The mighty and the Almighty

Contents Note: Contents: Introduction / William J. Clinton -- Part 1. God, liberty, country. The mighty and the almighty -- "The eyes of all people are upon us" -- Good intentions gone astray : Vietnam and the Shah -- The question of conscience -- Faith and diplomacy -- The devil and Madeleine Albright -- "Because it is right" -- Part 2. Cross, crescent, star. Learning about Islam -- Holy land, but whose? -- "The greatest Jihad" -- "God wants me to be President" -- Iraq : unintended consequences -- Confronting Al Qaeda -- The Saudi dilemma -- Arab democracy -- Islam in the West -- Africa : a race for souls -- Part 3. Final reflections. The whole shooting match -- Summoning the better angels.

Summary or Abstract: Does America, as George W. Bush has proclaimed, have a special mission, derived from God, to bring liberty and democracy to the world? How much influence does the Christian right have over U.S. foreign policy? And how should America deal with violent Islamist extremists?
Madeleine Albright, the former secretary of state and bestselling author of Madam Secretary, offers a thoughtful and often surprising look at the role of religion in shaping America’s approach to the world. Drawing upon her experiences while in office and her own deepest beliefs about morality, the United States, and the present state of world affairs, a woman noted for plain speaking offers her thoughts about the most controversial topics of our time.
In The Mighty and the Almighty, Madeleine Albright examines the profound impact of religion on America’s view of itself, the effect on U.S. policy of the rise of the Christian right, the Bush administration’s successes and failures in responding to 9/11, the challenges posed by the war in Iraq, and the importance of understanding Islam. She offers a balanced but, when necessary, devastating analysis of U.S. strategy and condemns those of all faiths who exploit religious fervor to create divisions or enhance their own power.
In this illuminating account, Albright argues that, to be effective, U.S. policy-makers must understand the power and place of religion in motivating others and in coloring how American actions are perceived. Defying the conventional wisdom, she suggests not only that religion and politics are inseparable, but that their partnership, when properly harnessed, can be a force for justice and peace.