Journal of Church and State

Political liberalism of John Rawls The political liberalism of John Rawls offers a problematic response to theocracy. Rawls believes the political order must not be bound to one religious conception, must be open to disagreements about the common good, but must also form a political policy around which all parties can form a consensus. His theory, however, does not contain a specific answer to the theocrat's notion that the soul's salvation is the most important truth upon which public polic...

Pope Pius XI's 'encyclical' Humani Generis Unitas against racism and anti-Semitism and the 'silence' of Pope Pius XII.

Pope Pius XI, who died in 1939, and his successor, Pope Pius XII, differed in their approaches to Nazi Germany. In 1938, a papal encyclical was commissioned to denounce racism and the violent nationalism of Germany. The encyclical was titled Humani Generis Unitatas (The Unity of the Human Race). Pius XI died before releasing the encyclical. Pius XII was deeply offended by Nazi violence and racism, but chose not to deliver the encyclical. He believed public condemnation might worsen the fate o...

Towards a comparative treatment of religion: counterhegemonic and gegemonic state-clergy Strategies in religious hierarchies of the Russian Road--Iran, Japan, and Russia.

The Iranian revolution of the late 1970s can be understood from a framework provided by Antonio Gramsci, in which the Russian Road, or rule by caste, is used. Gramsci's perspective allows one to see Iranian politics in the current of modern movements and not as a backwards impulse. Political impulses that make religion a unifying cultural force and create a distrust of foreigners are not unique to Iran, but can be seen in other Russian Road societies, such as Russia and Japan.

The political varieties of sacred remembrance: Elie Wiesel and U.S. foreign policy.

Holocaust survivor and writer Writer, Holocaust survivor, and Nobel Peace Prize Winner Elie Wiesel claims to not understand politics, but his moral authority has cast him into the political realm. He became a national spokesman for the Genocide Treaty and spoke out against Pres Reagan's visit to the Bitburg Cemetery, where Nazi SS soldiers were buried. He was appointed in 1978 by Pres Carter to the Commission on the Holocaust, which guided the nation's role in formally remembering the Holoca...

The freedom of religion and conscience in Finland.

Religious freedom has slowly evolved in Finland since the middle ages. Christianity was established in the country around the year 1000, and the Lutheran Church dominated the culture from 1634 until national independence in 1919. The 1919 constitution guaranteed freedom of religion and conscience. Desires for religious freedom increased as the pluralistic nature of the country increased after World War II. Official comments on religious freedom will be further refined in the Constitution 2000...

Clinton and the New Covenant: theology shaping a new politics or old politics in religious garb?

Pres Bill Clinton used the term, "New Covenant," to describe his campaign policy during the 1992 election, but he disregarded the covenant after he came into office. The New Covenant suggested the biblical agreement between God and his people, and called for an agreement between US government and citizens that empowered both. Clinton alluded to the New Covenant when his presidency was challenged by the Republicans Contract for America, and spoke of forging a New Covenant in a speech at George...

Religious Human Rights in Global Perspective: Legal Perspective.

Review - Brief Article

Central Asia's New States: Independence, Foreign Policy and Regional Security.

Review - Brief Article

Women, the Family, and Divorce Laws in Islamic History.

Review - Brief Article

The Rise of Christian Democracy in Europe.

Review - Brief Article

German Politics and the Jews: Dusseldorf and Nuremberg, 1910-1933.

Review - Brief Article

The East German Church and the End of Communism.

Review - Brief Article