This introductory text presents an overview of fundamental concepts and principles of international relations (IR) using a game metaphor. The use of the game metaphor as an organizing principle allows the author to present the inner logic of IR in a succinct, coherent, and dynamic manner. The first part of the primer focuses on the nature of the international community and how the IR game is played. In this section, the author examines the nature of the IR game, the actors eligible to play the game, and the goals and strategies for playing the game. In presenting the basic architecture of global politics, the book illuminates key elements of the traditional Westphalian system and then highlights important changes currently under way in the emerging postmodern international system. The second part of the primer shows four types of "rules of the game" in action-political, economic, legal, and moral. Although IR has often been defined in terms of power politics alone, all four types of rules play an important role in structuring the international behavior of states and other actors. The text concludes by examining developments that are likely to influence the future IR game. Beginning students and laypersons with an interest in global affairs will find this innovative and clearly written guide a useful conceptual roadmap to the field of IR.

This introductory text presents an overview of fundamental concepts and principles of international relations (IR) using a game metaphor. The use of the game metaphor as an organizing principle allows the author to present the inner logic of IR in a succinct, coherent, and dynamic manner. The first part of the primer focuses on the nature of the international community and how the IR game is played. In this section, the author examines the nature of the IR game, the actors eligible to play the game, and the goals and strategies for playing the game. In presenting the basic architecture of global politics, the book illuminates key elements of the traditional Westphalian system and then highlights important changes currently under way in the emerging postmodern international system. The second part of the primer shows four types of "rules of the game" in action-political, economic, legal, and moral. Although IR has often been defined in terms of power politics alone, all four types of rules play an important role in structuring the international behavior of states and other actors. The text concludes by examining developments that are likely to influence the future IR game. Beginning students and laypersons with an interest in global affairs will find this innovative and clearly written guide a useful conceptual roadmap to the field of IR.

The political emergence of evangelical Christians has been a signal development in America in the past quarter century. And while their voting tendencies have been closely scrutinized, their participation in the policy debates of the day has not. They continue to be caricatured as anti-intellectual Bible thumpers whose views are devoid of reason, logic, or empirical evidence. They're seen as lemmings, following the cues of Dobson and Robertson and marching in lock step with the Republican party on the "culture wars" issues of abortion, gay rights, and guns. Is The Good Book Good Enough? remedies the neglect of this highly influential group, which makes up as much as a third of the American public. It offers a carefully nuanced and comprehensive portrait of evangelical attitudes on a wide range of policies and their theological underpinnings. Each essay applies an evangelical lens to a contemporary issue - environmentalism, immigration, family and same-sex marriage, race relations, global human rights, foreign policy and national security, social welfare and poverty, and economic policy. The result thoroughly enriches our understanding of evangelicalism as a prism through which many view a wide range of policy debates.

Mark Amstutz offers a groundbreaking exploration of the rise, evolution, and crucial impact of Evangelicals on American foreign affairs. In the nineteenth century, Protestant missionaries spearheaded global engagement by serving throughout the world. They gained fluency in foreign languages, developed knowledge about distant societies, and increased cross-cultural awareness. They also played a vital role in advancing human dignity by teaching and modeling values, building schools and clinics, and creating institutions that nurtured civil society. In view of their important role in global affairs, Amstutz argues, Evangelicals can be regarded as America's first internationalists. When modernists gained control of Protestant denominations at the turn of the twentieth century, traditional Protestants responded by creating a Fundamentalist movement that gave precedence to spiritual life but neglected social and political concerns. Four decades later, orthodox believers sought to restore the spiritual-temporal balance that had characterized traditional Protestantism. To a significant degree, contemporary Evangelicalism is the result of this movement. Amstutz illuminates the influence of the political theology of this group of believers on Evangelicals' thought and action on global affairs. Although the New Evangelicals have not established a body of teachings comparable to Catholics', they have developed a framework that has shaped members' social thought and political action. After highlighting distinctive features of Evangelicals' political ethics, Amstutz illustrates how such thinking has influenced the analysis of global poverty, U.S. foreign policy towards Israel, and a variety of foreign policy initiatives. In view of the increasing political advocacy of Evangelical groups, Amstutz concludes with a number of recommendations on how to strengthen Evangelicals' global engagement.

The political emergence of evangelical Christians has been a signal development in America in the past quarter century. And while their voting tendencies have been closely scrutinized, their participation in the policy debates of the day has not. They continue to be caricatured as anti-intellectual Bible thumpers whose views are devoid of reason, logic, or empirical evidence. They're seen as lemmings, following the cues of Dobson and Robertson and marching in lock step with the Republican party on the "culture wars" issues of abortion, gay rights, and guns. Is The Good Book Good Enough? remedies the neglect of this highly influential group, which makes up as much as a third of the American public. It offers a carefully nuanced and comprehensive portrait of evangelical attitudes on a wide range of policies and their theological underpinnings. Each essay applies an evangelical lens to a contemporary issue - environmentalism, immigration, family and same-sex marriage, race relations, global human rights, foreign policy and national security, social welfare and poverty, and economic policy. The result thoroughly enriches our understanding of evangelicalism as a prism through which many view a wide range of policy debates.

How does one forgive an international political transgression as deep as genocide or apartheid? Forgiveness is often conceived of as an element of personal morality, and even at that it is difficult. This book argues that it is also an essential part of political ethics, especially when dealing with collective wrongdoing by political regimes. In the past, a retributive justice demanding prosecution and punishment of all past offenses has kept the international community away from moving on to the next step in regime change. Here, Mark R. Amstutz takes a restorative justice approach, calling for nations to account for crimes through truth commissions, public apology and repentance, reparations, and ultimately forgiveness and the lifting of deserved penalties. The distinctive feature of forgiveness is the balance it strikes between backward-looking accountability and forward-looking reconciliation. The Healing of Nations combines a theory of the role of forgiveness in public life with four key case studies that test this ethic: Argentina, Chile, Northern Ireland, and South Africa. Amstutz uses the hard cases to illustrate the promise and limits of forgiving without forgetting.

Realists have long argued that the international system must be based on hard calculations of power and interest. But in recent years, religion's role on the international scene has grown. The Influence of Faith examines religion as a growing factor in world politics and U.S. foreign policy. Particular attention is placed on the American reaction to the persecution of Christians and Jews overseas, as well as the role of faith-based groups such as missionary and relief organizations in the formulation and implementation of U.S. policy. The Influence of Faith considers these timely issues from diverse points of view, offering broad historical analysis as well as concrete examples taken from current affairs.

Mark Amstutz illustrates the role of moral norms in global politics and the ethical foundation of the rules, institutions, and structures of global society with twenty-six new and revised case studies, including the ethics of climate change, the refugee crisis, and the Syrian civil war. The cases address the following major global issues: human rights, war, unconventional military operations, foreign intervention, international economic relations, justice among states, and global justice. This comprehensive study will be of special interest to students and practitioners of international affairs who are concerned with the role of political morality and ethical judgment in global affairs.

Few issues are as complex and controversial as immigration in the United States. The only thing anyone seems to agree on is that the system is broken. Mark Amstutz offers a succinct overview and assessment of current immigration policy and argues for an approach to the complex immigration debate that is solidly grounded in Christian political thought. After analyzing key laws and institutions in the US immigration system, Amstutz examines how Catholics, evangelicals, and main-line Protestants have used Scripture to address social and political issues, including immigration. He critiques the ways in which many Christians have approached immigration reform and offers concrete suggestions on how Christian groups can offer a more credible political engagement with this urgent policy issue.