Berkley Center

The contributors to Liberty and Power question the veracity of the attitude on the subject of religion and international relations that prevailed in the last half century as encapsulated by Dean Acheson, Harry Truman’s secretary of state: "Moral talk was fine preaching for the Final Day of Judgment, but it was not a view I would entertain as a public servant." Coming from very different perspectives, the authors argue that how a nation "commits itself to freedom" - which has long been at the heart of debates about foreign aid, economic sanctions, and military intervention - is strongly related to its moral and faith traditions. The book includes contributions from Bryan Hehir, Michael Walzer, Charles Krauthammer, Louise Richardson, and Shibley Telhami. Liberty and Power is part of a series of dialogues edited by EJ Dionne, Jean Bethke Elshtain, and Kayla Drogosz that revolve around the question of the role religion should play in shaping and implementing U.S. foreign policy.