Faith-based diplomacy can be antidote to extremism, says U.S. expert

Published: 2007-11-16

ROME (CNS) -- In a world of increasing religious extremism, faith-based diplomacy can offer an effective path for dialogue and international problem-solving, a U.S. expert said. "Religious reconciliation can be an antidote to religious extremism," Douglas Johnston, president and founder of the International Center for Religion and Diplomacy, said in Rome Nov. 15. Johnston said the problem is that for many diplomats, including those in the United States, religion has been "a bit of a blind spot." He said, "Our diplomats usually don't have any training in this, in understanding how religion is a factor in diplomacy." Sometimes the separation between church and state is cited as a reason, he said, but the plain fact is that "we're not doing our homework. As we look at the U.S. role in Iraq, it's crystal clear that the United States has no ability to deal with religious differences in a hostile setting," he said. Johnston spoke at the Pontifical Gregorian University in an event co-sponsored by the U.S. Embassy to the Holy See.

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