diplomacy

Emily Conroy-Krutz chronicles the complex relationship between Protestant missionaries and the US Foreign Service in the 19th century.

If Congress kills the Iran deal, it will leave Obama unable to fulfill his duties as head of state. Yet legislators won't be the ones remembered for the failure.

As Lawrence Wright nicely chronicles, Jimmy Carter faced a daunting task at Camp David in 1978. Carter, Menachem Begin, and Anwar el-Sadat each had much at stake.

This week, the State Department announced that Christian ethicist Shaun Casey will lead its new office for “religious engagement.” Within the network of the State Department’s various offices, this one stands out as potentially divisive and potentially useful. Under Hillary Clinton, the State Department turned its attention to nontraditional diplomatic partners—and she intentionally engaged, among others, religious partners. That focus has continued under John Kerry, resulting in the official announcement of this office.

But the U.S. government continues to face the issue of how exactly to engage religion.

"After 9/11, religion was put on the State Department's agenda—as a source of conflict. But religion can also be a force for peace."

In 2009, U.S. talks with Iran broke down because the U.S. was seeking quick results. It's time to try again.

Countries, not individuals, are the enemies and friends that Charles Kupchan has in mind in How Enemies Become Friends, and beginning with the book's title, he sets himself against the most influential school of thought in international relations.