Lopez 1

Brianna Lopez
John Kubler
English 115
4 September 2014
Summary of Faith and Diplomacy
Religion greatly influences the world. Many Americans can encounter the day when two
terrorists attacked the twin towers back in September 11, 2001 for the sake of religion and their
country. On the other hand, there have been good people doing good deeds such as Mother
Theresa and Martin Luther King Jr. where their impact on the world was greatly influence by
their beliefs. And even, the United States democracy was built under the influence of Protestant
Christianity principles. But, people would rather mention the pain and hurt religion has inflicted
upon the world because pain and suffering is easier to remember than joyous memories. This
creates a debatable question, should religion be affiliated with government and foreign affairs?
Countless people argue religion is not worth the time of day to understand and use in government
and foreign affairs, but Albright argues differently. Madeleine Albright was a former secretary
of state, U.S. ambassador, who studied in Wellesley College, John Hopkins University, and
Columbia University where she got her Ph.D in public law in government, and is also Jewish but
grew up Catholic. In her book, Faith and Diplomacy, she emphasizes how religion can be/is
used in government and foreign affairs by showing the significance and power of religion
through historical events, then explains how it is a matter of how you use religion that will make
the impact, which requires a deep understanding of religion in order to make the world a more
hormonal world.

Lopez 2
Albright emphasizes the significance and power of religion through her story when
Poland was under dictatorship back in 1981 and a pope was going around preaching to people
that they can overrule the government through the will of God and the desire for freedom, which
kindled protest around Europe resulting in the Berlin Wall torn down and reconciling Europe
together: Standing amid huge crowds, the listeners recognized in each other once again the
qualities that made them proud to be Polishfaith in God and willingness to run risks for
freedom (36). This shows how religion can be a powerful advocate for the leader and for the
governed if used correctly. The Pope used the name of God to spur on the people that God is on
their side, which not only inspires them, but also brings hope for a better tomorrow.
Albright sheds some light on how religion can be a positive asset and impact on the world
through her experience in Uganda where civil war is raging across the country and a tribe called
Acholi, kill people left and right. She emphasizes a Christian organization called World Vision
and how they have become a safe haven for victims of the Acholis cruel actions: There were
many volunteers. It was a place filled with terrible suffering but also resilient joy [emphasis
added] (38). This shows that if used correctly, religion can be used in a positive way. The
people working in the organization were volunteers; people who are not in it for the money or
obliged to work in that organization, but who believe they need to/want to help the people of
Uganda. Religion can inspire and move people to do good and impactful deeds.
At the same time, Albright acknowledges the cruelty of religion being used in malevolent
affairs. She shares the background of Acholi and how they came about. Acholi is a dominant
tribe in Uganda where they have killed many people. They believe that if they take over the
capital of Uganda, then all the killings they made will be forgiven. The tribe attempt, but failed,
and their leader died. But, the leaders nephew, Joseph Kony, rose into the occasion and killed,

Lopez 3
kidnapped, and enslaved more people than his uncle. Kony used the Old Testament in the Bible
as an excuse for his cruel behavior towards civilians, and even made up an eleventh
commandment that people cannot ride bikes: Once victory was achieved, commanded the spirit,
the Acholi should cleanse themselves by seeking forgiveness (38). This shows that religion can
be used in terrible ways and it really depends how people use religion for their own use/gain.
Religion itself is not the cause; it is the direction of it that makes the difference.
Albright states the potential of religion, thus argues that in order to make any impact in
the world, people need to understand religion in order to have better relations or to make the
world a better place. She talks about how as an ambassador, she needs to understand other
countries and their people and to do so does not only studies the culture and vibe of the people,
but also their religion. She discusses her conversation she had with President Jimmy Carter who
accomplished the impossible task of bringing Egypt and Israel to an agreement: He told me that
it is not possible to separate what people feel and believe in the spiritual realm from what they
will do as a matter of public policy (41). This shows that religion is very much needed in
foreign and government affairs in order to make peaceful treaties and smoother world problem
solving. Countries would learn to understand and respect each others religion and thus would
probably result in eliminating tensions between countries such as the United States and the
Middle East.
Albright concludes that religion is not something to look down upon or underestimated
for the government, rather it could be used as an asset for the greater good of the people:
Religion at its best can reinforce the core values necessary for people from different cultures to
live in some degree of harmony; we should make the most of the possibility (42). This shows

Lopez 4
that religion has the power to bring some sort of harmony in the world just by understanding the
power of religion, and directing the impact of religion for the good of mankind.