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Kennedy School Launches Initiative on Religion in International Affairs

Awarded $400,000 Grant from the Henry Luce Foundation

Press Release

September 27, 2007

Belfer Center Programs or Projects: Religion in International Affairs

CAMBRIDGE, MA. – Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government this week announced a new academic research program, the Initiative on Religion in International Affairs. The interdisciplinary Initiative, based at the Kennedy School’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, will be directed by Monica Duffy Toft, Associate Professor of Public Policy; and J. Bryan Hehir, Parker Gilbert Montgomery Professor of the Practice of Religion and Public Life. The new program is supported with a $400,000 grant from the Henry Luce Foundation.

The new Initiative is devoted to examining the substantive policy issues relevant to the role of religion in international affairs, including peace and war. The two-year grant will fund the program’s initial development and research endeavors that will engage resources and students across Harvard University, including at the Kennedy School, the Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS), and Harvard Divinity School.

“Working alongside their colleagues from across the university, scholars and students at the Kennedy School will have the opportunity with this new program to examine how faith affects policy and vice versa,” said Kennedy School Dean David T. Ellwood. “This grant comes as wonderful news to those of us who seek new answers to the many questions surrounding religion and international affairs.”

“Recent events demonstrate the powerful impact of religion on modern society and particularly on global events,” said Toft. “It is our intention to study this phenomenon in great depth in the coming years and to educate our students on such important matters.”

The challenge for the program, according to Hehir, “is to combine the best analysis of international relations and foreign policy with the nominative dimensions of religious traditions and ethical analysis.”

Toft, who teaches courses on religion and global politics, civil wars, and international security at the Kennedy School, focuses her research on international relations, nationalism and ethnic war, and religion and large-scale violence. She is the author of two books, “The Geography of Ethnic Violence: Identity, Interests, and Territory” and “The Fog of Peace and War Planning,” and is finishing a third on civil war termination, “Peace through Victory: The Durable Settlement of Civil Wars.” Her research on religion in global politics includes a number of scholarly articles and she is currently editing a volume on religion and international affairs and is writing two books on the topic.

Hehir teaches courses on religion, ethics, and public policy at the Kennedy School. His research and writing focus on ethics and foreign policy and the role of religion in world politics and in American society. His writings include: “The Moral Measurement of War: A Tradition of Continuity;” “Change, Military Intervention and National Sovereignty;” “Catholicism and Democracy;” and “Social Values and Public Policy: A Contribution from a Religious Tradition.” Hehir is also the Secretary for Social Services and the President of Catholic Charities in the Archdiocese of Boston.

The Henry Luce Foundation was established in 1936 and has assets of approximately $800 million. The work of the Luce Foundation reflects the interests of four generations of the Luce family. These include the interdisciplinary exploration of higher education; increased understanding between Asia and the United States; the study of religion and theology; scholarship in American art; opportunities for women in science and engineering; and environmental and public policy programs. This grant is part of the Henry R. Luce Initiative on Religion and International Affairs. See the Foundation website for more information: http://www.hluce.org/index.html

Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government maintains an abiding commitment to advancing the public interest by training skilled, enlightened leaders and solving public problems through world-class scholarship and active engagement with practitioners and decision makers. The school offers the depth, reflection, insight, and excellence of ideas and teaching that can shape future leaders, affect public policies, and make an impact on people and their daily lives. See the School website: http://www.ksg.harvard.edu

For more information about this publication please contact the Belfer Center Communications Office at 617-495-9858.

For Academic Citation:
"Kennedy School Launches Initiative on Religion in International Affairs." Awarded $400,000 Grant from the Henry Luce Foundation., 2007 Sep 27.