Winter 2003
Issue 81

Publication Date: January 3, 2003
Posted: Friday, January 1, 2003

Featured in this issue are a conference for journalists on religion and international confl ict; the second annual William E. Simon Lecture, given by George Weigel; and eight seminars—on the bioethics debate, trust and corporate culture, Islamic political thought, Islamic constitutionalism, the Christian orthodox revival, evangelicals’ view of Israel, China problems, and Muslim-Christian relations in South Asia. The annual summary of Center activities ("Highlights of 2002") are also included.


In This Issue :

The Opposing Armies of God
For hundreds of years religious differences have fueled violent confl ict, and our age is adding multiple chapters to this grim history. The Center conference “Toward an Understanding of Religion and International Conflict,” held at the Pier House Resort in Key West, Florida, December 15-17, brought together journalists and scholars to examine religious developments, especially within Islam and Christianity, that are likely to aggravate political tensions in various parts of the world. [More]

Moral War
Because “every human action takes place within the purview of moral judgment . . . moral muteness in a time of war is a moral stance,” declared senior fellow George Weigel in the Center’s second annual William E. Simon Lecture, “Moral Clarity in a Time of War,” given at the Mayflower Hotel October 24.  [More]

Trustbusters
Speaking at the November 18 Center seminar “Trust and American Corporate Culture,” Fukuyama examined where trust comes from and why the new economy places particular strains on it. He insisted, however, that the current situation is not as dire as some may think. [More]

Reconstituting Islam
Although modern Muslim states “have generally failed to realize either constitutionalism or liberal democracy,” the constitutionalist ideals of rule of law, limited and accountable government, and protection of rights have been present in Islamic communities since the time of the prophet Muhammad, asserted Sohail Hashmi of Mount Holyoke College (South Hadley, MA) at the November 22 Center seminar “Islam and Constitutionalism.”  [More]

Bio-politics
To assess the likelihood of future legislative action on these crucial matters and the larger political significance of the biotechnology revolution, the Center sponsored a seminar on November 20 called “The Bioethics Debate: Where We Are, Where We’re Heading.”  [More]

Israel Through Evangelical Eyes
Gerald McDermott of Roanoke College traced the history of this support, examining its theological roots and the ambivalence that now threatens it, at “Evangelicals and Israel,” a November 21 meeting sponsored by the Center’s Evangelicals in Civic Life project.  [More]

Islam’s Hidden Heritage
Much of the current discourse on Islam, by both Muslims and non-Muslims, “does not refl ect or even come close to reflecting the full depth and complexity of the Islamic tradition,” lamented Khaled Abou El Fadl of UCLA Law School at a November 12 Center seminar on “Islamic Political Thought and Democracy.” [More]

An Anglican Perspective on South Asia
Drawing on his unique perspective as a Pakistani Anglican bishop, the Reverend Michael Nazir Ali, currently Anglican Bishop of Rochester (U.K.), discussed the promise and perils of contemporary Christian-Muslim relations at a November 1 Center seminar co-sponsored by the International Fellowship of Evangelical Mission Theologians (INFEMIT).  [More]

The Orthodox Young
Colleen Carroll discussed this development, the subject of her new book The New Faithful: Why Young Adults Are Embracing Christian Orthodoxy, at an October 18 Center seminar. [More]