Roundtable: Lynch, Wrestling with God: Ethical Precarity in Christianity and IR

Session Submission Type: Roundtable

Session Description

This author-meets-critics roundtable gathers a diverse group of scholars to discuss Cecelia Lynch’s forthcoming book ‘Wrestling with God: Ethical Precarity in Christianity and International Relations’ (Cambridge University Press, 2020). Book description (from publisher): "Contrary to charges of religious “dogma,” Christian actors in international politics often wrestle with the lack of a clear path in determining what to do and how to act, especially in situations of violence and when encountering otherness. Lynch argues that it is crucial to recognise the ethical precarity of decision-making and acting. This book contextualizes and examines ethical struggles and justifications that key figures and movements gave during the early modern period of missionary activity in the Americas; in the interwar debates about how to act vis-à-vis fascism, economic oppression and colonialism in a “secular” world; in liberation theology’s debates about the use of violence against oppression and bloodshed; and in contemporary Christian humanitarian negotiations of religious pluralism and challenges to the assumptions of western Christianity. Lynch explores how the wrestling with God that took place in each of these periods reveals ethical tensions that continue to impact both Christianity and international relations."

Sub Unit

• Division 43: International History and Politics

Cosponsor

• Division 33: Religion and Politics

Chair

• Jonathan Agensky Ohio University

Presenters

• Cecelia Lynch University of California, Irvine

• Gina Giliberti Northwestern University

• Rina Verma Williams University of Cincinnati

• Laura Thaut Vinson Lewis & Clark College

• Michael N. Barnett George Washington University

• Atalia Omer University of Notre Dame