION AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS Jodok Troy 30 3 SHIFTING TERRITORIAL ORDERS AND RELIGION Gertjan Dijkink 39 4 THE FOUR RELIGIONS OF FOREIGN POLICY John A. Rees 45 5 LOOKING BACK TO SEE FORwaRD: ROMANTICISM, RELIGION AND THE SECULAR IN MODERNITY Mark S. Cladis 56 6 THE CONTEMPORARY AMBIGUITIES OF RELIGIONS AS A SOURCE OF CIVILISATIONAL IDENTITY Fabio Petito 63 PART TWO – THE NATION-STATE AND SOCIETY 7 RELigion’s CHANGING FORM AND RELATION TO THE STATE SINCE 1989 Linda Woodhead 72 8 THE SECULAr–RELIGIOUS COMPETITION PERSPECTIVE Jonathan Fox 80 9 CHURCH, STATE AND CULTURE: SHOULD RELIGION BE A PRIVATE MATTER? Brendan Sweetman 88 Contents vii 10 HOLISM, RELIGION AND GEOPOLITICS Don Handelman 95 11 RELIGIOUS POLITICS AND THE RISE OF ILLIBERAL RELIGION Scott W. Hibbard 103 12 ASSESSING STATE AND RELIGIOUS INSTITUTIONS: A COMMENT FROM THE CASE OF ANGOLA Ruy Llera Blanes 112 13 THE GEOPOLITICS OF RELIGIOUS PERFORMANCE IN TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY TaIwaN Fang-long Shih 119 14 MORE RUSSIAN THAN ORTHODOX CHRISTIANITY: RUSSIAN PAGANISM AS NATIONALIST POLITICS Kaarina Aitamurto 126 PART THREE – VIOLENCE AND PEACE 15 SOCIOTHEOLOGY: THE SIGNIFICANCE OF RELIGIOUS WORLDVIEWS Mona Kanwal Sheikh 134 16 WHAt’s GOD GOT TO DO WITH IT? VIOLENCE, HOSTILITY AND RELIGION TODAY Lee Marsden 144 17 THE FUTURE OF ISLAMIC STATE SYSTEMS IN LIGHT OF RISING SECTARIAN TENSIONS Shireen T. Hunter 152 18 THE GEOPOLITICS OF RELIGIOUS LIBERTY Nilay Saiya 161 19 IS THERE A RELIGIOUS DIVERSITY PEACE DIVIDEND? Dan G. Cox 169 20 INTER-RELIGIOUS WORK FOR PEACE THROUGH GLOBALISED TRANSNATIONAL CIVIL SOCIETY Pauline Kollontai 176 PART FOUR – HUMAN RIGHTS AND INSTITUTIONS 21 FaITH-BASED ORGANISATIONS AT THE UNITED NATIONS Jeffrey Haynes 186 viii Nations under God 22 NATIONAL RELIGIONS: HOW TO BE BOTH UNDER GOD AND UNDER THE EUROPEAN UNION? François Foret 196 23 RELIGION IN THE EUROPEAN UNION: THE FORGOTTEN FaCTOR Brent F. Nelsen and James L. Guth 203 24 RELIGIOUS MOVEMENTS AND RELigion’s CONTRIBUTION TO GLOBAL CIVIL SOCIETY Paul S. Rowe 211 25 WHOSE GOD? A HUMAN RIGHTS APPROACH J. Paul Martin 218 26 GLOBAL CHRISTIAN NETWORKS FOR HUMAN DIGNITY Allen D. Hertzke 229 27 ISLAM AND HUMAN RIGHTS IN PAKISTAN Ishtiaq Ahmed 237 28 BUILDING A REFORM MOVEMENT: COULD MUSLIMS EMULATE NINETEENTH CENTURY JUDAISM? Jonathan Benthall 246 29 THE RELIGION AGENDA: THE SAHRawI REFUGEES AND THE POLITICS OF TOLERANCE Elizabeth Shakman Hurd 255 CONCLUSION Tim Fitzgerald 266 CONTRIBUTORS 278 NOTE ON INDEXING 286 ix ‘Le vingt et un siècle sera religieux ou ne sera pas’ (The twenty-first century will be religious or it will not) -- André Malraux Introduction 1 Introduction ‘The World is the Mighty Temple of the Gods’ LUKE M. HERRINGTON & ALASDAIR MC KaY E-INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS This introductory chapter is divided into five parts. The opening section provides a brief overview of why religion matters in today’s world. Considering various polling data and demographic studies, the section demonstrates how levels of religiosity are increasing in the world and consequently that the world as a whole is becoming a more religious place. The next section presents a discussion of the secularisation debate and the global religious resurgence. Section three examines the popular literature concerning religion and global politics
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The European and Russian Far Right As Political Actors: Comparative Approach
    Journal of Politics and Law; Vol. 12, No. 2; 2019 ISSN 1913-9047 E-ISSN 1913-9055 Published by Canadian Center of Science and Education The European and Russian Far Right as Political Actors: Comparative Approach Ivanova Ekaterina1, Kinyakin Andrey1 & Stepanov Sergey1 1 RUDN University, Russia Correspondence: Stepanov Sergey, RUDN University, Russia. E-mail: [email protected] Received: March 5, 2019 Accepted: April 25, 2019 Online Published: May 30, 2019 doi:10.5539/jpl.v12n2p86 URL: https://doi.org/10.5539/jpl.v12n2p86 The article is prepared within the framework of Erasmus+ Jean Monnet Module "Transformation of Social and Political Values: the EU Practice" (575361-EPP-1-2016-1-RU-EPPJMO-MODULE, Erasmus+ Jean Monnet Actions) (2016-2019) Abstract The article is devoted to the comparative analysis of the far right (nationalist) as political actors in Russia and in Europe. Whereas the European far-right movements over the last years managed to achieve significant success turning into influential political forces as a result of surging popular support, in Russia the far-right organizations failed to become the fully-fledged political actors. This looks particularly surprising, given the historically deep-rooted nationalist tradition, which stems from the times Russian Empire. Before the 1917 revolution, the so-called «Black Hundred» was one of the major far-right organizations, exploiting nationalistic and anti-Semitic rhetoric, which had representation in the Russian parliament – The State Duma. During the most Soviet period all the far-right movements in Russia were suppressed, re-emerging in the late 1980s as rather vocal political force. But currently the majority of them are marginal groups, partly due to the harsh party regulation, partly due to the fact, that despite state-sponsored nationalism the position of Russian far right does not stand in-line with the position of Russian authorities, trying to suppress the Russian nationalists.
    [Show full text]
  • The Extreme Right on Discord
    Gaming and Extremism The Extreme Right on Discord Aoife Gallagher, Ciaran O’Connor, Pierre Vaux, Elise Thomas, Jacob Davey About the series This briefing is part of ISD’s Gaming and Extremism Series exploring the role online gaming plays in the strategy of far-right extremists in the UK and globally. This is part of a broader programme on the ‘Future of Extremism’ being delivered by ISD in the second half of 2021, charting the transformational shifts in the extremist threat landscape two decades on from 9/11, and the policy strategies required to counter the next generation of extremist threats. It provides a snapshot overview of the extreme right’s use of Discord. Gaming and Extremism Contents 3 Contents Executive Summary 4 Key Findings 4 Findings of Analysis 5 Vetting, Verification & Channel Creation 5 Function of Servers 5 The Role of Gaming 6 Case Studies 8 Conclusion 10 Methodology 11 Gaming and Extremism The Extreme Right on Discord 4 Executive summary Discord is a free service accessible via phones and Key Findings computers. It allows users to talk to each other in real time via voice, text or video chat and emerged • We found that the Discord primarily acts in 2015 as a platform designed to assist gamers in as a hub for extreme right-wing socialising communicating with each other while playing video and community building. Our analysis suggests games. The popularity of the platform has surged that Discord provides a safe space for users in recent years, and it is currently estimated to to share ideological material and explore have 140 million monthly active users.1 extremist movements.
    [Show full text]
  • Strengthening Unity, Peace and Justice United We Stand – Divided We Fall
    Strengthening Unity, Peace and Justice United we stand – Divided we fall ”ਚ ਤਾਕਤ, ੰਡ ਨਾਲ ਵਿਰਾ ਟﹱ ਏਕਤਾ ਵ“ ਏਕਤਾ, ਸ਼ਾ拓ਤੀ ਅਤੇ ਵਨਆ拓 ਨੰ ਮਜਬ ਤ ਕਰਨ ਦੇ ਉਦਮ “एकता मᴂ ताकत, बटवारे मᴂ गिरावट” एकता, शा車गत एव車 न्याय को सु饃褼 करने का प्रयास ਯਾ ਜੁਿ ਮਵਿ ਏਕਵਿ ਕਉ ਆਇਆ ॥ We have come to this world to become One. Gur Arjan Seminar 18th August 2018, 6pm, Ludhiana, Panjab , I n di a Venue: The Celebration Plaza, Gill Rd, New Grain Market, Ludhiana, Panjab, India Food: Vegetarian meal and tea will be served after the seminar Contact: Sach Kjoj Academy | www.sachkhojacademy.wordpress.com This seminar brings together renown representatives from religion, human rights and grass-root activists, scholars and farmers to launch the initiative “Strengthening Unity, Peace and Justice”. Following the motto of “United we stand – Divided we fall”, the seminar aims at raising awareness to overcome communalism and bring together all people of goodwill to strengthen unity, peace and justice in all spheres of life. Pursuant to other global efforts, the initiative contributes to the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda signed by 193 nations at the United Nations. The 2030 Agenda wants to make sure that no one is left behind and welcomes all efforts that sustainably serve the five Ps – planet, people, prosperity, peace and partnership. The initiative “Strengthening Unity, Peace and Justice” was developed after a series of dialogues held by Dharam Singh Nihang Singh, the founder of the Sach Khoj Academy, with renown personalities such as Swami Agnivesh, Advocate Mehmood Pracha and Rajvinder Singh Bains, Maulana Mohammad Ajazur Rahman Shaheen Qasmi, Prof.
    [Show full text]
  • Career Break Or a New Career? Extremist Foreign Fighters in Ukraine
    Career Break or a New Career? Extremist Foreign Fighters in Ukraine By Kacper Rekawek (@KacperRekawek) April 2020 Counter Extremism Project (CEP) Germany www.counterextremism.com I @FightExtremism CONTENTS: ABOUT CEP/ABOUT THE AUTHOR 2 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 3 INTRODUCTION 5 SECTION I INTRODUCING FOREIGN FIGHTERS IN THE WAR IN UKRAINE 7 THE XRW FOREIGN FIGHTER: A WORLDVIEW 9 TALKING TO FOREIGN FIGHTERS: THEIR WORDS AND SYMBOLS 11 THE “UNHAPPY” FOREING FIGHTERS 13 CIVIL WAR? 15 SECTION II WHY THEY FIGHT 17 A CAREER BREAK OR NEW CAREER? 18 FOREIGN FIGHTERS WAR LOGISTICS 22 SECTION III FOREIGN FIGHTERS AS A THREAT? 25 TENTATIVE CONCLUSION: NEITHER A UKRAINIAN 29 NOR A WESTERN PROBLEM? ENDNOTES 31 Counter Extremism Project (CEP) 1 counterextremism.com About CEP The Counter Extremism Project (CEP) is a not-for-profit, non-partisan, international policy organization formed to combat the growing threat from extremist ideologies. Led by a renowned group of former world leaders and diplomats it combats extremism by pressuring financial and material support networks; countering the narrative of extremists and their online recruitment; and advocating for smart laws, policies, and regulations. About the author Kacper Rekawek, PhD is an affiliated researcher at CEP and a GLOBSEC associate fellow. Between 2016 and 2019 he led the latter’s national security program. Previously, he worked at the Polish Institute of International Affairs (PISM) and University of Social Sciences in Warsaw, Poland. He held Paul Wilkinson Memorial Fellowship at the Handa Centre
    [Show full text]
  • Novorossiya: a Launching Pad for Russian Nationalists
    Novorossiya: A Launching Pad for Russian Nationalists PONARS Eurasia Policy Memo No. 357 September 2014 Marlene Laruelle The George Washington University The Ukraine crisis is a game changer for Russia’s domestic landscape. One of the most eloquent engines of this is the spread of the concept of “Novorossiya,” or New Russia. With origins dating from the second half of the 18th century, the term was revived during the Ukraine crisis and gained indirect official validation when Russian President Vladimir Putin used it during a call-in show in April 2014 to evoke the situation of the Russian-speaking population of Ukraine. It appeared again in May when the self- proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics (DNR and LNR) decided to unite in a “Union of Novorossiya.” In August, a presidential statement was addressed to the “Insurgents of Novorossiya,” though the text itself referred only to “representatives of the Donbas.” The powerful pull of Novorossiya rests on its dual meaning in announcing the birth of a New Russia geographically and metaphorically. It is both a promised land to be added to Russia and an anticipation of Russia’s own transformation. As such, “Novorossiya” provides for an exceptional convergence of three underlying ideological paradigms that I briefly analyze here. “Red” Novorossiya The first ideological motif nurturing Novorossiya emphasizes Soviet memory. Novorossiya is both a spatial and ideological gift to Russia’s reassertion as a great power: it brings new territory and a new mission. This inspiration enjoys consensus among the Russian population and is widely shared by Russian nationalists and the Kremlin.
    [Show full text]
  • Euromaidan Revolution, Crimea and Russia–Ukraine War: Why It Is Time for a Review of Ukrainian–Russian Studies
    Eurasian Geography and Economics ISSN: 1538-7216 (Print) 1938-2863 (Online) Journal homepage: https://www.tandfonline.com/loi/rege20 Euromaidan revolution, Crimea and Russia–Ukraine war: why it is time for a review of Ukrainian–Russian studies Taras Kuzio To cite this article: Taras Kuzio (2018) Euromaidan revolution, Crimea and Russia–Ukraine war: why it is time for a review of Ukrainian–Russian studies, Eurasian Geography and Economics, 59:3-4, 529-553, DOI: 10.1080/15387216.2019.1571428 To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1080/15387216.2019.1571428 Published online: 18 Feb 2019. Submit your article to this journal Article views: 64 View Crossmark data Full Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at https://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?journalCode=rege20 EURASIAN GEOGRAPHY AND ECONOMICS 2018, VOL. 59, NOS. 3–4, 529–553 https://doi.org/10.1080/15387216.2019.1571428 Euromaidan revolution, Crimea and Russia–Ukraine war: why it is time for a review of Ukrainian–Russian studies Taras Kuzio Department of Political Science, National University of Kyiv Mohyla Academy, Foreign Policy Institute, School of Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins University ABSTRACT ARTICLE HISTORY This review article seeks to launch a debate on the state of Received 11 September 2018 Ukrainian–Russian studies which have become quite active Accepted 14 January 2019 among Western scholars since the 2014 crisis unfolded. KEYWORDS Through discussion around two recently published books Russia; Ukraine; Crimea; by Richard Sakwa and Anna Matveeva, the review investi- Donbas; war national gates five common themes found in Western scholarship identity about the crisis and Russia–Ukraine war.
    [Show full text]
  • Theological Education Volume 40, Number 1 ISSUE FOCUS 2004 New Directions for the Timeless Quest— Theological Libraries in an Era of Change
    Theological Education Volume 40, Number 1 ISSUE FOCUS 2004 New Directions for the Timeless Quest— Theological Libraries in an Era of Change What’s a Seminary Library for? Timothy D. Lincoln Jam To-morrow and Jam Yesterday, but Never Jam To-day: The Dilemma of Theology Libraries Planning for the Twenty-first Century Jack W. Ammerman Changing Libraries, Changing Collections Donald M. Vorp Is There Anything Worthwhile on the Web? A Cooperative Project to Identify Scholarly Resources in Theology and Religion Eileen Crawford, Amy Limpitlaw, and Bill Hook Incorporating Global Perspectives into Theological Education: The Role of the Library Martha Lund Smalley and Paul F. Stuehrenberg Librarians and Teaching Faculty in Collaboration: New Incentives, New Opportunities Melody Layton McMahon Is There a Strategic Alliance in Your Future? Lessons Learned from Library Consortia Ann Hotta Information Literacy in Theological Education Douglas L. Gragg Assessing Library Performance in a New Landscape, or “How Did We Do Today?” Jan Malcheski BOOK REVIEWS OPEN FORUM Reducing the Identity Crisis in Doctor of Ministry Education Charles J. Conniry Jr. Getting Them Through the Doctor of Ministry Dissertation Steve Delamarter Thinking Again about the Reformed Tradition and Public Life Mark Douglas, Lewis Mudge, and Jim Watkins The Association of Theological Schools IN THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA ISSN 0040-5620 Theological Education is published semiannually by The Association of Theological Schools IN THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA 10 Summit Park Drive Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15275-1103 DANIEL O. ALESHIRE Executive Editor JEREMIAH J. McCARTHY Editor DAVID R. STEWART Issue Editor NANCY MERRILL Managing Editor LISA KERN Production Assistant For subscription information or to order additional copies or selected back issues, please contact the Association.
    [Show full text]
  • Call for Papers General Information
    January 2006 Published by the American Academy of Religion Vol. 21, No. 1 2006 2006 r embe M ar alend CALL FOR C e 2 e pag Se PAPERS Annual Meeting Call for Papers General Information ........................................................................3 Deadlines ........................................................................................3 Religious Studies News is the newspaper of record Guidelines for Submitting Proposals ..................................................3 for the field especially designed to serve the pro- fessional needs of persons involved in teaching Methods of Submission ....................................................................4 and scholarship in religion (broadly construed to include religious studies, theology, and sacred Sections ..........................................................................................5 texts). Published quarterly by the American Academy of Religion, RSN is received by some Groups............................................................................................7 10,000 scholars and by libraries at colleges and universities across North America and abroad. Participant Forms ........................................................................8, 9 Religious Studies News communicates the impor- tant events of the field and related areas. It pro- Seminars ......................................................................................16 vides a forum for members and others to examine critical issues in education, pedagogy (especially
    [Show full text]
  • Russian Analytical Digest 14/07 Alexander Dugin, the Issue of Post-Soviet Fascism, and Russian Political Discourse Today
    rrussianussian aanalyticalnalytical russian analytical digest 14/07 ddigestigest Analysis Alexander Dugin, the Issue of Post-Soviet Fascism, and Russian Political Discourse Today By Andreas Umland, Kiev, Ukraine Summary Th e past year witnessed a welcome sensitization of the Russian public towards skinhead attacks and ultra-na- tionalist propaganda. Nevertheless, the administration of Vladimir Putin and the Kremlin-controlled mass me- dia have maintained an ambiguous stance with regard to xenophobic tendencies in politics and public discourse. While primitive hatred of foreigners and ethnic violence are offi cially stigmatized, the dissemination of national stereotypes and anti-Americanism, in particular, by Kremlin-directed mass media and political pundits contin- ues unabated. For example, the notorious publicist Alexander Dugin, who openly propagated fascist ideas in the 1990s, has become an important player in shaping the discourse of Russian political and intellectual elites today. It remains to be seen how the Russian leadership will handle the challenges resulting from such a contradictory approach to its domestic and foreign policies in the coming years. A New Sensitization Towards Right-Wing Ambiguous Reactions Extremism? espite such encouraging signs, the Kremlin-con- n view of escalating violent attacks and other actions Dtrolled mass media have an altogether ambivalent Iagainst foreigners, the debate on Russian fascism is stance toward right-wing extremist tendencies. Al- currently experiencing a new high in the Russian me- though manifest anti-Semitism and violent racism are dia. Th ere was a similar debate in the mid-1990s, when now heavily criticized and visibly stigmatized, other xe- the confrontation between President Boris Yeltsin and nophobic patterns remain present, or are even increasing, the “intransigent opposition,” a state of near-civil war in reporting on foreign news and political commentaries.
    [Show full text]
  • Competing Nationalisms, Euromaidan, and the Russian-Ukrainian Conflict
    bs_bs_banner Studies in Ethnicity and Nationalism: Vol. 15, No. 1, 2015 Competing Nationalisms, Euromaidan, and the Russian-Ukrainian Conflict Taras Kuzio* Senior Research Associate, Canadian Institute for Ukrainian Studies, University of Alberta Senior Research Fellow, Chair of Ukrainian Studies, University of Toronto Non-Resident Fellow, Center for Transatlantic Relations, School of Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins University Introduction Although Ukraine is a regionally diverse country, it had succeeded in peacefully managing inter-ethnic and linguistic tension between competing nationalisms and identities. However, the rise of the openly pro-Russian Party of Regions political machine after the Orange Revolution, whose leader came to power in 2010, and the evolution of Vladimir Putin’s regime from proponent of statist to ethnic national- ism, heightened Ukrainian inter-regional and inter-state conflict. Viktor Yanukovych’s policies provoked popular protests that became the Euromaidan. His unwillingness to compromise and his fear of leaving office led to violence and the breakdown of state structures, opening the way for Russia’s interventions in the Crimea and Eastern Ukraine. This article investigates the sources for the violence during and after the Euromaidan and Russia’s interventions. It argues that domes- tic and foreign factors served to change the dynamics of Russian speakers in Ukraine from one of passivity in the late 1980s through to the 2004 Orange Revolution; low-level mobilization from 2005 to 2013; and high-level
    [Show full text]
  • ASSESSING the AUGUSTINIAN DEMOCRATS Jonathan Tran
    ASSESSING THE AUGUSTINIAN DEMOCRATS Jonathan Tran ABSTRACT In this essay I argue that Christian political participation as envisioned by those I term “Augustinian democrats”—a group of Protestant ethicists following a path cleared by Jeffrey Stout’s 2004 Democracy and Tradition—is founded upon an elegantly rendered political ontology, but leaves incomplete a description of the practical task and place of the church. My contention is that this incompletely developed practical task is not accidental to the manner in which these Augustinians complete the speculative, ontological task. The completion of the speculative task combined with the incompletion of the practical task, I conclude, nevertheless results in a hybrid and especially interesting picture of personhood that points to an understanding of Protestantism as the attempt to recover human individuality within Christianity. KEYWORDS: Jeff Stout, Augustinian liberalism, Charles Mathewes, Eric Gregory, church I am concerned in this essay with recent conversations about Christian participation in politics, focusing specifically on the contributions of those I will call “Augustinian democrats,” a group of Protestant Christian eth- icists who have come to prominence in and through the conceptual space prepared by Jeffrey Stout’s Democracy and Tradition (2004). In the follow- ing, I attempt to outline what I take to be their chief theoretical proposal and how it hinders and helps the conversation on Christian participation in the public sphere. While outlining the proposal, I start with its ap- propriated Augustinian ontology, a conceptualization of time and space that emplaces us with our neighbors and positions us to take up common pursuits for mutual goodness.
    [Show full text]
  • Pragmatism and Democracy: Assessing Jeffrey Stout's
    Pragmatism and Democracy: ’ Assessing Jeffrey Stout s Downloaded from https://academic.oup.com/jaar/article/78/2/413/699388 by guest on 30 September 2021 Democracy and Tradition Jason Springs, Editor Cornel West, Richard Rorty, Stanley Hauerwas, and Jeffrey Stout* EDITOR’S INTRODUCTION Jason Springs Jeffrey Stout’s Democracy and Tradition intervened in debates that had extended for more than two decades across the fields of religious ethics and the philosophy of religion. A central aim of the book was to mediate a long-standing impasse between theological traditionalists and liberal secularists. The former often described liberal democracy as inhospitable—if not positively antithetical—to the substance and parti- cularity of theological claims. For the latter, democracy required the *Jason Springs, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA. Cornel West, Center for African American Studies, Stanhope Hall, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA. E-mail: [email protected]. Stanley Hauerwas, 308 Old Divinity, Duke Divinity School, Duke University, Box 90967, Durham, NC 27708, USA. E-mail: [email protected]. Jeffrey Stout, Department of Religion, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544-1017, USA. E-mail: [email protected]. Jason Springs, Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies, 305 Hesburgh Center, PO Box 639, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, USA. E-mail: [email protected]. The panel took place at a session of the “Pragmatism and Empiricism in American Religious Thought” group at the 2003 AAR Annual Meeting in Atlanta, GA. The session was coordinated by Eddie Glaude, David Lamberth, and Frederick Ruf, and was recorded by Darryl Smith. Thanks to Wayne Proudfoot, who moderated the session, those who attended and those who participated in the Q&A.[0] Note that the original order of presentations (Hauerwas, West, Rorty, and Stout) has been altered to improve the transcription’s clarity for a broader audience.
    [Show full text]